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Advancing circular lifestyles in European city centres
After three years of intensive collaboration, the NiCE project (“From Niche to Centre – City Centres as Places of Circular Lifestyles”) officially comes to an end on 30 April 2026. The project has delivered a comprehensive set of tools, strategies and tested solutions supporting the transformation of urban centres into vibrant, sustainable and circular spaces.
From challenge to transformation
European city centres have faced growing challenges in recent years – from declining retail activity and the rapid expansion of online trade to increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable consumption patterns. The NiCE project responded to these issues by promoting circular lifestyles as a practical and scalable alternative, helping cities become more resilient, resource-efficient and people-friendly.
By bringing together municipalities, research institutions, NGOs, SMEs and citizens across Central Europe, NiCE demonstrated how local ecosystems can be reactivated through innovative circular solutions and strong stakeholder cooperation.
Key achievements and project results
Over the course of the project, partners developed and tested a wide range of outputs designed to support cities and communities in transitioning towards circularity. Among the most important results are:
- NiCE Knowledge Platform – a central hub for tools, case studies and educational materials supporting circular living
- Solution Box – a set of four practical guides based on pilot experiences, covering stakeholder engagement, multifunctional resource centres, sustainable e-commerce integration and water reuse
- Circular Lifestyle Monitor Tool – enabling cities to assess their current status and identify opportunities for circular development
- Strategy Framework for Circular Lifestyles – providing guidance for integrating circular approaches into urban planning and policy
- Virtual Exhibition – showcasing over 30 inspiring examples of circular initiatives in urban environments
These tools are designed to be transferable and adaptable, supporting cities across Europe in implementing circular solutions in their own contexts.
Pilots that brought ideas to life
A key strength of the NiCE project was its pilot actions implemented in eight cities across Central Europe. These real-life experiments demonstrated how circular approaches can revitalise underused urban spaces, foster community engagement and promote sustainable consumption patterns.
The experiences gathered through pilots directly informed the development of the Solution Box and other project outputs, ensuring their practical relevance and applicability.
You can learn more about each of the eight pilot cities and circular lifestyle offer tested here: https://circularlifestyle.eu/pilots
The role of RIC Pro-Akademia
Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia played a significant role in the successful implementation of the NiCE project. Our key contribution included:
- Impact assessment of pilot activities, analysing environmental, social and economic effects of implemented solutions.
- Coordination of the development of the four guides within the Solution Box, ensuring their methodological consistency and practical usability.
- Development of the NiCE Knowledge Platform, a key project output enabling knowledge sharing, dissemination and long-term uptake of results.
Through these activities, RIC Pro-Akademia contributed to ensuring that NiCE results are not only innovative, but also measurable, transferable and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders.
Lasting impact beyond the project
Although the project formally concludes at the end of April 2026, its results are designed for long-term use. The Knowledge Platform, Solution Box and other tools will continue to support cities, organisations and citizens in adopting circular lifestyles and rethinking the role of city centres.
NiCE has shown that sustainable transformation is possible when innovation is combined with collaboration and practical implementation. By moving circular solutions “from niche to centre”, the project has laid the foundation for more resilient and sustainable urban futures across Europe.
Project NiCE is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund
The NiCE project is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education as part of the programme entitled ‘International Co-Financed Projects