Area 1: Mapping the Existing Building Stock
The first action area, mapping the existing building stock, focus on how to create a robust data foundation. The examples presented point to mapping demolition, under-used and unoccupied buildings and office spaces, to gather relevant data of the building stock.
One of the four examples presented takes place In Finland, where a study on mapping the extend of empty office space in the Helsinki metropolitan area has been conducted. This mapping provides valuable data and insights into the scale and location of unused offices that could potentially be repurposed into housing or alternative purposes.
Area 2: Prioritising Maintenance and Efficient Use
The second area, prioritising maintenance and efficient use, defines more specific fields for direct action by offering clear guidance on how to prioritise maintenance and efficient use. The examples address actions to maintain better and more cost efficient, minimising the need for extensive renovations. In addition, actions are provided to develop metrics to track and improve the efficient use of space in buildings and to make the existing structures more adaptable to climate change.
An example from Denmark presents a tool for subdividing single-family houses to support climate goals, housing diversity and revitalisation of local communities. The tool provides municipalities with an approach to analyse local potential, engage citizens and adjust planning frameworks.
Area 3: Driving Renovation Instead of Demolition
The third action area, driving renovation instead of demolition, investigates examples and policy measures where renovation is chosen over demolition and new construction. The goal within the area is to reduce unnecessary demolition and look into what barriers should be removed to ensure efficient renovation.
As an example, Denmark is looking into the possibility of implementing a scheme that allows municipalities to refuse demolition. In Sweden, a proposal is presented, seeking to reduce requirements and costs for making it easier to adapt existing buildings rather than replacing them, and in Norway an exemption provision will allow municipalities to grant exemptions from requirements for existing buildings.
Area 4: Enabling Changed Use Efficiently
The fourth action area, enabling changed use efficiently, examines which policy measures are relevant to enable transformation of buildings and thereby reducing demolition, defining barriers for enabling efficient changed use. Examples are presented from Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Faroe Island, Denmark and Norway, all working towards simplifying and making it easier to convert existing buildings to new uses.
The example from Norway describes a study investigating how vacant and under-used buildings can meet local housing needs and illustrates multifunctional solutions that combine residential use with community and commercial functions.
Area 5: Renovation for the Future
The fifth and last action area, renovation for the future, looks into how to optimise design for flexibility and efficiency as well as designing for disassembly and reuse.
Examples from Finland and Norway presents that policies are regulated towards ensuring that buildings are designed to last and be adaptable over time, being designed to disassembly. In Sweden, a circular economy strategy encourages better material traceability, ensuring that materials are easy to separate and sort, improving the reuse and recycling of construction materials
Dive deeper into all the action areas and the policy measures in the inspiration catalogue here
Webinar
On May 7th, a webinar was held to launch the catalogue, bringing together stakeholders and authorities presenting policy measures and case examples featured in the catalogue. The session concluded with a Q&A, giving participants an opportunity to engage directly in the dialogue.
The webinar was recorded and can be rewatched to explore and dive deeper into the selected policy measures and case examples presented from the catalogue.
Watch the recording from the webinar here