Pilot cities
CHESS puts its evidence to the test. Our three pilot cities function as real neighbourhoods where we turn research into practice. We work directly with residents, local authorities, and community organisations to co-design and implement real changes from small, low-cost interventions to more fundamental redesigns.
Each city brings its own local challenges, but together, they let CHESS test its evidence and tools across different climates, governance systems, community structures, and urban histories.
Leuven, Belgium
4 park types
Tuin De Walque
How a small, enclosed pocket park can be made safer and more inclusive without losing the social control and shared amenities that make it work for the local school.
Bellevue Park
How a linear park’s separate “bastions” can each be tuned to encourage positive social use.
Vlinderpark
How a redeveloped park can better connect to its surrounding buildings, tackle vandalism and improve everyday use.
Jansenius Park
How an underused park hidden in plain sight can become known and used by the community around it.
Dublin, Ireland
4 linked green spaces
Green stepping stone space
How a well-maintained but an overlooked space can be activated as a genuine connector between two larger parks.
Soldiers and Sailors Park
How renewing a park’s play infrastructure and accessibility can rebuild trust and reduce anti-social behaviour in a socially diverse neighbourhood.
Dunedin Park
How a park next to two schools and a leisure centre can be redesigned to resolve pedestrian–cyclist conflict and better connect to nearby facilities and shops.
Three small connector spaces
How reclaiming unauthorised parking spots can create safer pedestrian crossings and greener links between local green spaces.
Zagreb, Croatia
4 block typologies
Open block with park
How a shared park within a historic block can be redesigned to counter summer heat and encourage everyday use.
Closed block with pedestrian street
How reclaiming a pedestrian street can reconnect an enclosed block to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Open block with upgraded subcentre
How opening up a historic block’s ground floor transforms a courtyard into a genuine neighbourhood hub.
Closed block with garden and amenities
How shared gardens and amenities can activate a residential block without sacrificing privacy.
