The PED concept will be tested and validated in two Lighthouse cities: Groningen (Netherlands) and Oulu (Finland). It will be then replicated in 6 Follower cities: Bassano del Grappa (Italy), Kadiköy (Turkey), León (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Trenčín (Slovakia), and Vidin (Bulgaria). The technologies selected to be implemented in the project are mature or already on the market. The PED concept appears as a step beyond the current European building regulations by bringing major structural, societal, economical and technological changes in the cities.
Lublin Info Centre
Lublin journey towards climate neutrality: MAKING-CITY EU conference recap
On June 12-13, 2024, the MAKING-CITY EU project concluded with an inspiring Innovation Camp event held at the Energy Barn - a modern, sustainably built facility near the Hanze EnTranCe Energy Expertise Center.
The event began on the 12th with a Project Meeting – a series of dynamic working sessions showcasing achievements by various partners over the past six years. Another highlight was the presentation of Groningen’s successes in achieving climate neutrality through the successful implementation of two pilot Positive Energy Districts (PED).
- The importance of the PED concept, its technical implementation, and societal engagement in urban transformations were emphasized.
- The six-year journey of the MAKING-CITY EU project was presented, highlighting key results, success stories, and valuable experiences.
The presentation placed particular emphasis on technological innovations and best practices in urban energy, providing valuable insights and guidance for those pursuing sustainable urban development.
Participants also took part in workshops discussing energy poverty issues, effective community engagement, technical actions, PED design, and policy. Through the interactive game “We Energy Game MAKING-CITY,” efforts required for implementing PED concepts in urban areas were demonstrated.
During the study visit to the test Positive Energy Districts – PED North and PED South – participants visited:
- Energy Academy Europe – one of the most sustainable educational buildings in the Netherlands, headquarters of the New Energy Coalition.
- Demonstration houses in PED North equipped with versatile vertical solar panels optimized for various sunlight conditions. More about the demonstration houses and their residents can be found in success stories published on the project’s website.
- Mediacentrale – a former coal power plant now used as a business complex, showcasing sustainable energy use in large buildings using geothermal energy for PED South.
- Solar sidewalk generating renewable energy for PED South.
The event concluded with a speech by Deputy Mayor Philip Broeksma and a networking meeting at the Forum Groningen. This final meeting was an ideal conclusion to the project, celebrating the contributions of all partners and discussing the future of PED initiatives with new projects such as NEUTRALPATH, POCITYF, and AtelierH2020.
Making-City began in 2018. The project aims to demonstrate the transformation of urban energy systems towards smart and low-emission cities in line with the Positive Energy District (PED) concept. The city of Lublin serves as an observing city in the project, preparing sustainable development strategies and replication plans based on models developed within the project.
About the project
Coordinated by the CARTIF Foundation, MAKING-CITY is a 72-month Horizon 2020 project launched in December 2018. It aims to address and demonstrate the urban energy system transformation towards smart and low-carbon cities, based on the Positive Energy District (PED) concept. The PED operational models developed in MAKING-CITY will help European and other cities around the world to adopt a long-term City Vision 2050 for energy transition and sustainable urbanisation whilst turning citizens into actors of this transformation.
