Multiple Benefits of Housing Regeneration in European Smart Cities
In the effort of transitioning to more sustainable energy production and consumption, a smart city project SINFONIA was developed as part of the European Union sustainability agenda. Part of this project includes the deep energy retrofitting of real-estate assets in mid-sized cities in Europe. The project that starts in 2014 until 2020 confirms that the project benefited the social housing district with the reduced energy consumption by a factor of ten. A residential block of 5500 sqm in Bolzano, Italy reduced its energy consumption from 263 kWh/m2 to 26 kWh/m2.
The better energy performance not only reduced the cost for the inhabitants but also comfort level increased. The retrofitting project are also reported to increase the value of the older housing units. The success of this project is envisioned to further support the growth of the smart cities in Europe especially by fostering the innovation of the local construction sectors and by evolving the real estate market.
Reference:
Bisello, A. (2020). Assessing multiple benefits of housing regeneration and smart city development: the European project SINFONIA. Sustainability, 12(19), 8038.
