Urban Metabolism-Based Approaches for Promoting Circular Economy in Buildings Refurbishment

Abstract

The systemic transformation towards climate neutral cities depends on a dramatic reduction in the use of natural resources, whose use are directly or indirectly associated with greenhouse gas emissions. This means improving Urban Metabolism (UM) and one of the most promising pathways is to promote Circular Economy (CE) practices in the existing building stock, as this approach could reduce global CO2e emissions from building materials by 38% in 2050. However, although resource efficiency is at core of CE, there are still only a few established connections between CE and UM. This paper aims to fill this gap by adopting a three-tier approach based on the dimensions and the spatial implementation of CE (building, neighbourhood and UM scales), with the aim of discussing strategies for CE implementation. Although this not a one-size-fits-all process and cities must adapt these strategies to their local contexts, the strategic actions offered by this paper will facilitate the future development of a dedicated framework for buildings refurbishment using the principles of CE and the definition of multisectoral policy-based actions, in line with the decarbonization goals for cities, which will contribute to improving UM.