Understanding inhabitant’s experiences of neighbourhoods to support their health and well-being

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Robust evidence on how inhabitants experience their neighbourhood^[1] and the impact of these experiences on their health and well-being.
• The research informs policies, strategies, neighbourhood planning and procurement for the green transition^[1] of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive^[3] transformation and climate resilience.

Scope:

Neighbourhoods are human-social constructs and environments. They are shaped by complex inter-connections and interdependencies of human and non-human actors in the natural and built environment^[1] they comprise. An increasing body of research is looking at the relationship between people and the built environment, from neuro-architectural aspects of space to atmosphere and ambiance aspects in urban design and planning, influencing also the perception of beauty. Digitalisation is also allowing to understand, map and enhance how inhabitants experience the built environment. Yet, more evidence is needed on how inhabitants react to and identify with their neighbourhoods as well as the effects of these experiences on their physical and mental health and overall well-being. Such insights can help inform spatial planning and regeneration strategies for the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation and climate resilience, while delivering positive social and cultural impacts such as sense of community, security and belonging, or cultural identity.

This topic will further investigate how inhabitants experience their neighbourhoods, the impact of these experiences on their health and well-being, and how these experiences can be improved through NEB in the context of the green transition.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following:

• Obtain a deep understanding of inhabitants’ sensory and emotional experience of their neighbourhood and the impact of these experiences on their health and well-being. Proposals are expected to:
  • Involve in the research a diversity of people and groups, including those in a vulnerable situation and/or marginalised (such as women, children, youth, older adults, people with physical and psychological functional variations and their families/carers, LGTBIQA+ people, migrants and refugees).
  • Assess the extent to which experiences and impacts vary across sociodemographic groups as well as in neighbourhoods with different characteristics. For example, in relation to the geography (e.g. urban, peri-urban, rural, coastal, insular areas); the quality of the built environment, including its accessibility and perceived beauty; social, economic and demographic characteristics (e.g. population density, social mixing, social infrastructure^[1], property census); reputation; access to natural, cultural and artistic spaces and offers.
  • Provide consistent and comparable data across different project sites and populations, making use of, among others, the NEB self-assessment method ^[6].
  • Validate the findings in at least three neighbourhoods (in urban, peri-urban and rural areas) located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries.
• Based on the research evidence, provide recommendations to local authorities and the artistic, cultural and heritage sector in those neighbourhoods on how to:
  • Improve inhabitants’ experiences and sense of belonging of/in their neighbourhoods.
  • Support the health and well-being of neighbourhood inhabitants.
  • Guide the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation and climate resilience.

Proposals are expected to follow a participatory^[1] and transdisciplinary^[1] approach through the integration of different actors and disciplines.

This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH)^[1] disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals are expected to allocate at least 0.8% of their budget for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' to share their intermediate and final results, findings and learning, as well as to contribute to impact assessment.

[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[5] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[6] European Commission, ’NEB Self-Assessment Method’, New European Bauhaus, accessed 5 August 2025, https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/tools-and-resources/neb-self-assessment-method_en

[7] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[8] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[9] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.