Sustainable development consultancy Arup’s latest Cities Intelligence publication, ‘Retrofit at Scale’ explores the benefits of taking a neighborhood and place-based approach to retrofit at scale, not only to meet net zero targets, but to deliver safer, healthier, and more sustainable outcomes for communities.
As of September 2023, 393 out of 409 UK local authorities have declared a climate emergency, and 298 have adopted a climate action plan. More homes are vulnerable to overheating and flooding, with 2.5 million people potentially exposed to flood risk by 2080. Additionally, buildings and infrastructure account for nearly 25% of UK greenhouse gas emissions – and domestic buildings are the largest contributor.
Local authorities and city planners are under pressure to improve the sustainability of buildings and infrastructure as well as the quality of homes, while also protecting an increasing number of buildings vulnerable to overheating and flooding as a direct result of climate change.
In view of the UK’s commitment to meet net zero carbon goals by 2050, with Scotland aiming for 2045, the report outlines how retrofit can improve thermal comfort and health, build energy security, minimize carbon emissions as well as protect against the impacts of climate change.
The publication calls for:
- Recognition of retrofit as the single biggest tool to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. Retrofit adapts homes and neighborhoods to be safer, healthier and more sustainable, without wasteful demolition and rebuilding.
- A shift from technical to systemic. Historically, building retrofit has been approached as a technical problem. A shift towards a whole system approach is required, where integration of different disciplines is improved – including finance, data, planning, service design, public engagement.
- A neighborhood approach. There is a significant shift from a focus on individual buildings towards a whole street or neighborhood approach. This transition allows multiple place-based challenges to be tackled and wider benefits to be achieved while minimizing disruption most efficiently and providing opportunity for finance innovation.
- People and community at the heart of the process. The human experience is a significant part of the overall adoption challenge. Take a citizen-focused approach to design and delivery with end-users at the heart of the design and innovation process to truly benefit communities.
Becci Taylor, Director and Arup Retrofit at Scale business leader, UKIMEA said, “With local authorities under more pressure than ever before, it’s clear a fresh approach to retrofit at scale is required to harness the most benefits for local communities and drive accelerated action. At Arup, we know that retrofit at scale has a much wider range of benefits for local communities when a place-based and citizen-focused approach is taken. Improving health and social equity as well as the quality of homes while reducing carbon means retrofit at scale is a critical approach to meeting national net zero targets.”
