Build4People

Build4People is very happy to announce that the 50th video clip has been published at our B4P YouTube channel.

Since the beginning of its very first research phase, Build4People has worked intensively on the public documentation of its manifold research work. This transparent approach of good scientific practice and visualization to provide state-of-the art science communication is a central transformative component of Build4People to facilitate science-society transfer and to increase awareness among relevant stakeholders in the field of sustainable building and sustainable neighbourhood development.

The B4P YouTube channel is a key instrument of the Build4People science communication: It generally provides documentation of our activities and of several webinars. Furthermore, we use it for two distinct dissemination formats: 1) Our social marketing campaign in regard of the B4P Online Exhibition “Cambodia’s Green Pioneers” with 10 videos clips published (link to playlist), and 2) The B4P Snapshot Interview Series which serves to give a voice to experts who have contributed to Build4People products such as the B4P Transformation Toolbox planning and design guidelines (link to playlist).

So far, the 50 videos published achieved a very wide reach, having tallied about 87,000 views to date.

A comprehensive overview of all videos published can be also found at our Build4People homepage, Press Media section.

We are proud of this impressive success and are very more looking to continuing our efforts to communicate science to wider parts of society.

#Build4People #BMFTR_SUREregion #sciencecommunication #sciencesocietytransfer #goodscientificpractice #scientifictransparency #scientificoutreach

New publication “Empowering environmental entrepreneurs in the Global South? The case of a Sustainable Building Incubator in Phnom Penh” published at journal “Innovation and Development”

Build4People is proud to announce about our new journal publication “Empowering environmental entrepreneurs in the Global South? The case of a Sustainable Building Incubator in Phnom Penh” published at the journal “Innovation and Development” (eISSN:2157-9318; publisher Publisher: Taylor & Francis).

Abstract
Sustainability-driven entrepreneurship is increasingly considered a crucial way of transforming systems of consumption and production towards sustainability. Entrepreneurial support organizations like incubators have proliferated, and increasingly appear in the Global South. However, there is limited understanding about how these programmes in their role as intermediaries empower participants to actively engage in the transformation towards an environmentally and socially sustainable economy. Knowledge is particularly scarce for innovation contexts outside the Global North, where major sustainability challenges and limited funding intersect. The objective of the article is therefore to assess the empowerment effects of an incubation programme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and provide insights for designing ecopreneurship incubation programmes in Southern settings. Building on data from ex-ante and ex-post participant surveys, the study integrates different empowerment dimensions including resources, social capital, intrinsic motivation, social learning and process design. The results show overall increased empowerment levels and a correlation between social capital increase and increased willingness. We however also found ambivalent results with negative effects for individual motivational effects including impact and competence. Incubation programmes must account for such disempowering tendencies to realize their transformative goals.

Citation
Jayaweera, R., Pansa, R., Rohracher, H., & Waibel, M. (2025). Empowering environmental entrepreneurs in the Global South? The case of a Sustainable Building Incubator in Phnom Penh. Innovation and Development, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930X.2025.2557692.

#Build4People #BMFTR_SUREregions #Sustainability transitions #Cambodia #ecopreneurship #business incubation #Global
South #empowerment

As Cambodia celebrates Pchum Ben, a deeply spiritual festival honoring ancestors and the invisible connections between the living and the dead, we are reminded of a powerful belief rooted in many Khmer traditions: Nature is not inert. It is alive – with a soul, a spirit, and a place in the sacred web of life.

This worldview challenges the dominant narratives in modern urban planning. What if our cities were built not just on land, but with the land – in dialogue with the environment rather than in conquest of it?

In the spirit of Pchum Ben, let us rethink sustainable urban development as a spiritual and ecological relationship. A city is not only a machine for living – it is part of an ecosystem that includes trees, rivers, air, and the memories of our ancestors.

Integrating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and local belief systems into urban planning isn’t nostalgic – it’s a necessary paradigm shift in an era of climate crisis. Sustainable development must account not only for carbon footprints and infrastructure, but for the soul of the land we build upon.

This aligns directly with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, which calls for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban spaces. By respecting the spiritual and ecological dimensions of place – as honored during Pchum Ben – we can move beyond technocratic approaches and toward truly resilient cities that reflect both environmental integrity and cultural continuity.

Let us build cities that honor the past, sustain the present, and respect the spirit of place.

Source: Alex Azabache

Translation: Nyda Chhinh

#PchumBen#SustainableUrbanDevelopment#KhmerWisdom#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge#UrbanEcology#SpiritOfTheLand#CulturalSustainability#Build4People#CitiesforPeople

Build4People is pleased to announce the publication of the Planning and Design Guideline “Sustainable Urban Mobility“, a key element of the B4P Transformation Toolbox, the central outcome of Build4People’s ongoing Research and Development Phase (2021–2025).

The rationale behind the covering of this topic are rapid urbanization and urban sprawl in dynamic Southeast-Asia countries, such as Cambodia, which are increasing resource demands. This is highlighting the need to integrate land-use planning with transportation. This is why the Build4People project has included the topic of sustainable urban mobility into its B4P Transformation Toolbox. The planning and design guideline “Sustainable Urban Mobility” provides such a framework for sustainable mobility with a focus on transit-oriented development (TOD).

The guideline has been authored by representatives of the SMMR project, funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and implemented by GFA Consulting Group on behalf of GIZ Thailand. In the past years, SMMR project has frequently entered an innovative alliance with the Build4People project, mostly in the context of the Build4People Ecocity Transition Lab series.

The Planning and Design Guideline “Sustainable Urban Mobility“, promotes sustainable mobility strategies following the AVOID-SHIFT-IMPROVE (ASI) approach:

1. Avoid long distance trips with integrated planning and TOD strategies.
2. Shift to the most energy-efficient modes.
3. Improve the existing vehicle fleets with electrification.

This approach provides planners and policymakers with a holistic method to tackle the most pressing challenges of urban mobility.

The guideline is divided into two main sections:

• From vision to action plan
• Improving Accessibility and connectivity

Thereby, strategies focus on building an integrated transport network to improve connectivity and accessibility through a phased approach.

Target groups are intended for urban planners, policymakers, local government officials in ASEAN cities. Successful implementation is expected to result in more sustainable urbanisation that promotes highly accessible and liveable urban neighbourhoods.

Build4People would like to express its deep gratitude to the lead author of the planning and design guideline “Sustainable Urban Mobility”, Sovanarith Sieng (formerly SMMR project), now working at the UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office.

More info on the SMMR Project
Sustainable Mobility in Medium-sized Metropolitan Regions of ASEAN
Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia
Street 598 (H.E. Chea Sophara Street). Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Email: contact@smmr.asia
Website: https://smmr.asia