Material stocks and flows embedded in residential buildings: A spatially explicit and temporally dynamic bottom-up study of Vantaa, Finland

Abstract

Resource extraction to facilitate urban growth exerts significant environmental pressure. Formulating targeted Circular Economy strategies to reduce cities’ primary material consumption requires knowledge of existing urban building stocks and the most resource-intensive spatial patterns of construction and demolition.

This paper presents a spatially explicit and temporally dynamic study of Vantaa, Finland. The research targets the city's residential building stock, the embedded materials, and their development between 2000 and 2018.

Over the study period, material inflows of 4.0 Mt correspond to an increase in the per capita material stock by 14.3 %. This development was catalyzed by the ongoing densification of material stock clusters and the resurgence of blocks of flats. Overall, three spatial patterns are distinguished by variations in population growth, material flows, residential floor area, and housing typology. In conclusion, spatial distinctions in urban building and material stock development call for location-specific circular approaches to mitigate cities’ environmental footprints.