SUMMARY:

The thematic track “Sustainable Urban Design: Positive Energy Districts & Flexible Energy Communities” was a key moment of knowledge exchange at the Sustainable Places conference, where leading initiatives and projects shared their insights on the growth of energy communities and Positive Energy Districts (PEDs).

Organized by R2M Solution, PENTA and CERES, this 4-hour session explored how PEDs and flexible energy communities can become the cornerstone of sustainable urban design, driving decarbonization, resilience, and citizen empowerment. The session was opened with an inspirational keynote from Arch. Anna Gagliardi and included contributions from track sponsors IES, EDERA and Access4you. Municipalities, Local Regional Authorities and Urban Planners were warmly invited to this session thanks to the support of our patron ASSURB – the National Association of Urban Planners and Territorial and Environmental Planners.

When viewing the recording of this session, you will hear about:

• The role of citizen engagement in creating thriving and resilient energy communities
• Integrated design approaches to unlock the potential of Positive Energy Districts
• Sustainable neighborhood management strategies for long-term impact
• Replicable tools and best practices that support large-scale adoption
• A forward-looking debate with practitioners, researchers, and industry professionals

The session was organized with contributions from:

• FEDECOM– presenting interoperable solutions to support the electrification and sector coupling in federated energy communities
• Beckon– providing e support mechanisms to facilitate the creation of Energy Communities and integrated services via One-Stop-Shop platform
• Stunned– presenting replicable models for flexible and resilient energy neighborhoods
• Masterpiece– showcasing approaches to foster citizen engagement and energy community building
• Giga Regio Factory and Reno Tides – introducing methods to select buildings for district-level offsite renovations toward positive energy performances.

Together, these contributors presented real-world examples, replicable tools, and lessons learned that can support municipalities, industry, and citizens in shaping sustainable urban energy futures.