{"title":"Social values and social infrastructures: a multi-perspective approach to place","authors":"Ann Legeby, Christina Pech","doi":"10.5334/bc.341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.341","url":null,"abstract":"The village of Duved in northern Sweden faces rapid transformation related to the tourism industry, including new housing and recreational facilities in the mountains. Existing places with inherent social values that play a key role in supporting local identity are threatened as they are not sufficiently recognised or protected by the planning process. This study focuses on how significant places with social values, and the system of such places that form a social infrastructure, may be identified and recognised through a multi-perspective approach including a creative mapping process. Information from different stakeholders about places with social values is documented and analysed. The approach includes three different perspectives on places affording social values: planning documents, the officials’ perspective and the citizens’ perspective. The mapping method makes intangible knowledge visible and reveals the multifunctionality of places, and the map constitutes the medium for such a process. It can contribute to developing democratic planning processes that support the empowerment of the population and help professionals to integrate knowledge about social value into plans, thus preserving fragile but essential qualities through future development. Practice relevance Centring on the ongoing rapid transformation of Duved village in northern Sweden, this study focuses on how significant places with social values may be identified, recognised and preserved. Places affording social value, important for sustaining local communities and wellbeing, are often insufficiently acknowledged in times of forceful urban development. These oversights can have devastating consequences for the existing social qualities. The creative mapping approach captures three perspectives to identify significant places affording social values. In this way, maps translate intangible knowledge into analytic methods of planning. The result may support the integration of fragile but essential qualities into plans and policies and is a way forward to acknowledge and preserve key places in future urban development.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"96 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135592451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Non-domestic building stock: linking dynamics and spatial distributions","authors":"Daniel Kretzschmar, Georg Schiller","doi":"10.5334/bc.357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.357","url":null,"abstract":"In contrast to domestic buildings, the drivers influencing the stock dynamics (construction subtracted by demolition) of non-domestic buildings (NDB) have not yet been researched on a use-class basis. For the first time, due to elaborated data sets on construction and demolition of NDB in Germany, an in-depth analysis of causal relationships is provided at a subnational level. This paper investigates the cause–effect relationships between influencing variables and stock dynamics of the three quantitatively most relevant use classes of the German NDB stock: office buildings, industrial buildings and warehouses. Influencing variables on the development of the stock were first identified by means of expert interviews. Regions with high construction dynamics were identified. Within these highly dynamic regions, construction activity was correlated with influencing variables. A principal component analysis was used to examine the explanatory power of underlying, use-class-specific components of the variable set. The results show the particular importance of employment-related variables. They combine demographic, economic and wealth-related influences and allow for a distinction to be made in relation to functional non-domestic-use classes. For the first time, this confirms that different use classes of NDB are characterised by different influencing variables, and that these variables recur to uncorrelated overarching drivers. Practice relevance This study identifies the drivers of NDB stock dynamics. These drivers can be used to estimate future changes of the NDB stock on different scales. The linkages to specific use-class drivers allow new understandings of stock dynamics for office, industrial and warehouse buildings at a regional level. This has potential application to circular economy approaches as the results of this research can be applied at city levels. This study can provide a clearer understanding of future construction material volumes and their respective recycling capacities. The same is applicable for research on stock-driven land demand. This study can contribute to the broader discussion on the future development of the non-residential building stock and the resulting environmental impacts due to land use, energy and material consumption or CO2 emissions.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"170 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135153568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the social values of historic shopping arcades: building biographies","authors":"Anna Skoura, Aisling Madden","doi":"10.5334/bc.335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.335","url":null,"abstract":"Social value has a long academic tradition in the field of heritage studies, and while it has become part of heritage management, expert-driven intrinsic values still dominate the conservation policy and practice. This paper explores the use of building biographies as a way to assess, illustrate and record the social value of shopping arcades. A case study of the North Street Arcade in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is used to explore how building biographies can contribute bottom-up evidence to top-down value-based approaches of architectural conservation. The North Street Arcade is a listed shopping arcade that has been lying vacant and derelict for the last 30 years awaiting demolition and redevelopment. Archival documents, historic photographs, news reports and documentaries, interviews and anthropology