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conference presentation

Indicators for assessing long-term, participatory transitions of built environment in neighbourhoods

Mahadevan, Meera  
•
Fivet, Corentin  
•
Vuarnoz, Didier  
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July 2, 2025
12th International Conference on Industrial Ecology (ISIE 2025)

Neighbourhoods have been identified as suitable units for designing and analysing transition strategies while bridging individual and city-level sustainability goals. The majority of current research assesses neighbourhood transitions by evaluating the social, economic, and environmental impacts separately under various scenarios of change. Life cycle assessment, or indicator-based assessments with LEED-ND or SIA 390/1 are often used in these evaluations. The various scenarios of change are developed using methods involving data (e.g. clustering,cellullar automata) or participation of different stakeholders (e.g. through gamification).

However, the field of studies on neighbourhood transitions lacks an integrated approach that includes sustainability assessments and stakeholder aspirations. Very few studies consider the complexity and the various interrelationships that are present within a neighbourhood. While the impacts of technological scenarios such as retrofits are examined, the extent to which local populations may adopt or support such changes is yet to be explored at a neighbourhood scale. It is also seen that there is a lack of understanding of how attributes of everyday life, such as purchasing power, food availability or fuel costs, would impact long-term transitions. This perspective is important to enable better translation of climate action plans amongst various stakeholders (e.g. residents, municipality authorities, and construction contractors), to empower them participate actively.

This project attempts to address these limitations by developing a methodological framework to holistically synthesise and analyse neighbourhood transitions towards an action-oriented climate plan. Through this, the following key questions are explored. • What goals/indicators are relevant at a neighbourhood scale for mid- to long-term sustainable transitions? • How can inclusive scenarios be constructed considering environmental impact and stakeholder aspirations? • How can current methods of sustainability assessments complement each other to provide an overview of neighbourhood transition? • How can scientific evidence and stakeholder aspirations be effectively communicated and translated?

The framework is envisioned to start with a contextual study of the neighbourhood followed by system modelling, construction of scenarios of actions and their assessment, dissemination and discussion of the results with the stakeholders The insights derived from the discussion with stakeholders, initiates a feedback loop between the identification of actions, their expected theoretical environmental impact, and the degree of acceptance of these actions by local stakeholders.

This framework is initially developed for a small neighbourhood, Schönberg, in Fribourg, Switzerland. A systematic literature review of existing research on neighbourhood transitions is conducted to understand methods of scenario construction and assessments. A contextual study of Schönberg is conducted to understand its key characteristics, such as demographics, geography, history, and predicted trends of change. The main stakeholders involved in the neighbourhood are identified. This is followed by the construction of three scenarios of change targeted to enhance the commercial spaces in the neighborhood. The indicators to assess these scenarios are developed through a participatory approach. The subsequent results and insights from life cycle assessment are discussed among stakeholders. The conclusions drawn thus, are used to refine the scenarios and assessment methods. The next steps involve the expansion of this framework and testing under different neighbourhood contexts.

It is envisioned that this framework would provide a complete view of transition scenarios encompassing the sustainability impacts, stakeholder appreciation, and a roadmap to attain climate goals.

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