What?  More City, Same Footprint: Rethinking Urban Growth
When?  Wednesday 29 April, 10:00 - 11:30 (CET)
Where?  Online

How? Across Europe, cities are attracting more people for jobs, culture, education, and social life, increasing housing demand in already built-up areas. Compact-city strategies are widely promoted to reduce transport emissions, make efficient use of infrastructure, and protect surrounding land. While many residents recognise the need for additional housing, space remains limited: outward expansion fuels sprawl and car dependence, while densification within existing neighbourhoods often faces resistance due to concerns about loss of light, trees, and green space, as well as the disruptions and carbon costs associated with conventional construction.

Research shows that opposition is often not to densification itself, but to perceived declines in living conditions. In response, approaches that prioritise the reuse of existing buildings and materials, avoid new land take, and reduce construction impacts, such as circular construction and adaptive reuse, are gaining attention. These strategies offer pathways to increase housing supply while supporting liveability, resource efficiency, and climate goals.

This webinar, hosted within the scope of the CircularInvest project, will discuss the main challenges cities face in responding to population growth and rising housing demand, and explore sustainable ways to address them. It will place particular emphasis on urban densification and circular construction as complementary approaches that can help accommodate growth while limiting environmental and social impacts.

Register here!