Diletta Ricci
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Making energy renovations equitable
A literature review of decision-making criteria for a just energy transition in residential buildings
Energy renovation of residential buildings is a key strategy for a just energy transition, involving complex socio-technical challenges and increasingly requiring attention to social implications and equity. However, what constitutes just energy renovations remains undefined and often limited to more abstract conceptualizations, lacking a field-specific definition, with integrated, implementation-oriented guiding strategies. Limiting the scope to developed countries, this study systematically reviews 104 interdisciplinary studies on energy renovation that consider social and resident dimensions. The literature is analysed through a synthesised framework of energy and spatial justice theories, adapting the principles of recognition, procedural, and distributive justice to residential environments and energy renovation requirements. Firstly, the study provides a comprehensive overview of socially oriented renovation research, demanding greater attention to vulnerable contexts, stakeholders' dynamics, design and post-renovation phases, through iterative, co-creative field research. Secondly, the study identifies critical domains, subdomains and related (in)justice trajectories within the three justice principles, offering context-sensitive application pathways and highlighting the relevance of beyond-energy-efficiency aspects and trust-building strategies. This results in a flexible framework of decision-making criteria that align environmental and social needs, supporting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Achieving justice requires interconnected mechanisms across decision-making levels and renovation phases, that rely on collaborative mutual-learning dynamics among actors. To complement strategic policies, design and implementation criteria emerged as crucial for ensuring effective engagement and user-centred interventions. This study contributes to validating energy justice as a decision-making guide, demonstrating the added value from spatial justice integration for a just urban transition, and laying fertile ground for further empirical research.
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Energy renovation of residential buildings is a key strategy for a just energy transition, involving complex socio-technical challenges and increasingly requiring attention to social implications and equity. However, what constitutes just energy renovations remains undefined and often limited to more abstract conceptualizations, lacking a field-specific definition, with integrated, implementation-oriented guiding strategies. Limiting the scope to developed countries, this study systematically reviews 104 interdisciplinary studies on energy renovation that consider social and resident dimensions. The literature is analysed through a synthesised framework of energy and spatial justice theories, adapting the principles of recognition, procedural, and distributive justice to residential environments and energy renovation requirements. Firstly, the study provides a comprehensive overview of socially oriented renovation research, demanding greater attention to vulnerable contexts, stakeholders' dynamics, design and post-renovation phases, through iterative, co-creative field research. Secondly, the study identifies critical domains, subdomains and related (in)justice trajectories within the three justice principles, offering context-sensitive application pathways and highlighting the relevance of beyond-energy-efficiency aspects and trust-building strategies. This results in a flexible framework of decision-making criteria that align environmental and social needs, supporting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Achieving justice requires interconnected mechanisms across decision-making levels and renovation phases, that rely on collaborative mutual-learning dynamics among actors. To complement strategic policies, design and implementation criteria emerged as crucial for ensuring effective engagement and user-centred interventions. This study contributes to validating energy justice as a decision-making guide, demonstrating the added value from spatial justice integration for a just urban transition, and laying fertile ground for further empirical research.
Report
(2025)
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Joao Pedro Gouveia, Teresa Cuerdo, Silvia Caneva, Claudio Del Pero, Diletta Ricci, Emiline Elangovan, E. Mlecnik, Esra Abdelhalim, Fabrizio Leonforte, More authors...
Journal article
(2025)
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Diletta Ricci, Charissa Leiwakabessy, Simone van Wieringen, Piet de Koning, T. Konstantinou
Justice-oriented, context-sensitive approaches that go beyond technocratic top-down decision-making processes can facilitate and improve the retrofit and energy transition of housing. Urban living labs (ULLs) are emerging as valuable collaborative spaces for learning and co-creating strategies. Although increasingly adopted in urban planning and placemaking, their potential to operationalise procedural justice by facilitating inclusive and accessible processes in energy renovation remains unexplored. Drawing on fieldwork notes and expert interviews, this study examines the initial phases of four Dutch energy living labs (ELLs) implemented in vulnerable neighbourhoods to support housing retrofit and energy transition projects. It analyses how they foster residents’ inclusion and connect institutional agendas with residents’ everyday practices and living environments. The findings reveal how ELLs play a strategic role in enhancing residents’ visibility, creating multistakeholder relational arenas that stimulate interorganisational learning. Researchers in ELLs mediate between theory and situated practices, facilitating energy justice implementation by challenging established professional assumptions. Flexible, locally guided forms of ELLs help address process shortcomings, supporting more socially embedded retrofit and energy transitions, and notably contribute to a) resident engagement and representation, b) technical design and performance and c) collaborative and responsive governance approaches.
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Justice-oriented, context-sensitive approaches that go beyond technocratic top-down decision-making processes can facilitate and improve the retrofit and energy transition of housing. Urban living labs (ULLs) are emerging as valuable collaborative spaces for learning and co-creating strategies. Although increasingly adopted in urban planning and placemaking, their potential to operationalise procedural justice by facilitating inclusive and accessible processes in energy renovation remains unexplored. Drawing on fieldwork notes and expert interviews, this study examines the initial phases of four Dutch energy living labs (ELLs) implemented in vulnerable neighbourhoods to support housing retrofit and energy transition projects. It analyses how they foster residents’ inclusion and connect institutional agendas with residents’ everyday practices and living environments. The findings reveal how ELLs play a strategic role in enhancing residents’ visibility, creating multistakeholder relational arenas that stimulate interorganisational learning. Researchers in ELLs mediate between theory and situated practices, facilitating energy justice implementation by challenging established professional assumptions. Flexible, locally guided forms of ELLs help address process shortcomings, supporting more socially embedded retrofit and energy transitions, and notably contribute to a) resident engagement and representation, b) technical design and performance and c) collaborative and responsive governance approaches.
