Challenges and Opportunities of Retrofit for Australian Cities

Challenges and Opportunities of Retrofit for Australian Cities

Researchers:  Sarah Bell, Judy Bush, Enzo Lara-Hamilton

Overview:
This project outlines a comprehensive, systems approach to retrofitting, stressing that integrated urban retrofits can provide effective development of sustainable and resilient cities. Retrofitting is the process of upgrading existing physical systems to improve their performance. It is an approach that can future-proof Australian cities, improving the buildings, infrastructure, and landscapes that already exist. Retrofitting can be employed across many sectors, at many scales; from energy efficient light upgrades in a suburban dwelling to precinct-wide energy, water and waste system improvements. This is increasingly important for the range of global environmental issues that are rapidly changing the way cities function. In adopting retrofit, cities can simultaneously reduce embodied and operational emissions, resource consumption, and waste, whilst adapting to new requirements that the future communities of Australia need.

Outputs:
Lara-Hamilton, Enzo; Bell, Sarah; Bush, Judy (2023). Retrofitting Cities - Issues Paper. The University of Melbourne. Report. https://doi.org/10.26188/24654072.v1 Retrofitting Cities Issues Paper/ Briefing Note