CBI Pro-Akademia

European city centres are changing: In recent decades, they were resource-intensive centres of consumption. Currently, the online trade is growing, which increasingly shifts consumption from stationary trade to the digitalised sphere. In connection with the COVID19 pandemic, numerous shops had to close and supply chains were interrupted. In contrast, alternative and sustainable consumption models leading to more circularity and sufficiency increase. However, due to the current framework conditions these models usually only remain in their niche and are only seen by "interested parties" at most. Consumers therefore lack a central and easily accessible offer of alternative forms of consumption.

NiCE brings these two challenges together: a transformation of central places in cities that make it easy for their inhabitants to implement sustainable lifestyles and at the same time to (re)animate centres in a more circular way.
We want to show various practical approaches in different settings that consciously strengthen these new forms of consumption, make them visible in urban centres and bring all relevant actors together. One such setting is for example a "multifunctional resource centre", where several services and offers (such as different repair services) are accessible at one central spot.

NiCE partners will prepare, document and evaluate these approaches in transnational teams to develop viable, transferable models and approaches: How to use empty spaces for circular offers? How to run and economically sustain central resource centres? How to combine transnational online trade with local circular services?
Educational, inspirational, and exchange formats at transnational, national and regional level will transfer our results to municipalities, regions, providers of alternative consumption and business models, citizen associations and policymakers and invites for further joint activities to establish circular city centres throughout Central Europe.