Solutions for modern society of the future. The New European Bauhaus. Manual
The publication aims to disseminate knowledge about #NEB. It brings together the experiences of academics and practitioners who deal with sustainability issues in different social and economic areas. We discuss how the goals of the #NEB can be realised in everyday social and economic life. The book is intended to serve not only as a body of knowledge and experience, but also as an academic textbook, providing an interdisciplinary perspective on particular problems and issues.
Cross-border/international
Poland
Czechia
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It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As an individual in partnership with other persons
First name: Robert Last name: Zajdler Gender: Male Nationality: Poland Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Warsaw University of Technology, Wydział Administracji i Nauk Społecznych, Plac Politechniki 1 Town: Warsaw Postal code: 00-661 Country: Poland Direct Tel:+48 609 139 669 E-mail:robert.zajdler@pw.edu.pl Website:http://www.pw.edu.pl
The work submitted to the competition is a publication that aims to advance knowledge about The New European Bauhaus (#NEB). It brings together the experiences of academics and practitioners who deal with sustainability issues in different social and economic areas. We discuss how the goals of the New European Bauhaus can be realised from a theoretical and practical point of view in everyday social and economic life. In line with the historical tendencies of the Bauhaus, each chapter goes beyond the boundaries of one field of knowledge and explores what relevance #NEB has for the issue at hand. The book is intended to serve not only as a body of knowledge and experience, but also as an academic textbook, providing an interdisciplinary perspective on particular problems and issues. Each chapter concludes by identifying problematic issues that require further analysis. This provides a platform for discussion and expansion of knowledge and understanding of new areas.
#NEB as the sustainability tool
Urban & rural development
Art, architecture and the city
Social integration
Clean energy & transport transition
The analysis starts with an observation that sustainability is not an unambiguously defined concept because different ‘versions’ of sustainability function. Those different ‘versions’ of sustainability represent different levels of ambition that our civilization could represent in its pro-environmental efforts. It elaborates on the level of pro-environmental ambition that the #NEB concept represents. It shows how the #NEB could be conceptualized as a sustainability tool. Two different approaches are discussed. The first is spreading the #NEB across different EU programs & policies. Second one analyses keeping the #NEB concept as a separate tool of the EU with its program and budget. Based on this analysis, the chapter puts forth a few progressive policy recommendations as its major conclusions.
This potential flexibility of the NEB concept allows consideration of applying the #NEB projects as just transformation for those regions that will need it the most within the current wave of decarbonization processes. At least part of the undertakings realized within the #NEB might be further developed in line with “just transformation” approach. Targeted areas could be, then, those that will be seriously affected by the rapid transformation towards carbon-neutrality of the EU economy. Paying such a particular focus on the affected social groups and doing this within a program that improves the aesthetics of the affected areas will enhance social support for climate & environmental policy! Additionally, developing NEB projects brings along an improvement of aesthetics of those affected areas. This might constitute a factor that additionally increases social support for climate & environmental policy, because of possible positive associations with already existing cases of approaching post-industrial transformation, i.a. by reviving those areas through art. The NEB concept should trigger a similar effect thanks to its vital axis of reconnecting with nature.
The couple chapters are particularly dedicated to this issue. One concerns the role of the cities which are an increasingly important part of our socio-economic reality. Whereas in the 1950s, about one-third of the population lived in cities, this percentage will rise to two-thirds by 2050. This means that proper management of public space will be a key determinant of most people’s standard of living. The development of cities was determined by environmental conditions. Human settlements emerged in places where the necessary environmental resources were available and where conditions were convenient for humans. Conceptual models in which the city was separated from the surrounding natural environment have not stood the test of time. Today’s modern conceptual models of urban development integrate present and future societal needs with environmental conditions within and around cities. Industrialisation and globalisation have shifted the focus of societal expectations away from urban sustainability. Nowadays, aspects of sustainable development that create a certain standard of living for city dwellers, irrespective of their social affiliation or economic capacity, are becoming increasingly important. This trend is currently a key determinant of urban spatial development in the European Union. The dichotomy developed in previous decades between urban development versus sustainable development is slowly disappearing. The key areas of development are the revitalisation of existing urban areas and the development of new urban areas in a sustainable manner, limiting the need for urban sprawl by ensuring that people can live and work at a socially acceptable level without having to move to the cities, or ensuring appropriate aesthetics in urban development that will encourage people to identify with a place. The above elements are tasks set by the authors for the New European Bauhaus. The chapters also touch on the issue of the place of art in public space.
