Urban Resource Centers: the missing link to circularization of the construction industry?

Research Project, 2024 – 2027

The development of buildings is an immensely carbon- and resource-intensive process and circular economy strategies are key to decrease the environmental impacts of the construction industry. In developed economies, extensive volumes of construction materials are stocked in existing buildings and ought to be reclaimed. Still, reuse rates remain dramatically low. According to practitioners, facilities to store and redistribute reclaimed construction materials, i.e., Urban Resource Centers (URCs) are missing. Indeed, today, URCs are very few and decentralized. The organizational, logistical (e.g., transport related) and thus environmental implications of upscaling URCs remain unclear. This project aims to determine the extent to which wide-scale implementation of URCs could help decrease the construction industry’s environmental impact. A multi-method approach is used. First, a dynamic and spatial Material Flow Analysis quantifies and locates future quantities of reclaimed building materials. Then, a participative-spatial multi-criteria decision analysis engages stakeholders in identifying best alternatives of futures. Finally, a parametric environmental assessment model is developed to assess all aspects of URCs, including logistics impact, at the city-scale. By achieving its aim, this project develops – and tests on Gothenburg – a toolbox for municipalities and construction actors to engage with the topic and create strategic knowledge to rethink their operations.