Spatialized material stock analysis to facilitate circularity of the built environment

Other text in scientific journal, 2026

The construction sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, resource extraction, and waste generation. Circular economy (CE) strategies can substantially reduce these impacts, but their implementation in the construction sector is constrained by, among other barriers, limited information on the material composition of the built environment (Wuyts et al., 2022).
Researchers have turned to spatialized material stock analysis (MSA) to quantify and localize construction materials stocked in buildings and infrastructure over time (Lanau et al., 2019). Integrating MSA with spatial tools enables researchers to examine not only the quantities of materials in use, but also where stocks accumulate and how they change and are managed over time. Spatialized MSA is rapidly evolving, marked by diversification in data sources and modeling methods spurred by advancements in digital technologies (Pei et al., 2024). Its integration with other disciplines is also underway Yet its value for different stakeholders has been demonstrated only sporadically, indicating a need for deeper interdisciplinary and stakeholder engagement.
This Special Issue (SI) brings together recent advances and emerging practices in spatialized MSA of the built environment that can support circularity. Its purpose is to promote knowledge exchange and clarify how spatially explicit evidence on material stocks and flows can support the transition to a circular and sustainable built environment. The scope of the SI included (but was not limited to) assessing and transitioning to a CE using spatialized MSA, investigating the role of spatial factors in the CE, methodological developments, integration with other disciplinary fields, resource cadasters in practice/collaboration with stakeholders, and review articles.