‘Beautiful’ Irish town project shortlisted for prestigious EU prize

A community project to mitigate climate change in Ballina has been shortlisted for a prestigious New European Bauhaus prize. Counted among just 61 shortlisted from over 1,450 applications, the competition highlights ‘beautiful, sustainable and inclusive projects’ from all across the EU and Western Balkan States.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative that connects the(opens in a new window)European Green Dealto EU citizens’ living spaces and experiences. The final winners of the competition will be decided by(opens in a new window)public online vote(closing date 24 May) and jury selection, and announced in Brussels on 22 June 2023.

The(opens in a new window)Ripple projectwas funded under the Government of Ireland ‘Creative Ireland’ programme, with support from Mayo County Council, and was coordinated between(opens in a new window)Ballina Green Towns,UCD Centre for Irish Towns, local artist Rionach Ní Néill, and the community of Greenhills Estate, Ballina.

Member of the Ripple project team from UCD School of Civil Engineering,(opens in a new window)Dr Sarah Cotterillsaid: “We’re delighted that Ripple has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prizes. The impact of climate change will be felt by every community in Ireland, but individuals can feel disconnected if they can’t see a clear path to what they can do personally to effect change. Ripple aimed to show how local initiatives can be a meaningful solution to a global challenge, by focusing on managing water in a housing estate. It was a hugely collaborative project, looking at how we could transform the underused green space — which is so common in housing estates all over Ireland — to become more climate resilient and socially cohesive places.”

Detailed information on this project can be found at ‘Beautiful’ Irish town project shortlisted for prestigious EU prize.