Paradigm shift or choke? The future of the Western European housing stock

The 20th century saw an enormous worldwide growth of the housing stock. In particular the building boom after WW-II, during which the housing stock in most countries was multifolded, focussed the attention of the housing sector primarily to the planning and realisation of new construction; the consciousness of the enormous maintenance and...

Sustainable housing policies and the environmental potential of the existing housing stock in Europe

What is the environmental potential of the existing housing stock in the EU and the accession countries? How prepared are the countries to face the challenge of the existing housing stock? This article describes policies and policy instruments currently used to encourage sustainable renovation in Europe based on the national progress reports of...

The search for the most eco-efficient strategies for sustainable housing transformations