Build4People

On 18 December 2024 the Build4People Work Package “Urban Climate” Science Workshop with the topic “Microclimate Analyses” took place between the German team members Prof. Dr. Lutz Katzschner, Dr. Jannalisa Hahne and Sebastian Kupski, all from INKEK (Institute for Climate and Energy Concepts), and the Cambodian research research partners, Bunleng Se, Dr. Nyda Chhinh and Dr. Daniel Choi from RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Penh).

The key aim of the Science Workshop was to increase understanding how to analyse and present data from past microclimate measurements.

A previous Science Workshop in February 2024 aimed to show what microclimate studies are, which climatic parameters matter and how to measure them. Field measurements were carried out at Sangkat Ou Baek K’am, Khan Saen Sokh, Phnom Penh, in order to apply the previously learned techniques. This workshop now aimed at clarifying how to analyse the collected data and eventually how to present it.

Following figure provides a recap of the microclimate measurements and collected data from the February 2024 measurement campaign.

At the beginning, various methods were discussed how to analyse data and climatic parameters, e.g. by means of Tmrt and PET calculations, Questionnaires (Excel), or by the use of Envi-met or GIS software.

Based on this, it was decided that Bunleng Se is going to calculate Tmrt and PET with the existing data with the aim to show PET in different locations, combined with interview answers and thereby proving the accuracy of the model.

Then it was discussed how to present the analysed data. There will be a written report with graphics and maps and a presentation of results at Build4People final conference in May 2025. The content of the presentation will be about the Build4People Urban Climate Map on mesoscale and how to bridge it from mesoscale to microscale and why it matters in regard of implications on urban development and microclimate planning.

Examples from our field measurements on micro climate:

The fruitful Build4People Science Workshop ended with a clarification of the further steps.

The Build4People team would like to sincerely thank all the team members of Royal University of Phnom Penh for their dedicated support.

On 06 December 2024, Build4People team members provided multi-disciplinary insights into the potentials of using solar energy to support a sustainable urban transformation at the AmCam Exchange in Phnom Penh. The lecture got prepared and moderated by Prof Dr Tep Makathy, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia.

The comprehensive title of the lecture was “From consumers to prosumers: the transformative power of household renewable energy production – insights from the Build4People project”.

During the first session Dr. Michael Waibel, Leader of B4P Work Package “Sustainable Urban Transformation” gave an overall introduction about the rising global importance of renewable energies with a focus on Photovoltaic (PV) technologies. This was followed by discussing the potential of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), in general. During the concluding part of this session, a more detailed analysis was provided about so-called balcony power plants which will get further introduced as part of the Build4People Transformation Handbook currently under development. Balcony power plants enable households to become active producers of renewable household energy and are currently booming in Germany. Finally, their application potential to Cambodia was discussed with the audience.

During the second session, Rolf Messerschmidt, CEO of the Urban Design and Architecture Practice Eble Messerschmidt Partner and Leader of B4P Work Package “Sustainable Neigbhourhoods” explored the potential of urban neighbourhood solarisation to support sustainable development in Cambodia, guided by the Build4People Guideline for Sustainable Neighbourhood Development: Climate Protection and Energy Flows as part of the so-called Phnom Penh Capital Hall Transformation Toolbox currently under development. He highlighted practical strategies for integrating PV systems into urban areas to create energy-efficient communities. The session also explained how planning neighbourhoods with smart energy grids can enhance energy supply efficiency and increase the synergistic effect with other sustainable development aspects. Drawing on examples from Germany and Asia, he showed how PV systems can be attractively incorporated into building façades and rooftops, offering practical and visually appealing solutions for sustainable energy use in different settings. This input was jointly prepared by Rolf Messerschmidt and Nuria Roig, Urban Planner at the Urban Design and Architecture Practice Eble Messerschmidt Partner, Research Associate of the B4P WP “Sustainable Neigbhourhoods.

During the third session Andy Deuss, Junior Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Psychology of Magdeburg University and Research Associate of Build4People Work Package “Behaviour Change” presented about how to activate households as implementors of solarisation in Cambodia. He explained that by adopting residential photovoltaics (RPV), households can play an active role in Cambodia’s energy transition but showed that currently only a limited number of households have realized this potential yet. This is raising the question of what needs to be done for other households to follow their lead. Consequently he provided insights into the factors that motivate households to consider adopting RPV, based on the results of a recent Build4People study conducted in Phnom Penh. The aspects presented were then used to provide an outlook on how households can be supported in the future regarding RPV adoption, enabling them to become active stakeholders in Cambodia’s renewable energy pathway. This input was jointly prepared by Andy Deuss and Dr Anke Blöbaum, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Psychology of Magdeburg University, Leader of B4P WP “Behaviour Change”.

