Spatial sufficiency - in principle, practice and policy

Research Project, 2025 – 2029

This 4-year project aims to establish principles and explore the practical potential for spatial sufficiency—radically reducing the need for new construction—by identifying, quantifying, and characterizing vacant or underutilized spaces within the Swedish building stock, as well as examining and challenging barriers to their continued or
repurposed use. The project will develop and test future scenarios illustrating how increased spatial sufficiency could reshape the building sector alongside the practices and policies required to facilitate such a transformation.
The objectives include creating a scientifically robust and reliable knowledge base on the potential for spatial sufficiency through the increased (re)use of existing buildings and spaces and outlining pathways for a profound and structural shift in the building sector to significantly reduce the reliance on new construction. The project
consists of 4 interrelated work packages conducted by an interdisciplinary research team comprising 7 seniors and
an industrial PhD student from 3 academic institutions and a research institute. The team collaborates with a group
of engaged stakeholders and conducts 2–3 case studies focusing on specific parts of the building stock or geographical areas. The stakeholders include property owners, end-users from both public and private sectors, and policymakers. Methods employed combine literature reviews, statistical analysis, case studies, workshops,
and experimental interventions.