Optimisation before growth: New property formations for a resource-efficient use of the existing building stock

Sammanfattning: The building industry accounts for around one third of the total energy use and GHG emissions in Sweden. Despite the implementation of energy efficiency measures focusing on new buildings, embodied impacts from material extraction, manufacturing, construction and maintenance have grown in significant proportions. While cities like Stockholm are currently experiencing a strong demographic growth and a high pressure on the supply of new spaces and facilities for new residents, national environmental goals aim to reduce energy use and GHG emissions in the coming decades. For instance, the new Climate Act in Sweden expects the country to become carbon neutral by 2045 and the European Commission urges the decarbonisation of national building stocks by 2050. The dual pressure of growth and environmental targets urges the exploration of alternatives for the supply and use of space. In fact, some sources indicate that many spaces remain unused during several hours a day/week and estimations show that most of the buildings that will be in use in 2050 have already been built today. This study explores the potential for a resource-efficient use of space in the existing building stock in Stockholm, leading to a positive impact on the reduction of energy consumption and GHG emissions. The inquiry is conducted with a mixed methods approach in three sequential steps: the identification of relevant stakeholders, instruments and initiatives; the analysis of use of space in a sample of commercial spaces at the street level; and the formulation of strategies allowing an increase in their temporal and spatial capacity. The study suggests that one way to optimise the use of space in existing buildings is to create new property rights. Specifically, it illustrates how merging commercial spaces on the street level through the constitution of 3D properties can increase the capacity to accommodate activities in space and time. Together with digitalisation and the development of new services based on sharing solutions, this opens up new possibilities for decreasing new construction and to absorb new demands for heated floor area.