Build4People

From 3–5 November 2026, a high-level delegation associated with the Build4People project will attend the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona, one of the world’s leading events for urban innovation.

Under the theme “Urban Solutions, Real Impact”, the Expo will bring together city leaders, policymakers, businesses, researchers and innovators to explore practical responses to today’s urban challenges.

🌱 For Build4People, this delegation visit is an opportunity to connect key project partners with cutting-edge approaches to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainable mobility, climate resilience, green infrastructure, inclusive urban development and smart governance.

🤝 Beyond exploring new technologies and solutions, we see the Expo as a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge, fostering international partnerships and translating innovative ideas into practical approaches for more sustainable, resilient and people-centred cities.

🇰🇭 The Build4People delegation brings together representatives from Cambodia, Germany and beyond. The visit has been coordinated by the consortium lead, the University of Hildesheim, represented by Michael Waibel.

The high-level participants include:

• H.E. Ly Rasmey, Secretary of State at Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC)
• Dr. Tep Makathy, Director General of the Cambodian Institute of Urban Studies (CIUS)
• Tola Mach, Associate Dean at Western University in Phnom Penh
• Martin Saram, representing the Phnom Penh Smart City Hub
• Rolf Messerschmidt, CEO of the architecture and urban design practice Eble Messerschmidt Partner

In total, 14 participants connected to Build4People will attend the Expo, including Yannick Müller from CityLAB Berlin.

📍 Meet us at the Expo!

We warmly invite you to visit our exhibition booth and connect with us:

📌 Gran Via Venue
🏢 Pavilion: P2 | Level: 0
📍 Street: B | Booth: 95

A special thank-you goes to our Build4People digitalisation partners, Anja Jannack from TU Dresden and Marcus Jüngling from HafenCity University Hamburg, for organising the exhibition booth.

We are looking forward to inspiring encounters, fruitful discussions and new opportunities for collaboration!

🙏 Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our funding agency, the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), for supporting Build4People under the Research for Sustainability (FONA) strategy and the SURE funding programme.

#SCEWC26 #Build4People #SmartCities #UrbanInnovation #SustainableCities #DigitalTransformation #ClimateResilience #InternationalCooperation #BMFTR #SUREregions

On 21 October 2026, the Build4People team held its second virtual workshop with Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) to strengthen collaboration on the implementation of sustainable urban development approaches.

🤝 Three key topics were at the heart of the exchange:

🏙️ 1. Preparing the Build4People Transformation Toolbox Dissemination Conference

Scheduled for 3 December 2026, the conference will bring together government representatives, urban planning professionals, universities, private developers and other stakeholders to explore how sustainability criteria can contribute to Cambodia’s sustainable urban development.

📋 2. Advancing the endorsement of sustainability guidelines

Build4People and MLMUPC discussed the Ministry’s internal endorsement process for the project’s guidelines and evaluation criteria. A key principle is that these tools should not be regarded as fixed standards, but as a basis for joint development and adaptation to Cambodia’s institutional context and practical needs.

🌱 3. Testing the Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria

The Ministry expressed strong interest in testing the online evaluation tool developed by Build4People. Potential pilot projects include OCIC’s Chroy Changvar Satellite City and TPMG’s Mekong Quay development. Joint testing will help assess the tool’s functionality, identify data gaps and clarify the planning documents needed for transparent sustainability assessments.

Looking ahead, the partners will continue working towards integrating sustainability considerations into planning and development processes. As the current project funding phase approaches its conclusion, establishing a pathway for longer-term implementation—including potential support from German or international donors—will be essential.

💡 The shared ambition: to move beyond sustainability principles on paper and develop practical tools that help raise the bar for a more sustainable neighbourhood development in Cambodia.

