It is commonly assumed by the projects demonstrating concepts for positive energy districts in cities across Europe that citizens want and need to be involved in the development of these concepts as an essential condition for positive energy districts to be deployed successfully and to achieve the expected societal goals. Six different research and innovation projects are investigating the different forms of energy citizenship in positive energy districts and their impacts. They aim to apply a transdisciplinary approach to collaborative research and to impact assessment. The interim results are described, and preliminary conclusions on impact are drawn. The projects each used different approaches to engaging citizens, while differentiating between different groups. Progress is monitored but only fragmentary evidence on the impact has been gathered. Transdisciplinary approaches are being developed but are still immature.

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It is assumed by the projects demonstrating Positive Energy District (PED) concepts in cities across Europe that citizens should want and need to be involved in the development of new energy concepts, such as PEDs for these concepts to be deployed successfully. Six different PED research and innovation projects are investigating the types and expectations of citizen engagement. They evaluate the impact of energy citizenship on the success of PED deployment across Europe.

Our knowledge of how design and social innovation works outside of the Europe and the US is still insufficient, due to the limitations that are inherent to the prevailing perceptions, methods and tools, developed in and for this context. Although the importance of social relationships has been acknowledged, how social hierarchy, which is firmly rooted in many non-western societies, interacts with the design and social innovation process is scarcely documented. In this paper, we wish to expand on existing knowledge by sharing the experiences of practitioners and stakeholders involved in design and social innovation initiatives in Bangkok, highlighting the various ways that social hierarchy influences their practice.