Reimagining industrial heritage

Abstract

For many years, the concept of adaptive reuse of buildings has been researched. A focus on heritage and specifically the implementation of circular economy frameworks is however relatively new. Adaptive reuse of heritage is often concerned a circular strategy for its material reuse. However, there are many more dimensions to circularity in adaptive reuse, ranging from socio-economic values in urban environments to buildings facilitating and stimulating the circular economy by their new functions. Urban manufacturing is one of the functions that can benefit of the added values of industrial heritage. In return, urban manufacturing can provide several values to its urban context and contribute to development of the circular city due to ongoing developments in this sector. The next generation of manufacturers can be well integrated in urban areas contribute to realising circular ambitions, but several principles should be applied to realise this and create balanced urban development. To date, integration of circular economy and adaptive reuse of heritage frameworks is limited and fragmented. An overarching conceptual framework for adaptive reuse in a multidimensional way is missing, and current research often avoids practical solutions and guidelines that can be used by developers and planners. This research aims to provide these frameworks to combine the potentials and values of both heritage and the urban manufacturing industry through adaptive reuse. The main research question: ‘How can industrial heritage facilitate the developing urban manufacturing industry?’ is answered by executing a literature review, interviews, a questionnaire, studying different cases of heritage adaptive reuse, and providing a new framework for assessment and development of industrial heritage for facilitating the urban manufacturing industry.