Building Living Urban Ecosystems through Participatory Renovation and Innovation Tools

"Achieving a climate-neutral and resilient society requires the transformation of Europe’s building stock, not only at the level of individual structures but also across neighborhoods and urban districts. This transformation goes beyond technical retrofitting, demanding an inclusive approach that engages all stakeholders in participatory processes. In response to this, BLUEPRINT, will combine technological innovation with participatory processes in digital solutions that foster greater citizens’ and stakeholders’ engagement and drive the adoption of sustainable renovation practices aiming to promote sustainable, aesthetic and accessible urban spaces with better living conditions for all. This will be achieved with a NEB grounded unified, evidence-based framework for urban regeneration and stakeholder participation integrating immersive and interactive technologies - including AI assistants in urban renovation, participatory and modeling tools, Building Information Modeling, Virtual and Augmented reality - in multiscale Digital Twins to create a novel and robust system for community participation during the design and planning stage of climate-resilient renovation strategies and efficient management of urban systems. Complementing this, an innovative low-tech, analog approach ensures inclusive participation aligned with ""leave no one behind"" principles, addressing gaps in current participatory tools, which often fail to engage vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and low-income communities. The project will validate its innovative solutions in Balla (IE), Issy-les-Moulineaux (FR), Athens (GR), Budapest (HU), Benetutti (IT), tackling diverse challenges like energy-efficient renovations, sustainable mobility, public space revitalization, and climate resilience. The learnings from these living labs will translate into new guidelines and recommendations in line with the Built4People Partnership goals to foster replication across Europe and beyond."