From Material Cadastres to a Materiality Informed City Information Modelling

Abstract

Abstract Urbanization and built environment significantly impact resource consumption, posing sustainability challenges, especially regionally, due to bulk material dominance. Circular practices, like closing, slowing, and narrowing offer solutions. However, effective circularity management requires understanding built environment material stock comprehensively. Material cadastres model city and regional materiality using typology approaches and GIS Modelling, offering insights into circularity potential and supporting strategic circular city management. Conversely, urban planning digitalization introduced City Information Modelling, linking GIS for urban structure mapping with Building Information Modelling systems for digital building integration and thus support urban planning. Yet, empirically, materiality and circularity issues lack systematic and comprehensive integration in such approaches. To this end, this paper discusses the potential of developing digital material cadastre concepts towards materiality-based urban information modelling using case study results that reveal strengths and limitations of existing cadastre concepts. We present a methodological overview covering a general approach to built environment material cadastres and the main components of the underlying bottom up Material Flow approach: material composition indicators and GIS based building stock modelling and a dynamization approach. To discuss circularity potentials of the built environment in a larger urban regional development context, we furthermore designed material cadastres for two case study cities and calculated exemplary circularity potentials for closing, slowing and narrowing approaches. The findings and drafted conclusions were then reflected with urban planning and development actors in workshops and group discussions. As a result, we present consolidated propositions with respect to bridging the methodological gap between strategic and operational materiality informed urban and regional planning in the transition of the built environment towards circularity.