Lighthouses
Social housing renovation has been successfully demonstrated in the SUPERSHINE lighthouse districts through the impletation of a smart neighbourhood approach. Across the pilots, integrated methods and technologies based on resource efficiency, circularity, renewable energy systems, modular building solutions, smart living, and eco-design have been applied and validated at district scale.
Throughout the process, residents’ needs and perspectives have been a guiding principle, driving social innovation and human-centred solutions. Co-design, co-development, and co-implementation activities ensured strong local engagement, acceptance, and long-term impact.
The SUPERSHINE lighthouse districts were implemented in three European cities:
- Trieste (Italy)
- Herning (Denmark)
- Riga (Latvia)
All lighthouse districts were developed in alignment with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles—Beautiful, Sustainable, Together—demonstrating how social housing renovation can go beyond technical performance to deliver high-quality living environments.
Across the lighthouse districts, implemented interventions included:
- Improved energy efficiency of the building fabric
- On-site generation and storage of renewable energy
- Deployment of local energy systems and microgrids
- Together, the lighthouse districts provide concrete, real-life examples of how integrated, people-centred renovation strategies can be successfully deployed and replicated across Europe.
Trieste (Italy):
The creation of new communities resulting from the rebuild of the district will lead to the definition of new social housing services designed according to the inhabitants’ needs.
Herning (Denmark):
The tenants have carried out a democratic planning process to decide which building renovation measures are to be carried out.
Riga (Latvia):
The Āgenskalns neighbourhood is known for its active, self-established local community, motivated to take part in development of their neighborhood and willing to contribute to green and smart transformation of their urban and living space.
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