A big thank you to our colleagues at MLMUPC for their engagement and constructive questions. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration during our upcoming mission to Cambodia! 🇰🇭🤝

#Build4People #SustainableUrbanDevelopment #UrbanPlanning #SustainableNeighbourhoods #TransformationToolbox #Cambodia #PhnomPenh #UrbanSustainability #InternationalCooperation #BMFTR #SUREregions

On 21 October 2026, Build4People held a fruitful strategic exchange with the TP Moral Group (TPMG), a leading Cambodian property development company to explore how sustainability can be further integrated into the planning and development of urban neighbourhoods in Cambodia.

A key focus was the potential application of the Build4People Transformation Toolbox (B4P TTB) and its Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria (NEC) to the Quay Mekong Riverfront City development in Phnom Penh.

The initial application of the evaluation criteria to Quay Mekong project demonstrated how the B4P TTB can help identify existing strengths, highlight opportunities for optimisation and increase transparency regarding the neighbourhood’s sustainability performance. As Rolf Messerschmidt put it in the meeting, the overarching aim is to “raise the bar”for sustainable neighbourhood development in urban Cambodia by using the NEC to promote higher sustainability standards and encourage continuous improvement.

The assessment covers key dimensions of sustainable neighbourhood development, including:

🌱Integrated urban design and a balanced mix of land uses
💧 Blue-green infrastructure and climate resilience
🚶 Sustainable urban mobility and accessible public spaces
🌡️ Climate-responsive architecture and energy efficiency
🤝 Social inclusion, affordable housing and local economic opportunities
🏙️ Governance and public participation

The exchange also explored how digital technologies can strengthen the toolbox. Planned approaches include an interactive digital platform, links to design and evaluation tools, and the potential use of 3D environments and simulations to assess planning options and visualise sustainability criteria.

An important next step is to further test and refine the criteria in cooperation with development partners and relevant public authorities, with a view to integrating them into planning and building approval procedures in Cambodia. One approach will be to use an online evaluation tool developed by Build4People.

This work will be further advanced during the upcoming Build4People project team mission to Cambodia in early December 2026.

cWe greatly appreciate TP Moral Construction and Development Group’s engagement and openness to exploring ways to enhance the sustainability of urban development. By connecting research, planning practice, digital innovation and public-sector cooperation, Build4People aims to turn sustainability principles into tangible improvements in the quality of urban life.

Last week, Michael Waibel, representing the Build4People project, visited the Smart Country Convention in Berlin. The visit also served as preparation for a planned Build4People delegation trip to the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona in early November 2026.

A high-level delegation from Cambodia will join the trip to Spain to explore state-of-the-art approaches to smart city development and present digital solutions developed by Build4People. These include an online tool developed in collaboration with the DGNB German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and Technische Universität Dresden to assess the sustainability performance of urban neighbourhoods, as well as the Build4People Citizen Science App.

The Cambodian delegation will include:

• H.E. Dr Ly Rasmey, Secretary of State, Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC)
• Ms Ly Socheata and Mr Try Mengheang (MLMUPC)
• Prof. Dr Tep Makathy, Director General of the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies (CIUS)
• Mrs Kul Socheata CIUS)
• Mr Tola Mach, Associate Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Western University
• Mr Martin Saram, Build4People Liaison to Phnom Penh Capital Hall

The Build4People delegation will also include Rolf Messerschmidt, CEO of Eble Messerschmidt Partner; Anja Jannack and Sebastian Wiesenhütter from TU Dresden; and Yannick Müller from CityLAB Berlin.

For Michael Waibel, one of the most striking aspects of the Smart Country Convention was the diversity of exhibitors. Alongside IT companies, numerous cities, federal states, regional associations and national ministries presented their digitalisation strategies and pilot projects.

The range of initiatives underway is truly impressive. Digital technologies are increasingly being used to strengthen dialogue between citizens and public administrations, improve transparency—including on environmental issues—and reduce bureaucratic barriers.

These are also important areas of interest for Build4People, where we see considerable potential for further development and practical application. While our project’s scope is shaped by the research funding framework of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the opportunities for translating research findings into practical digital solutions are substantial.

We are particularly looking forward to exploring the path towards Twin Transformation: bringing together the two major drivers of change—digitalisation and sustainability—to support more liveable, inclusive and sustainable cities.