Build4People

On 30 January 2026, the Vice-Governor of Phnom Penh, H.E. Vannak Senk, signed a so-called Project Implementation Agreement with the Build4People consortium lead, the University of Hildesheim.

After previous agreements with Cambodia’s largest university, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, and the Cambodian Institute of Urban Studies, this was the last formal step to formalize Build4People’s cooperation with major Cambodian institutions during its concluding Implementation phase.

The core aim of the Project Implementation Agreement is to foster the digitalization of the B4P Transformation Toolbox as inter-active information-, public participation-, knowledge-, technology-, and learning platform supporting evidence-based data-driven decisions as well as scenario building towards sustainability and enhanced quality of life in urban Cambodia.

It also ensures the implementation of the follow-up format of B4P Ecocity Transition Lab series, the so-called B4P Transition Manufactory. Following the strategy of the so-called Twin Transformation this urban lab will facilitate Performance-Based Design (PBD) through infusing our B4P Transformation Toolbox Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria and guidelines, to develop alternative (digital) visions of sustainable development based on a real urban development site and to conduct trainings in regard of the use of digital urban planning tools. Based on this, the final aim is to develop a parametric digital urban model, for the first time in Cambodia.

The Build4People project is very happy about a joint publication at the Cambodia Journal of Basic and Applied Research. The leading author is Dr. Bunleng Se from the Department of Geography and Land Management at Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) with contributions from further Build4People team members.

This publication which got published as so-called editorial paper is generally dealing with the implementation of citizen science approaches among higher education institutions and their potential benefits in regard of research and lecturing as well as public participation.

The rationale behind is that traditional top-down planning approaches often fail to reflect lived experiences, especially in dynamically growing cities such as Phnom Penh. Against this backdrop, the implementation of digital citizen science tools allow the urban population to add subjective perceptions to objective metrics. Examples of such subjective perceptions would be thermal comfort, shading availability, or heat stress

More specifically, the paper introduces about the B4P Citizen Science App which got experimentally applied during a Build4People Transformation Workshop in early December 2025. Thereby, it was the aim to link subjective data gained through the App with objective data of measured environmental features. In our case, this combined approach enabled the app users to infuse their personal feelings of thermal comfort and perceived urban quality of life beyond pure measurement of (objective) weather data. The testing of the B4P Citizen Science App among Workshop participants took place at two sites of RUPP campus with distinct environmental features.

The results of the exploratory empirical survey showed that the use of such a citizen science app provides indeed valid data and that consequently the development of the B4P Citizen Science App should be further continued as joint implementation orientated project between the Build4People project team members and their colleagues from Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Build4People is very happy about the continued infusion of its transformative approaches into the Master Program in Urban and Regional Planning at Royal University of Agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Tep Makathy, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia and Director of the Cambodian Institute of Urban Studies, is currently teaching the 2^nd batch of students of this innovative course.

His course unit “Sustainable Urban Transformation” applies key principles of the B4P Transformation Toolbox, developed to support the Phnom Penh Capital Administration in implementing more sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

B4P Transformation Toolbox components include Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria, the planning and design guidelines Integrated Urban Design,  Blue-Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Urban Mobility, Climate Protection & Energy Flows, Social Inclusion & Local Economy and Governance & Participation.

The course covers the fundamental principles of Build4People, such as the inclusion of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives, a comprehensive understanding of urban planning as a transformative communication process involving multiple stakeholders, and a general advocacy for putting people and sustainability at the center.

All in all, it should be emphasized that the integration of Build4People’s comprehensive transformative formats into the curricula of local master’s programs, such as at the Royal University of Agriculture, is considered an extremely valuable and sustainable outcome for the Build4People project, as the continuation of the Build4People project approaches is expected to have long-term effects even after the end of project funding by the BMFTR.

#Build4People #BMFTR_SUREregions #sustainableurbantransformation #citiesforpeople #capacitydevelopment #curriculumdevelopment #livinglab #integratedurbandesign #measuringsustainability #neighbourhoodevaluationcriteria

Build4People is very much thrilled to announce the publication of a key component of the B4P Transformation Toolbox, the Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria, both in English and in Khmer language.

This is the first tool available in Cambodia 🇰🇭 to measure sustainability of urban neighborhoods. For example, its application enables state authorities to select the design proposal with the best sustainability performance.

In a country where urban development is overwhelmingly privatized, this is a major achievement. In this way, the Build4People Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria contribute to transparency and reduce prevalent greenwashing.

The Build4People Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria publication contains 24 criteria and about 100 indicators in total to enhance sustainability qualities for new neighbourhoods. These are summarized by means of 14 minimum sustainability indicators covering the whole portfolio of urban sustainability from integrated urban design, sustainable urban mobility, blue-green infrastructure, climate protection, local economic development, social inclusion and governance and participation.

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Publications

It is important to know that right now, the indicators and criteria are not set into stone but will undergo iterative context-sensitive testing.

Among others, we will facilitate the experimental implementation of the Build4People Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria in March 2026 by means of an urban lab (the so-called B4P Transition Manufactory) together with Phnom Penh Capital Hall. Thereby, the main goal is to develop criteria-based design proposals illustrated by a dynamic 3D urban neighbourhood model. We will share more information on this exciting transformative approach in the weeks to come.

Build4People would like to express its deep gratitude to Eble Messerschmidt Partner, particularly to Rolf Messerschmidt, Oliver Lambrecht, Núria Roig and to DGNB, the German Sustainable Building Council, particularly to Dr. Stephan Anders, and to the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies, particularly to Tep Makathy and Kul Socheata for their strong support to develop this meaningful product and also for their dedicated translation efforts.

The Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies is also a co-publisher of this guideline and major stakeholder of its local dissemination. Thanks also to Martin Aerne and to Michael Waibel for their thorough reviewing support.

#Build4People#BMFTR_SUREregions#sustainableneighbourhoods#sustainabilitycriteria