The ECTP 2026 Conference in Brussels brought together experts from across Europe to discuss the future of the built environment. While topics ranged from circularity and digitalisation to affordable housing and urban regeneration, a common message emerged throughout the event: sustainability, inclusion and resilience must be addressed together.
The conference is also a key meeting point for the Built4People community, bringing together projects, researchers, industry representatives and policymakers working towards a people-centric, climate-neutral, sustainable and smart built environment. As a Built4People project, InclusiveSpaces is part of this wider ecosystem, making the discussions particularly relevant to our work on inclusive urban spaces and mobility.
For the InclusiveSpaces project, many of the discussions reinforced a key principle that guides our work: creating better places requires considering people’s needs from the very beginning of the planning and design process.
Circularity as a source of resilience
In the current geopolitical context, circularity is increasingly being viewed as more than an environmental objective. It is also a strategy for resilience.
Speakers highlighted the need for a whole-life approach to buildings and infrastructure, considering everything from design and construction to deconstruction and material recovery. Circularity cannot be added later, it must be embedded from the start.
Digitalisation must work for people
Digital transformation was another central theme. However, participants emphasised that digitalisation should not be driven by technology alone.
Several discussions highlighted the need to focus on who will use digital tools and how they can improve everyday life. This perspective is particularly relevant for projects such as InclusiveSpaces, where data and digital technologies support more informed, accessible and inclusive urban planning.
Projects such as REGEN, which is developing urban digital twins for sustainable urban transformation, demonstrated approaches that closely align with our vision of people-centred innovation.
The New European Bauhaus gains momentum
The conference also highlighted the growing influence of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) across Europe.
Recent developments include the launch of the NEB Junction platform, designed to accelerate sustainable transformation through collaboration and knowledge sharing. In addition, the Council of the European Union recently adopted a recommendation encouraging Member States to integrate NEB values into policies and funding programmes.
Participation creates lasting change
Several presentations demonstrated the value of co-creation and public participation in urban regeneration projects.
From neighbourhood diagnosis and vision-building exercises to local design competitions and citizen-led prioritisation processes, successful projects consistently involved communities in shaping decisions. In many cases, local groups continued to drive change long after project funding had ended.
Beautiful places need nature
One of the most memorable messages from the conference was that creating beautiful places requires more than architecture-it requires biology.
Green spaces, biodiversity and nature-based solutions are essential for creating healthier, more resilient and more attractive communities. Nature is increasingly recognised as a fundamental component of sustainable urban development.
A shared lesson
Across all discussions, one idea stood out above all others: sustainability, inclusion and participation cannot be treated as add-ons.
Just as circularity must be considered from the beginning of a project’s lifecycle, accessibility, inclusivity and community engagement must be embedded in the vision from day one.
For InclusiveSpaces, this principle remains at the heart of creating urban environments that work better for everyone.