Within the ZEB4ZEN project, three pilot actions implemented in Zamość, Palmanova, and Karlovac tested innovative solutions for integrating energy efficiency measures, renewable energy systems, and smart technologies in protected historic contexts.
The pilot actions demonstrate that the transition to zero-emission neighbourhoods in historic urban areas is feasible, although complex.
Key success factors include:
– integration of technological and governance solutions;
– flexibility in project design;
– strong institutional cooperation.
Historic areas, while constrained, can act as innovation laboratories for developing and testing solutions that balance sustainability and heritage preservation.
The Transnational handbook on ZEB4ZEN pilots provides a structured knowledge base to support policymakers, planners, and stakeholders in replicating and scaling up these approaches across Europe. Read the handbook here.