This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: As Europe burns, many cities are trying to cut emissions, upgrade buildings and rethink how energy is produced and used. However, there is a recurring challenge: getting people to participate in and accept the solutions needed to bring about the transformation.
From this perspective, community engagement is often described as the weakest link in sustainable urban development. A new study proposes a practical solution. By studying six neighborhood transformations across Europe, the researchers developed a simple method to help planners, municipalities and developers work with people—rather than around them.
The research is published in the journal CORP – Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. "If we want real change, we have to put people at the center," says research scientist Caroline Cheng at SINTEF. "Their needs, experiences and everyday lives are not just context.
They are the baseline for innovation." Cities are responsible for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions, and upgrading buildings is one of the most effective ways to reduce them. But carrying out deep renovations at the scale of entire neighborhoods is complex. It involves many actors: residents, municipalities, housing companies, engineers and energy providers, often with different priorities.
At the same time, solutions like solar panels, district heating or stormwater treatment directly affect people's homes and routines. Without trust, understanding and acceptance from neighborhood residents, even the best technical solutions can fail. "We often assume that better technology will automatically lead to better outcomes.
But without engagement, even the best solutions may never be accepted or used as intended," Cheng explains. One widely used approach is the "living lab." These are real-world test environments where stakeholders collaborate to develop and try out new solutions. In theory, living labs are ideal for bringing multiple stakeholders together.
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