Netco

Urban Lab is partner of the european project NETCO – Network of Cities for Collaborative Housing that aims to promote peer learning and exchange among city practitioners and civil society individuals and organizations on collective housing formulas at local level, as a long-term policy solution to address racial, gender and generational disparities through participation in neighbours’ and community engagement initiatives.

The Network of Cities for Collaborative Housing (NETCO) ran from May 2022 to April 2024 and aimed, in the short term, to mobilize cities, local practitioners, and individuals interested in the collaborative housing model to exchange ideas and address social inclusion and participation through a practical-oriented approach. In the mid-term, this Network sought to open forums and channels among collaborative housing initiatives and stakeholders, including local public bodies, to promote policy changes and instruments that facilitate the success of these initiatives. This was to be based on the compilation of best practices and recommendations collected throughout the project. Finally, the long-term effect of the project was to contribute to the establishment and improvement of collaborative housing programs at the local level, the scaling up of these initiatives, and the expansion of the Network to include other cities and policy levels. 

NETCO was integrated by ten EU and two non-EU countries, through 16 partners. The participating cities included: Spain (Barcelona, serving as the coordinator), Germany (Id22 – Berlin and Dresden), Portugal (Lisbon), Greece (Thessaloniki), The Netherlands (Amsterdam and Eindhoven), France (Grand Lyon and Strasbourg), Croatia (Zagreb), Romania (Cluj), Belgium (Brussels), Slovenia (Ljubljana), Italy (Torino and Bologna), United Kingdom and Norway (Oslo).

This diverse composition provided a balanced representation of cities from northern, southern, central, and eastern Europe, each with distinct welfare state systems and local policy schemes. The project organized exchanges and discussions on key policies necessary for the success of collaborative housing, maintaining a strong practical orientation to align the knowledge and interests of city practitioners, civil society individuals, and organizations.

Exchange on the implementation of collaborative housing within NETCO was done through a series of online and in person events:

• Event 1 (Online, 2022): Hosted by the Municipality of Barcelona, this webinar focused on collaborative housing as a key local policy during COVID-19
• Event 2 (Bologna, April 2023): European conference on advancing collaborative housing models at the local level, addressing legal frameworks and challenges
• Event 3 (Barcelona, June 2023): European conference on making local innovation sustainable, emphasizing the role of public resources in collaborative housing
• Event 4 (Berlin, October 2023): European conference on funding collaborative housing schemes, exploring challenges and prospects
• Event 5 (Brussels, January 2024): European conference on combating discrimination and residential exclusion through collaborative housing
• Event 6 (Online, March-April 2024): Hosted by Barcelona, this webinar provided recommendations and next steps for collaborative housing