Protecting Today by Building Tomorrow
After our inspiring edition in Dublin, the next chapter of the neext European Talk took us to the political heart of Europe: Brussels. Known not only as the seat of the European Union but also as a growing hub for sustainable transformation, Brussels offered the perfect context to explore how European policy, real estate innovation, and urban development intersect to create climate-resilient cities.
Our event in Brussels took place on June 11th & 12th, gathering experts, policymakers, innovators, and investors under one roof to tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: How can we protect today by building tomorrow?
Reviewing our neext European Talk in Brussels – From Policy to Practice: Scaling Urban Sustainability
Day 1 began with an intimate roundtable session that set the tone for collaboration and honest exchange. Against the backdrop of a city facing both dense historic infrastructure and bold climate targets, we opened with the theme “From Waste to Worth”, exploring how circularity and resource innovation can redefine value in the built environment.
Michael Moradiellos del Molino shared insights into Drees & Sommer’s approach to sustainability in complex urban contexts. A thought-provoking dialogue between Luca Arbau (ICLEI) and Linus Grub (Drees & Sommer) followed, digging deeper into the challenges and opportunities that cities face when applying circular economy principles at scale. The evening concluded with a shared reflection on what it means to embed value and resilience into urban transformation.
Day 2 transitioned from strategic reflection to action. The morning kicked off with an energizing welcome by Max Ast and Jana Arnet, who reminded us of our collective responsibility to shape the future through the decisions we make today.
The first keynote came from Dennis Hauer (Urban Climate Architects), who emphasized the importance of quantifying and reducing CO₂ emissions in city planning. This was followed by a virtual contribution from Rosalinde Van der Vlies, Director at the European Commission (DG ENER), offering a crucial policy perspective on decarbonizing the EU’s building stock through instruments like the Renovation Wave and the updated EPBD.
In a dynamic fishbowl discussion, we brought together perspectives from EU institutions, ESG investment leaders, engineering firms, and local developers. Whether debating data-driven planning, social inclusion, or cross-sector collaboration, one theme remained central: policy must become performance.
The afternoon continued with sharp impulses:
Marcos Gonzalez Alvarez (European Commission, DG CLIMA) outlined how the Social Climate Fund and ETS2 aim to drive decarbonization while supporting vulnerable households.
Haakon Brouwer (Dam & Partners Architecten) closed the program by showing how crisis can fuel design innovation – turning constraints into opportunities for long-term urban resilience.
Key takeaways from Brussels:
🗝️ EU policy must translate into practical, scalable solutions in cities.
🗝️ Low-carbon design, digital innovation, and inclusive funding are the cornerstones of a resilient urban future.
🗝️ ESG is no longer optional – it’s a driver of credibility, investment, and performance.
🗝️ Political will and inter-institutional cooperation remain essential to scaling sustainable impact.
🗝️ Architecture and urban design must respond not just to aesthetics, but to planetary limits.
Our sincere thanks go to all speakers, participants, and partners – especially our hosts from the European Commission, Patrizia, and Urban Climate Architects – for making this edition of neext European Talk one of our most policy-driven and practical to date.
We now look ahead to our next stops in Athens, London, and Berlin, continuing our mission to connect people, projects, and ideas that shape the future of Europe – one city at a time.