Energy renovation processes in vulnerable neighbourhoods are complex decision-making endeavours. The JustPrepare project aims to develop inclusive strategies attuned to local needs to enhance energy renovation and transition effectiveness, considering economic, environmental, and social benefits.
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Energy renovation processes in vulnerable neighbourhoods are complex decision-making endeavours. The JustPrepare project aims to develop inclusive strategies attuned to local needs to enhance energy renovation and transition effectiveness, considering economic, environmental, and social benefits.
A Review of Climate and Resident-Oriented Renovation Processes
A Framework for Just Decision Support Systems
The renovation of existing buildings is widely recognized as a powerful strategy for reducing emissions and land use. However, when it comes to residential buildings, the socio-technical challenges are particularly complex. The necessity and urgency of increasing energy efficiency often lead to retrofit processes that overlook residents’ needs and fail to consider the impact of renovation techniques on their lives. This study conducts a systematic and interdisciplinary literature review to explore how and to what extent social aspects, particularly residents and their needs, are considered in building renovations. An analysis of 40 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases is presented. The holistic overview focuses on two interrelated aspects: the orientation of decision-making processes towards residents and social components of multi-stakeholder involvement, and the relationship and interaction between design choices and residents. By doing so, the review enables a collection of meaningful and heterogeneous criteria for process management and retrofit solutions selection. Recognizing the existing gaps in the literature and clarifying relevant criteria, this review can help identify areas that require further research and intervention.
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The renovation of existing buildings is widely recognized as a powerful strategy for reducing emissions and land use. However, when it comes to residential buildings, the socio-technical challenges are particularly complex. The necessity and urgency of increasing energy efficiency often lead to retrofit processes that overlook residents’ needs and fail to consider the impact of renovation techniques on their lives. This study conducts a systematic and interdisciplinary literature review to explore how and to what extent social aspects, particularly residents and their needs, are considered in building renovations. An analysis of 40 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases is presented. The holistic overview focuses on two interrelated aspects: the orientation of decision-making processes towards residents and social components of multi-stakeholder involvement, and the relationship and interaction between design choices and residents. By doing so, the review enables a collection of meaningful and heterogeneous criteria for process management and retrofit solutions selection. Recognizing the existing gaps in the literature and clarifying relevant criteria, this review can help identify areas that require further research and intervention.
Urban vulnerability has many facets. Among these, urban texture and plot pattern, building massing and density, greatly affect the microclimate. Thence, redefining urban regeneration design criteria for climate neutrality is crucial, including environmental factors in the design process at different scales. In the light of climate change, despite this urgent call, adaptive design approaches useful to assess trade-offs between urban regeneration scenarios and microclimate quality are lacking. This paper introduces a novel digital design workflow that integrates climate quality and associated indicators in urban and building design, adopting a cross-scale approach. The main goal is to increase the resilience of the built environment in the foresight of future scenarios, by promoting climate-sensitive design solutions. Environmental performances were analysed using digital tools and implemented in a design workflow, allowing urban microclimate analysis. Performance metrics were calculated using Urban Weather Generator and Energy Plus. With the former tool a climate performance comparative study has been run in different scenarios, by varying morphological parameters and computing the intensity of the Urban Heat Island. While, Energy Plus was used to simulate the impact of building form and UHI on building energy demand, highlighting the interdependence of different design scales and addressing optimal building performance. The results provide additional levels of knowledge, both in terms of analysis and design scenario evaluation: urban metrics and climate impacts, building form and envelope design, adaptation solutions. This workflow is tested and a scenario suitability for the Mediterranean city is shown, exploiting the research-by-design transformations of 22@ Innovation District of Barcelona. The paper highlights the correlation between microclimate and design solutions and lays the foundations for a climate/design cross-talk to help policymakers and practitioners achieve urban climate adaptation goals.
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Urban vulnerability has many facets. Among these, urban texture and plot pattern, building massing and density, greatly affect the microclimate. Thence, redefining urban regeneration design criteria for climate neutrality is crucial, including environmental factors in the design process at different scales. In the light of climate change, despite this urgent call, adaptive design approaches useful to assess trade-offs between urban regeneration scenarios and microclimate quality are lacking. This paper introduces a novel digital design workflow that integrates climate quality and associated indicators in urban and building design, adopting a cross-scale approach. The main goal is to increase the resilience of the built environment in the foresight of future scenarios, by promoting climate-sensitive design solutions. Environmental performances were analysed using digital tools and implemented in a design workflow, allowing urban microclimate analysis. Performance metrics were calculated using Urban Weather Generator and Energy Plus. With the former tool a climate performance comparative study has been run in different scenarios, by varying morphological parameters and computing the intensity of the Urban Heat Island. While, Energy Plus was used to simulate the impact of building form and UHI on building energy demand, highlighting the interdependence of different design scales and addressing optimal building performance. The results provide additional levels of knowledge, both in terms of analysis and design scenario evaluation: urban metrics and climate impacts, building form and envelope design, adaptation solutions. This workflow is tested and a scenario suitability for the Mediterranean city is shown, exploiting the research-by-design transformations of 22@ Innovation District of Barcelona. The paper highlights the correlation between microclimate and design solutions and lays the foundations for a climate/design cross-talk to help policymakers and practitioners achieve urban climate adaptation goals.