The transition to green buildings faces several barriers, including high costs, limited access to capital, fragmented regulations, and a lack of awareness and incentives. Inconsistencies in investment and policy slow adoption, while the complexity of integrating new technologies across different sectors, adds further difficulty. Diverse stakeholder priorities and a lack of harmonised certification systems hinder large-scale uptake. The concept of green building neighbourhoods (GBNs) is still emerging, requiring clearer definitions, improved tools, and integrated strategies that consider energy efficiency, environmental standards, and social equity across building and district levels.

PROBONO aims to provide validated solutions for the design, construction and operation of zero-emissions and positive energy buildings, as part of sustainable GBN. It will support stakeholders in creating strategic GBN plans, integrating sustainable technologies, smart materials, and digital tools like Digital Twins. The project will enable interdisciplinary collaboration and promote long-term planning using IoT, AI, and simulation tools for energy optimisation and social innovation. It will also strengthen stakeholder engagement, improve policy alignment, and provide replicable models to guide cities and developers. PROBONO’s solutions will be validated through six Living Labs in EU member states.