were combined to compile the arcade’s biography. Allowing the combination of positivist and interpretive approaches, as well as merging community and expert voices, building biographies can produce localised and inclusive heritage narratives that accentuate the many dimensions of social value that different publics ascribe to built heritage. Policy relevance Although social value has become part of heritage management, expert-driven values still dominate the conservation policy and practice. The inclusion of social value in the statutory criteria for listing could afford heritage protection to places that are highly valued by local communities, thereby encompassing places that do not fulfil the architectural and historic criteria. This article explores the use of building biographies as a way to assess, illustrate and record the social value of shopping arcades. The building biography is an approach that combines qualitative methods deriving from anthropology and sociology with historical and architectural analysis, and can be used to highlight the link between people and places, as well as their ever-changing cultural context. This paper illustrates how building biographies can contribute bottom-up evidence to top-down value-based approaches of architectural conservation and highlight the social value of shopping arcades.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135740571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Molina, M. Donn, M. Johnstone, Casimir MacGregor
{"title":"The feeling of comfort in residential settings I: a qualitative model","authors":"G. Molina, M. Donn, M. Johnstone, Casimir MacGregor","doi":"10.5334/bc.322","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.322","url":null,"abstract":"Building science commonly studies comfort—a subjective concept—through quantitative methods. These methods are often not the most appropriate to study subjective concepts because they struggle to consider non-quantifiable factors that are sometimes relevant in the determination of people’s comfort. Complementing the already used quantitative methods with qualitative ones can help illuminate some of the areas where the former struggle, but this is an uncommon practice in building science. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study that aimed at understanding comfort without the constraints of it being quantifiable. It introduces the feeling of comfort model, which summarises what was found. This model suggests that most building science comfort models ignore more than two out of the three factors that determine people’s comfort. Additionally, it shows that it is potentially possible to make sense of the psychology and subjectivity of comfort in an organised and structured manner. This example of how qualitative methods can be a powerful addition to building science’s comfort research.\u0000Practice relevance\u0000This paper reports a project that sought to understand an occupant-centred meaning of ‘comfort’ (constrained to what has conventionally been described as thermal, visual and acoustic domains). A qualitative model of the feeling of comfort was developed from the empirical data collated in the study. This model demonstrates that it was possible to make sense of the subjective nature of comfort in a coherent and ordered manner. This study argues that the qualitative and subjective nature of comfort should be embraced within building design and building science practice. Although this model was not meant to predict comfort quantitatively, it can serve as a theoretical basis for informing policymaking, building performance analysis and comfort research. For instance, it can help evaluate the assumptions behind building performance simulation (e.g. questioning whether people will truly open windows in certain scenarios).","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44785243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Policy tensions in demolition: Dutch social housing and circularity","authors":"Paul Jonker-Hoffrén","doi":"10.5334/bc.305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.305","url":null,"abstract":"The circular economy principles in Dutch housing policy are examined through the intersection of national policies in local governance. The performance agreement between municipality, housing corporation and tenant organisations is a central instrument to achieve municipal housing policy objectives. A case study of Rotterdam shows the dominant discourse revolves around notions of social housing oversupply and the benefits of social mix. The policy goal is to achieve ‘balanced neighbourhoods’ by 2030. This discourse is challenged by actors that dismiss social housing oversupply and rather note a social housing shortage. The dominant discourse is also challenged by the financial capacity of housing corporations to create social housing and the effects of policy on their market segment. An emerging second discourse revolves around the role of circular demolition and how it can fulfil goals at the intersection of housing and climate policy. Circularity is shown to be based largely on the inventory of materials resulting from the demolition of social housing. It is framed not only as a solution to reducing emissions but also as a political issue with negative consequences for the social acceptability of climate policies.\u0000Policy relevance\u0000The discourses and challenges identified in this case study show policymaking is based on both framing and facts. The social meaning of circular and social housing policy is different for different actors. In the context of demolition of social housing, the Dutch policy instrument of performance agreements is not ideal for developing participation because it is based on policy decisions that lack tenant involvement. Circular demolition (deconstruction) may impact the situation of many actors. Circular demolition could relieve financial pressure on housing corporations from an investment and building cost perspective, given an otherwise suitable policy environment. However, circular deconstruction could reduce the social acceptability of demolition of social housing if the materials harvested by ‘urban mining’ predominantly come from social housing but do not benefit social housing development. Future policymaking should focus on the interaction between different policy environments and its social and political consequences.