ATELIER Project: Transforming a Brownfield into a Sustainable Neighborhood
A new neighborhood is being developed on an industrial brownfield site, integrating several 19th-century private homes, newly built residential units, and repurposed old industrial buildings primarily used as training centers. The ATELIER project will focus on the energy aspects of this new neighborhood, conducting three pilot projects in different areas.
ATELIER aims to create and replicate Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in eight European cities, with Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Bilbao (Spain) serving as Lighthouse Cities. These cities will showcase innovative solutions that integrate buildings with smart mobility and technologies to generate more energy than they consume. ATELIER will generate an energy surplus of 1,340 MWh of primary energy and save 1.7 kt of CO2 and 23 tons of NOx emissions.
The Fellow Cities—Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Krakow (Poland), Matosinhos (Portugal), and Riga (Latvia)—will replicate and adapt these successful solutions, acting as testbeds for future smart cities.
Vision and Goals:
"Our vision is to create dedicated PED Innovation Ateliers to strengthen the local innovation ecosystem and remove legal, financial, or social barriers to implementing smart solutions," says Frank Tazelaar, Head of Sustainability at the City of Amsterdam. "These Innovation Ateliers will be self-sustaining, continuing long after the project ends, serving as engines for the upscaling and replication of solutions within ATELIER cities and beyond."
To ensure successful implementation, ATELIER places citizens at the center of its activities. Residents, local initiatives, and energy communities will participate in decision-making processes and development activities. Citizens' involvement in the Innovation Ateliers will maximize the impact of the PEDs.
City Vision 2050:
"With ATELIER, we aim to pave the way for more 'positive' cities in Europe. Each of our eight involved cities will develop a City Vision 2050, which will be a roadmap for upscaling solutions long-term," explains Eduardo Zabala of Tecnalia Research & Innovation, leader of the City Vision 2050 work. The objective is to ensure a seamless city transformation from planning to implementation and further upscaling and replication.
ATELIER's commitment to citizen-driven development and sustainable innovation sets a precedent for future urban transformations across Europe and beyond.
Project website: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/411499-atelier-smart-city-project-to-turn-amsterdam-and-bilbao-into-citizen-driven-positive-energy-d