Build4People

Build4People is the only collaborative project within the SURE Sustainable Development of Urban Regions funding programme that has integrated environmental psychology as a dedicated discipline within its interdisciplinary team.

Thanks to Anke Blöbaum and her team, Build4People has greatly benefited from a deeper understanding of people’s everyday behaviour, perceptions and mindsets.

🧠👥 This perspective has been instrumental in developing more human-centred, participatory and inclusive approaches to sustainable urban transformation. 🌍🏙️

We are therefore particularly delighted and proud that Anke Blöbaum has become the first European member of the Asian Network of Environmental Psychology (ANEP). 🎉🌏

A great honour – and a wonderful recognition of the importance of bringing people, behaviour and the social sciences to the heart of sustainable urban development.

Congratulations, Anke! We are very proud of you! 🙌💚

#Build4People #EnvironmentalPsychologoy

On 2 October 2026, the Build4People project held its first Virtual Workshop with the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction, CAMBODIA (MLMUPC). We were honoured that H.E. Dr. Ly Rasmey, Secretary of State of MLMUPC, joined this important exchange.

The workshop marked an important step in Build4People’s current Implementation Phase: moving from innovative, research-based tools towards their practical application in Cambodia’s urban planning and governance processes.

A central focus was the Build4People Transformation Toolbox (B4P TTB) and, in particular, its Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria jointly developed by Eble Messerschmidt Partner and DGNB German Sustainable Building Council, Dr. Stephan Anders. These criteria provide a framework for assessing the sustainability performance of urban neighbourhoods. They are intended to support ministries, municipalities, private developers, planning offices and universities, helping to integrate sustainability considerations into planning and implementation processes at an early stage.

A key objective of the cooperation with MLMUPC is to test, adapt and integrate the B4P Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria into Cambodian planning procedures.

The upcoming Build4People Transition Manufactory #2 will provide an opportunity to test our criteria on real development projects together with our local corporate partners, such as OCIC, TP Moral Construction and Development or Den Nokor Co.,Ltd.

Digitalisation as part of Build4People’s Twin Transformation approach is another important pillar. The B4P TTB is currently being developed into an interactive digital platform for information, public participation, knowledge, technology and learning.

We are thrilled about this important exchange with MLMUPC during which we jointly explored how research-based knowledge, digital tools and innovative planning approaches can contribute to more sustainable, inclusive, climate-resilient and liveable cities in Cambodia.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Dr. Tep Makathy, Director of the CIUS Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies Organization. His dedicated support, strong commitment and personal ownership have been instrumental in making the implementation of the B4P Transformation Toolbox in Cambodia possible.

🌍💚🍀🌿 From knowledge generation to practical implementation – together for better urban quality of life. 🌍💚🍀🌿

#Build4People #MLMUPC #SustainableUrbanTransformation #SustainableUrbanDevelopment #SustainableNeighbourhoods #TwinTransformation #Cambodia #BMFTR_SUREregions

In the presence of H.E. Vannak Seng, Vice-Governor of Phnom Penh City, Build4People held an important strategic meeting with representatives of Phnom Penh Capital Hall (PPCH), focusing on the further implementation and digitalisation of the Build4People Transformation Toolbox.

At the heart of the discussion was the so-called Twin Transformation: combining digitalisation with sustainability to support evidence-based, data-driven decision-making and scenario building for a more sustainable urban future and an enhanced quality of life in Phnom Penh.

🔹 Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria
A key component of the Transformation Toolbox is the newly developed Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria, designed to support the assessment of sustainability performance at neighbourhood level. Build4People is currently working towards testing and integrating these criteria into Cambodian planning and implementation processes, including discussions with the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

🔹 Citizen Science for Public Participation
The Build4People Citizen Science App, currently operated by the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), is already being used as a scientific diagnostic tool. Its potential future use as a public participation tool for Phnom Penh, for example to assess citizens’ perceptions of urban green spaces, was another important topic of discussion.

🔹 From Research to Implementation
The upcoming Build4People Transition Manufactory #2, planned for early December 2026, will take a major step towards implementation by testing the B4P Neighbourhood Evaluation Criteria, which enable the measurement of neighbourhood sustainability performance in Cambodia for the first time. By combining real-world project testing with technical exchange with the Ministry, digitalisation activities and cooperation with Phnom Penh Capital Hall, the Build4People Transition Manufactory will help translate the criteria from research into practical planning and implementation.

The discussions demonstrate once again that sustainable urban transformation requires more than innovative research and technologies. It requires strong partnerships, institutional cooperation, locally adapted tools and, above all, a clear pathway from knowledge generation to practical implementation.

We are very much looking forward to continuing this joint endeavour with Phnom Penh Capital Hall, RUPP, MLMUPC and our many Cambodian and international partners (CIUS Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies Organization, Royal University of Phnom Penh) towards a more sustainable, inclusive and liveable Phnom Penh. 🌱🏙️🌱

To facilitate science–society transfer and raise awareness among relevant stakeholders in the fields of sustainable building and sustainable neighbourhood development, Build4People has been working intensively to publicly document and communicate its transdisciplinary research.

Our communication activities span multiple social media channels and address diverse target groups, reaching far beyond our own scientific community. Above all, however, we aim to engage the interested public and encourage behavioural change towards greater sustainability.

This transparent approach — combining good scientific practice with clear visualization and state-of-the-art science communication — is a central transformative component of Build4People.

In this context, we are particularly proud that Build4People’s presence on LinkedIn, the business- and employment-oriented social networking platform, has reached the milestone of 1,500 followers. This is by far the highest number among all research projects supported under the SURE (Sustainable Development of Urban Regions) funding priority of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

Looking ahead, our goal is to continuously professionalize Build4People’s science communication and further strengthen our position as the most widely followed and far-reaching research project within the SURE funding line.

A big thank you to all our followers, partners, colleagues, and supporters for being part of this journey! 🙏🌍

Stay tuned — and let’s continue building a more sustainable future together! 🌱🏙️

#Build4People #SustainableUrbanDevelopment #SustainableCities #UrbanTransformation #SustainableBuilding #SustainableNeighbourhoods #UrbanSustainability #TransdisciplinaryResearch #ScienceCommunication #ResearchImpact #UrbanResearch #FutureCities #Sustainability #TransformativeResearch #BMFTR_SUREregions