The three sessions were followed by a vidid discussion on how to strengthen the potential of solar energy in urban Cambodia, in general, and in particular how to convince households to adopt residential photovoltaics.

On 05 December 2024, there was a Technical Meeting with the Phnom Penh Capital Hall (PPCH) which is the most important implementation partner of the Build4People project. In this regard, we support PPCH to tackle the so-called Twin Transformation of digitalization and sustainability. Thereby, we aim to use the potential of digitalization to promote participatory, inclusive and sustainable urban transformation by supporting PPCH to connect its existing green and smart city strategies.

Our key objective is facilitate the implementation of a tangible Build4People product, the so-called PPCH Transformation Toolbox as a comprehensive digital planning instrument and as inter-active online information-, public participation-, technology-, and learning platform that enables evidence-based data driven decisions towards sustainability and enhanced quality of life.

This news posting is to share some impressions from a recent Technical Meeting between the Build4People team and high-level representatives of PPCH, among them H.E. Vannak Seng, Vice-Governor of Phnom Penh.

The main aim of this exchange was to provide for mutual updates in regard of strategic cooperation and to discuss the next steps. From Build4People side, updates on the development of the PPCH Transformation Toolbox and its components got introduced by Se Bunleng, Anke Blöbaum, Rolf Messerschmidt, Michael Waibel. From PPCH side, insights got provided in regard of the Phnom Penh Smart City Hub in the making by Andéol Cadin.

After the inputs Prof. Dr. Tep Makathy, General Director of the Cambodian Institute of Urban Studies (CIUS) and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia led a fruitful discussion about future avenues of application and digitalisation. In this context, H.E. Vannak Seng, Vice-Governor of Phnom Penh, expressed his wish that Build4People will feed the Phnom Penh Smart City Hub with components of PPCH Transformation Toolbox.

The Build4People team would like to sincerely thank the PPCH for making this technical meeting of high strategic importance possible.

On 4 December 2024, the Science Workshop “Urban Quality of Life and the Build4People Citizen Science APP” jointly prepared and implemented by the Build4People Work Packages “Behaviour Change”, “Urban Green Infrastructures” and “Sustainable Urban Transformation” took place at the CKCC (Cambodia-Korea Cooperation Center) at Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The main objective of the workshop was to link the overarching theme of the Build4People project, namely research and enhancement of Urban Quality of Life in Phnom Penh, with the B4P Citizen Science App.

Within the Build4People project the concept of Urban Quality of Life is a guiding component of sustainable urban transformation. In accordance with this, it makes sense to approach Urban Quality of Life in two ways: an analytic research approach that asks for the relative impact of different objective and subjective factors on Urban Quality of Life, and a more normative approach, that understands sustainable transformation as an essential prerequisite for Urban Quality of Life, especially with regard to the (comprehensive) Sustainable Development Goals. 

The right to a certain quality of life has to be qualified with respect to solidarity, in order to prevent the restriction of others – this is especially the case for high density urban areas. The realization of a desired individual quality of life may happen at the expense of others (e.g. gentrification or living in gated communities). At that point, Urban Quality of Life is not only an individual project. Moreover, UQoL has to be considered as a social project. The mobile B4P Citizen Science App links the evaluation of environmental features with objective data. This makes it not only a purely analytical tool but also a valuable instrument for collaboration, enabling the citizens of Phnom Penh to participate in the design and transformation of their city.

During the workshop, the challenges and opportunities of the Citizen Science app were discussed, and the app was tested and evaluated in terms of further optimization together with research colleagues from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and motivated students.

The workshop started with a brief opening speech by Dr. Michael Waibel, coordinator of B4P Project Consortium. Then, Dr. Anke Blöbaum, leader of the B4P WP “Behaviour Change”, delivered a keynote on the Build4People Urban Quality of Life concept, and the B4P Citizen Science APP, that has been developed in cooperation with the B4P WP “Urban Green”. Dr. Chhinh Nyda introduced experiences from local Apps, and Mr. Se Bunleng presented ideas how to adapt the B4P Citizen Science App to thermal comfort measurement.

After a lively discussion, the Build4People CS App was systematically tested by students from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Royal University of Fine Arts, Norton University and the Kirirrom Institute of Technology on the RUPP campus.

The experiences were discussed in working groups that addressed the following questions:

1. What are important target-groups and topics for further testing of the CS App? 
2. What do you like, what needs to be improved? Were there any technical problems? 
3. How can we make the app attractive to the people of Phnom Penh so that they will use it? 

After lunch, the researchers of the Build4People team discussed the next steps for further optimizing and customizing the B4P CS App, as well as possible applications for the app as a collaborative planning and communication tool as well as a research instrument.

The Build4People team would like to sincerely thank the whole RUPP team and particularly Ms. Soviphea Chenda for their dedicated support in organizing the workshop and all participants for their strong commitment and valuable contributions.