Transformation of urban brownfields into sustainable neighborhoods
Val Benoit, Liège (BE) © Baumans-Deffet sprl
In an article published in the international journal "Building and Environment", the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) presents the results of the research project SIPRIUS, produced with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The publication allows in particular discovering "SIPRIUS+", an operational monitoring tool facilitating the transformation of urban brownfields into sustainable neighborhoods.
The regeneration of urban brownfields is a relevant strategy to limit the sprawling of post-industrial European cities. However, the integration of sustainability issues in this type of projects is not a spontaneous process. Following this idea, the article highlights that a tailored-made operational monitoring tool is necessary to integrate the holistic vision of sustainable development into the dynamics of urban brownfields regeneration projects.
Consequently, the LAST have developed an operational monitoring tool which originality comes from the hybridization of two existing know-hows, namely an indicator framework from the field of the built environment and a web-based monitoring software (SaaS) initially designed for business management. The article provides thorough details of the functioning of the tool showing how SIPRIUS+ monitoring approach contributes to decision-making without ever giving ready-made solutions, but allowing iterative setting of the projects.
More specifically, the article presents the results of the test-applications of SIPRIUS+ on three representative case studies in Belgium, France, and Switzerland. In addition, it shows the complementary results of interactions made with different stakeholders of urban brownfields regeneration projects that took the form of roundtable discussions. By exposing this last stage of the research project, the article reveals that the integration of monitoring practices is not only feasible, but also realistic and desired according to the stakeholders involved in each case study.
The SIPRIUS+ monitoring tool is the culmination of four years of research. The complete and detailed results of SIPRIUS+ can be consulted in the doctoral thesis of Dr. Martine Laprise, conducted under the direction of Prof. Emmanuel Rey.
Martine Laprise, Sophie Lufkin, Emmanuel Rey, "An operational monitoring tool facilitating the transformation of urban brownfields into sustainable neighborhoods". Building and Environment, vol. 142, p. 221-233, 2018.