Energy-saving potential of large housing stocks of listed buildings, case study: l'Eixample of Valencia

[EN] A significant part of the European residential building stock is architectural heritage and is protected by law in different grades. Although these dwellings seldom fulfil the current eco-efficiency requirements, listed buildings are exempt from energy regulations requirements. This paper reviews the constructional characteristics common to 588 multi-storey listed buildings (circa 6000 dwellings) located in l'Eixample district in Valencia (Spain). The poor thermal performance of these buildings proven by this study reveal a significant potential for saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions, particularly when considering the current requirements fixed by the current Spanish building code. Retrofitting measures intended to improve the thermal behaviour of these buildings, while being respectful to their listed nature, are proposed and assessed in terms of energy demand, air pollution and economy.Perez-Garcia, A.; Guardiola, AP.; Gómez-Martínez, F.; Guardiola Villora, AP. (2018). Energy-saving potential of large housing stocks of listed buildings, case study: l'Eixample of Valencia. Sustainable Cities and Society. 42:59-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.06.018S59814

Rebalancing urban mobility: a tale of four cities

The key of mobility in urban planning is not in dispute. Integrated strategies that take into account the interrelations among land use, transport supply and demand and the different transportation modes are more necessary than ever. In Europe, regulatory tools such as local mobility plans or traffic plans have been enforced for a long time, evolving into so-called sustainable urban transport plans (SUTP) ? that is, plans thatmerge urban planning,mobility governance, social awareness and environmental safeguards to develop a vision based on sustainability and equity. Indeed, SUTP are aimed at solving typical problems in current land use, such as urban sprawl, which make clear the need for a paradigm shift from transport (or mobility) planning to land use (or city) planning, thereby producing urban mobility plans that are fully aligned with integrated urban development plans. This paper describes how SUTP are articulated across Europe according to four case studies: Peterborough (UK), Chambe¿ry (France), Ferrara (Italy) and Pinto (Spain), to highlight variations and commonalities, both among the four national legal frameworks and the actual planning processes at the local level. Objectives, measures and indicators used in the monitoring and evaluation phases have been analysed and the results assessed. The main conclusion of the paper is that, as seen in these real-life examples, the lack of integration between spatial planning and transport strategies results in the unsustainability of urban areas and, therefore, in a significant loss of competitiveness