Pioneering sustainable food environments through European collaboration
The city of Zagreb recently hosted the kick-off meeting for the innovative Bauhaus Bites (BB) project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming urban food systems through sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful food environments. This ambitious project, funded by Horizon Europe, spans seven cities across Europe and promises to revolutionise how urban and peri-urban ecosystems approach food sustainability.
The Bauhaus Bites project is set to deliver urban food system transformation via Bauhaus Bites Food Environments, which will be co-created and demonstrated in cities at various levels of societal readiness. These environments will be fortified with Nature-Based Solutions and amplified by the New European Bauhaus principles, ensuring that the food environments of tomorrow are not only sustainable but also inclusive and aesthetically pleasing.
During the three-day event, participants from the seven cities—Birmingham, Fundão, Zagreb (Trailblazers), and Murska Sobota, Ostend, Palermo, Sarajevo (Twins)—gathered to discuss the project’s goals and strategies. The meeting emphasized the importance of co-creation and inclusive participation, involving city and regional authorities, community and business-driven initiatives, and the inhabitants and end users of these food environments.
The Trailblazer Cities of Birmingham, Fundão, and Zagreb will lead the way by pioneering and demonstrating the implementation of Bauhaus Bites Food Environments. The Twin Cities of Murska Sobota, Ostend, Palermo, and Sarajevo will follow their lead, adapting and replicating these innovative approaches in their own contexts.
The programme had engaging activities to bring one another together, to foster collaboration and innovation. The event commenced on the first day with welcoming remarks of key project leaders and representatives from the City of Zagreb. This was followed by interactive sessions where participants introduced themselves and shared their visions for the project. Poster presentations from both Trailblazer and Twin Cities provided a platform for detailed discussions and feedback on the proposed initiatives.
Day two included co-designing the Bauhaus Bites Vision and Impact Pathways. This was the subject of workshops and included developing logical consequences of the actions of the project. This session was crucial for aligning all participants regarding the project’s objectives and to develop a linear thought process.
The final day featured a study visit to the Sopot Urban Garden and the Therapeutic Garden in Sesvete, offering participants an insight into urban garden schemes that are integral to the project’s pilot interventions.
The project aims to merge key perspectives from European and global strategies such as the Farm to Fork and FOOD 2030 strategies, the Planetary Health Diet, and the New European Bauhaus values. This unique approach will reimagine food environments in collaboration with local, culturally diverse communities, customising solutions to meet their specific needs and anchoring them in social meeting spaces that hold significant meaning for these communities.
One of the key outcomes of the Bauhaus Bites project will be the creation of a Playbook, summarising the learnings, guidelines, methods, and examples from the project. This Playbook will serve as a valuable resource for broad adoption, ensuring that the innovative solutions developed can be transferred and implemented in other cities and regions.
The kick-off meeting in Zagreb marked the beginning of a journey towards creating sustainable, healthy diets and food environments that are not only functional but also beautiful and inclusive. With the collaboration of sister projects and European/global networks, the Bauhaus Bites project is poised to make a significant impact on urban food systems, embedding inclusive participation and co-creation, and paving the way for a healthier and more sustainable future.
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