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49432797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social lifecycle assessment of adaptive reuse ","authors":"Rebecka Lundgren","doi":"10.5334/bc.314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.314","url":null,"abstract":"Adaptive reuse of existing buildings and shared spaces has been highlighted as a key circular economy concept in the built environment, with the former also having been found to increase social sustainability through the preservation of cultural heritage. However, circular economy research has focused on the economic and environmental dimensions, with the social dimension receiving less attention. The aim of this study is, therefore, to establish the social impact of an adaptive reuse case with shared spaces. A supplementary aim is to test and adapt the general social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) framework to fit the built environment context. A qualitative single case study method is used. The study finds significant positive social impacts from the adaptive reuse case, mainly in the form of economic and cultural impact on the local community. The S-LCA framework was a useful tool in assessing the social impact of the case. Additional indicators of particular relevance to the built environment are identified relating to the end-users and local community, as well as indicators relating to society, value chain actors, and workers.\u0000PRACTICE RELEVANCE\u0000A set of sector-specific indicators is created to capture the social impact.he findings are useful for researchers and industry professionals intending to evaluate and increase the social sustainability of a construction or demolition project. The improved S-LCA framework and set of indicators allows for an improved understanding of built environment implications. Planners, designers, and clients can employ the revised framework to evaluate projects pre- and post-construction or demolition.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47299007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social justice implications of smart urban technologies: an intersectional approach","authors":"N. Sharma, Tom Hargreaves, Helen Pallett","doi":"10.5334/bc.290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.290","url":null,"abstract":"Techno-optimistic visions around smart buildings, homes, cities, grids, healthcare, etc. have become ubiquitous over the past decade. Using variations of machine learning and artificial intelligence, smart urbanism (SU) envisions an efficient, digital society. However, research shows that smart technologies reinscribe inequalities by prioritising the interests of the free market, technology-centric governance and data monetisation. Although there has been a growing concern over the injustices SU perpetuates, there is a lack of systematic engagement with power systems such as capitalism or heterosexism that underpin SU visions. A novel framework is presented that situates intersectional justice at the heart of SU. A mapping of 70 cases of ‘trouble’ with the promises of SU is used to address three core research questions: What are the ‘troubles’ with SU? To what extent are they intersectional? What can intersectionality add to the development of a just SU? The analysis shows how SU politics play out in relation to how users are understood and engaged, how different actors institutionalise SU and how dominant power systems are challenged. The presented strategy contributes to understanding not just the data politics in urban spaces, but also how they can be renegotiated and re-evaluated to solve multiple and interconnected urban crises without compromising on social justice.\u0000Practice relevance\u0000Citizen-led initiatives against SU should commit to intersectionality’s radical core to dismantle power structures to ensure local smart urban projects do not entrench global business-as-usual neoliberal agendas. Intersectional thinking can create spaces for deliberative dialogues between civil society groups and build alliances across groups that seek to challenge the hegemony of exclusionary urban policies. Urban planners and local governments, which are at the forefront of SU applications, should decentre technologies and rather focus efforts on working out how smart technologies can work in conjunction with other kinds of urban interventions, such as social, economic and environmental policy changes, collaborative planning, community development, etc. to herald more just urban futures. Designers of smart urban technologies should apply intersectional approaches to further challenge ‘Homo economicus’ (rational, White, technophilic, able-bodied) as the primary user type and to replace it with diverse user archetypes that express humanity, justice and generosity.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46598685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Zimmermann, Zoé Barjot, F. Rasmussen, T. Malmqvist, M. Kuittinen, H. Birgisdóttir
{"title":"GHG emissions from building renovation versus new-build: incentives from assessment methods","authors":"R. Zimmermann, Zoé Barjot, F. Rasmussen, T. Malmqvist, M. Kuittinen, H. Birgisdóttir","doi":"10.5334/bc.325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.325","url":null,"abstract":"A variety of life cycle assessment (LCA) calculation methods and rules exist in European countries for building performance evaluation based on new-build. However, the increased focus on the retention and renovation of the existing building stock raises questions about the appropriateness of these the methods and rules when applied to renovation cases. Using a real renovation case, Danish, Finnish and Swedish LCA-based greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) assessments are assessed for how they position building renovation in relation to demolition and new-build reference values. The influence of these three different methods is examined for future development policies. Results show that upfront emissions for renovation are significantly lower for all approaches. The Swedish approach had the lowest GHG emissions compared with a scenario with demolition and new-build due to the method, which only includes upfront emissions of new materials. The Danish and Finnish renovation cases each performed worse in comparison with the new-build future emissions, specifically from operational energy use. Therefore, method development should consider incentives for upfront and future emissions. Furthermore, methods could account for the existing materials in the building, which are included in the Danish and Finnish approaches. This would provide incentive for renovation and reuse.