Although the historical Bauhaus was a trend in art and architecture, the New European Bauhaus puts more emphasis on social aspects. Just as the historical Bauhaus saw the important role of the human being as the final beneficiary of the solutions it proposed and its ultimate reviewer, the New European Bauhaus strives for a social deepening. The problem, however, is about social relations we observe in today’s post-modern society. In today’s societies the connections between individuals and social groups are impermanent and temporary. On the one hand, this is an expression of individualism in social relations, based on the individual’s freedom of choice which is much less socially constrained than it had been historically. On the other hand, it creates great instability and uncertainty for both the individual and society. However, this does not have to imply a weakness of social relations, but a different approach to their construction. Social relations are negotiable, never fixed once and for all. Their strength is the flexibility and freedom inherent in their free formation. Their weakness is their fragility, which often leads to loneliness of an individual. However, they require constant moderation. The historical conditions shown indicate how important is the role of local or regional conditions as well as of moderating social behaviours. Such a role can be played by the New European Bauhaus. Concerns about the model of solidarity and social inclusion can currently be seen among decision-makers.
Increasing individualism does not build social bonds at a level that allows common goals to be achieved that transcend the individual’s particular interests. The idea of social participation is an attempt to respond to this challenge.
This book was written as a contribution of the Warsaw University of Technology - as a partner of the European Commission in the New European Bauhaus project - to the development of this topic. The intention of the book is to build some level of knowledge about the impact of #NEB and to create a tool to communicate this knowledge with the outside world. The authors are largely associated with the university or the city of Warsaw.
Warsaw University of Technology is a technical university that trains students in a range of disciplines in engineering and humanities and social sciences. As a partner of the European Commission in the #NEB project, we initiated the implementation of #NEB in the curriculum of some of the lectures and exercises conducted at the university. We noticed that the broad implementation of this subject matter required two things: firstly, a manual that would show how #NEB could relate to the particular areas that are the subject of the lectures or exercises. secondly, raising awareness among academic staff that #NEB is not just about architecture and aspects of #NEB can be implemented widely. The publication submitted to the competition aims to fill this gap.
The manual does not necessarily need to be implemented in its entirety in individual classes, as each chapter is a self-contained unit, so to speak. Academic education on #NEB is intended to make students more sensitive to sustainability issues. Students' credit-bearing projects will incorporate sustainability issues to a greater extent. The handbook, too, will allow lecturers to better understand the #NEB topic and adapt their classes. Open access to this publication will allow it to be widely used not only in academia, but also at other levels of education, but also community development. Among the authors is a participant in social movements in Warsaw.
In preparing this handbook, we made a search for issues that are relevant to #NEB. This search covered both the level of education and various aspects of social life, especially at the local level. The inventory of issues is the result of this search. We see these issues as key to accelerating social development in line with #NEB.
The authors of the publication include not only academics, but also people involved in social movements, central and local administrations. They have co-created the ideas contained in this publication. The idea that guided us was the interdisciplinarity of each chapter.
Our aim is for such a publication to be widely disseminated and to be the basis for involving local and regional communities in ideas related to #NEB.
Already at the stage of its creation, this publication was used in the process of educating students at Warsaw University of Technology, but also at other universities from where the authors of the chapters originate (University of Warsaw, University of Life Sciences in Poznan). Our intention is for it to be part of the student education process not only as a separate #NEB subject (which is at the discussion stage), but an element of other lectures and exercises. Hence the form of this textbook, in which each chapter, while being part of the whole, is nevertheless a separate part. These students often work in other organisations and companies and spreading this knowledge in this way will ensure that it is naturally spread and shared at other levels of society's organisations as well.
Below is a list of chapters that indicates these areas.
1. New European Bauhaus as the EU sustainability tool
2. Urban development as an element of the natural environment
3. Urban and rural spaces in regeneration
4. Art, architecture and the city
5. New architecture. Adaptable and modular housing
6. Techniques, materials and processes for construction and design
7. Social integration and participation in housing
8. Clean energy & transport transition
9. Buildings constructed or renovated in a spirit of sustainability
10. New sustainable mobility
The book was written by 12 authors, from a variety of academic disciplines and backgrounds. Each chapter is interdisciplinary in nature. Our work was preceded by a search for the needs and possible applications of #NEB, followed by the selection of issues for broader analysis and further analysis.
