The Sleeping Beauty project, funded by the European Commission, aims to transform neglected spaces, from cities to rural areas into beautiful, inclusive, nature- connected and multifunctional living spaces. By combining Nature Based Solutions (NBS) with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values – sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics – Sleeping Beauty project reimagines how we design and care for our public spaces.
The project brings together 21 partners across 9 countries. Six pilot sites in Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Italy and Greece are at the heart of the initiative. These “sleeping beauties” are spaces that have been overlooked or underused for years, such as urban heat islands, depopulation, limited greenery, or light pollution. Through co creative and sustainable approaches, they will become areas that promote biodiversity, well-being and community ties.
“Sleeping Beauty strives to uncover hidden gems that lay dormant under the dust of decades of neglect or mono-functional mainstream use and makes them shine again”, says Gudrun Haindlmaier, project coordinator of Sleeping Beauty.
As part of the project, Dowel Innovation is contributing to the long-term impact and legacy of Sleeping Beauty. Our role includes leading the exploitation activities and developing NEB-NBS business models. We are also contributing to the development of tools and strategies for stakeholders’ engagement to help cities and communities continue using NEB-NBS methods beyond the project. The project’s outcomes will include a set of good practices offering practical guidance that will serve as a foundation for future policies, tools and actions.
Sleeping Beauty aims to inspire a new perspective for public spaces and foster a shift in how urban and rural environments are imagined and sustained.
You can read the project’s press release here.