\u0000Policy relevance\u0000Future policymaking needs to consider the influence of LCA methods on climate impact assessment of building renovations. The temporal differences occur when renovation is compared with demolition and new-build. Policy needs to take account of these temporal differences for apportioning GHG emissions between upfront and future emissions. A key question is whether existing materials should be included in the assessment as this would incentivise the reuse of these materials. Differences in accounting for the impacts of biogenic carbon in materials yields different results. This is a key issue in carbon accounting and will influence future practice.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41958937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Achieving deep-energy retrofits for households in energy poverty","authors":"Laura Tozer, Hannah MacRae, E. Smit","doi":"10.5334/bc.304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.304","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change and energy poverty are two sustainability challenges that can be addressed through deep-energy retrofits for homes. This systematic review identifies which factors influence the achievement of energy retrofits for households vulnerable to energy poverty. It covers both energy-poor households and the landlords or building owners of energy-poor households. The results identify a range of influential factors across several themes: financial, policy and organizational, trust and communication, technical, attitudes and values, and health. Health and quality of life are particularly influential motivating factors among households vulnerable to energy poverty, as is the presence of trust and communication between stakeholders. Multiple financial considerations are also important, such as the availability of no-cost retrofit options and the prospect of lower energy and maintenance costs. Lastly, government requirements to retrofit and minimum energy standards are motivating, particularly in the social housing sector. These findings and the lack of focus on energy poverty within the energy retrofit literature and policies point to a need for further research on this topic, and for retrofit policies specifically targeted to households vulnerable to energy poverty.\u0000Policy relevance\u0000Energy retrofit policies targeting households vulnerable to energy poverty could be more effective if they:\u0000\u0000Improve access to low or no-cost retrofit options alongside tenant protection mechanisms\u0000Include requirements for resident consent and engagement\u0000Build capacity to collect, centralize and publicize information about building stocks to align retrofit projects with necessary upgrades\u0000Disseminate knowledge of retrofit programs through trusted communicators\u0000Increase stakeholders’ understanding of retrofit benefits\u0000Take a holistic approach by emphasizing the co-benefits of energy retrofits in energy-poor households\u0000Implement government requirements to pursue energy retrofits aligned with overarching government climate policies, particularly for publicly owned housing.\u0000","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47249278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Denise Ehrhardt, Martin Behnisch, Mathias Jehling, M. Michaeli
{"title":"Mapping soft densification: a geospatial approach for identifying residential infill potentials","authors":"Denise Ehrhardt, Martin Behnisch, Mathias Jehling, M. Michaeli","doi":"10.5334/bc.295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.295","url":null,"abstract":"Infill development policies have been widely adopted as strategies to reduce urban sprawl and to promote sustainable urban transformation. However, little empirical data are available to analyse infill processes and to facilitate building activity on infill potentials. This is especially true for small-scale residential infill, which often takes place on vacant or underused lots as soft densification. To address this issue, a geospatial method is presented that enables automatic detection of vacant lots for large areas. Cadastral data are used to analyse spatio-temporal development for the period 2011–21 in a German study area, containing large cites as well as rural municipalities. The results show that every fourth vacant lot was mobilised since 2011. However, additional vacant lots emerged in rural areas as new residential development areas are not fully built-up, resulting in a net increase of vacant lots. Although the quantity of vacant lot areas in 2021 suggests a high potential for residential infill, the main development on these infill sites is expected to promote additional single-family housing rather than more dense structures.\u0000Practice relevance\u0000Automatic identification and monitoring of infill potentials and development are important both for policymaking and for local planning practitioners. For small municipalities with little financial capacities, the approach can provide an overview of their vacant lots and can serve as a basis for strategic planning decisions. For the regional or national level, a yearly monitoring schedule can be established at little cost. Although the approach proves to be robust regarding its precision and is promising for a nationwide application, the data availability for the whole of Germany is awaited and the method needs to be optimised to implement the workflow in practice.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46330190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}