To our knowledge, there is no such position on the market. Knowledge about possible applications of #NEB in different areas of life is scattered and superficial. In the common understanding, #NEB is exclusively associated with architecture. This is according to our discussions with several interlocutors. What we are doing is showing the broader context of #NEB application. Our job is to educate so the book primarily has this dimension.
To encourage people to read it or at least browse through it, we have invested in an interesting graphic form that is a representation of the historical Bauhaus. The large number of graphics and the way the content is arranged is - in line with the historical Bauhaus - to further encourage reading. This is also an innovative for academic books.
The book also opens up discussions in new areas not covered by the main content. The problem questions posed at the end of each chapter serve to start an in-depth discussion that will enrich the application of #NEB. It can also be the basis for further publications of a similar nature.
Finally, despite the considerable expense incurred in its creation, the book in eBook form is distributed free of charge. This is expected to increase the scope of its application and make a positive contribution to the spread of knowledge and education about #NEB applications.
Our whole initiative is designed to be replicable and transferable to other locations, groups or applications. Despite the considerable expense incurred in its creation, the book in eBook form is distributed free of charge. This is expected to increase the scope of its application and make a positive contribution to the spread of knowledge and education about #NEB applications.
In preparing this handbook, we made a search for issues that are relevant to #NEB. This search covered both the level of education and various aspects of social life, especially at the local level. The inventory of issues is the result of this search. We see these issues as key to accelerating social development in line with #NEB. The authors of the publication include not only academics, but also people involved in social movements, central and local administrations. They have co-created the ideas contained in this publication. The idea that guided us was the interdisciplinarity of each chapter. Our aim is for such a publication to be widely disseminated and to be the basis for involving local and regional communities in ideas related to #NEB.
As reflected by the authors in this publication, the New European Bauhaus is a multi-faceted approach to integrate the requirements of climate protection into the policies and actions at different stages in The EU member states and in the functioning of their societies. Climate protection is repeatedly considered as part of the broader modernisation of societies in the spirit of sustainable development, including environmental sustainability in particular. However, the particular focus seems to be primarily on climate protection, the other environmental and social consequences being, as it were, an additional consequence of the actions taken.
The historic Bauhaus was one of many trends that sought to shape behaviour of its time. The New European Bauhaus is a process that is open to the initial ‘creative chaos’ and clash of different visions, with the ultimate aim of producing solutions that take climate protection and sustainability more broadly into account in the functioning of societies in Europe. However, the authors indicate several conditions that still need to be discussed and model solutions to be proposed. They also outline a few areas where the impact of the New European Bauhaus could be crucial, i.e. land-use and three sectors, namely construction, energy and transport. The choice of these areas stems from a combination of two elements. Firstly, they are very close to the people and their expectations. Just as the idea of the historic Bauhaus was to create solutions that were needed, expected and socially accepted, the idea of the New European Bauhaus should be to build a similar link between economy and society. Secondly, the above areas have a particular impact on the climate and are important in ensuring sustainability.
Attached is a prepared publication in eBook form. The paper version will be printed in February 2023 in a specified number of copies. As we find additional sponsors for additional printing we will want to print it and distribute it more widely. The #NEB award would allow us to further disseminate this initiative.
Already those social aspects of external influence of the NEB concept encourage to conclude that NEB can become an attractive tool for the EU to enhance sustainability (the EU sustainability tool from the title of this chapter). This becomes even more obvious once we go through the content of the NEB concept. It has the potential to become a fundamental tool for the EU regarding sustainability. To fulfil that potential requires obtaining momentum for the NEB within the EU (as well as globally). This can only be achieved once the EU properly emphasizes one of the two: either spreading NEB within different EU programmes & policies - or keeping NEB as a separate program. For both of those scenarios, mobilizing vast amounts of funding (e.g. by qualifying NEB projects as eligible under EU taxonomy rules for green finance) remains vital in order to develop NEB into a fundamental sustainability tool of the European Union. Our project helps to indicate areas of such influence.
