HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04: Network of neighbourhoods for innovative policies on gentrification

El Carmen is one of the oldest and most iconic neighbourhoods in the city of Murcia, currently undergoing a significant process of urban transformation. Infrastructure upgrades, new public spaces, and the development of mobility hubs are reshaping the area and enhancing its connection with the wider city. However, this rapid regeneration is creating increasing pressure on the local population and the traditional urban fabric.

Rising housing demand, commercial change, and the arrival of new socio-economic groups risk triggering gentrification, displacing long-time residents, altering social dynamics, and eroding cultural identity. These trends make El Carmen a compelling pilot site for the Horizon Europe topic HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-04: Network of neighbourhoods for innovative policies on gentrification.

The proposed pilot will:

• Set up a neighbourhood-based urban lab involving residents, social organisations, researchers, urban practitioners and local authorities;

• Identify and analyse socio-spatial trends related to urban change and displacement;

• Co-create and test policy measures to mitigate gentrification risks, such as protecting rental housing, supporting inclusive economic activity, and preserving cultural identity;

• Ensure strong participation of underrepresented groups (e.g. older adults, women, migrants, youth);

• Integrate the core values of the New European Bauhaus—sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics—into the policy design and implementation process;

• Produce transferable recommendations for other European cities experiencing similar transformation pressures.

The pilot will build upon ongoing municipal initiatives in public space, housing, and community engagement, offering a unique opportunity to test inclusive, community-driven approaches to urban policy within a changing inner-city neighbourhood.