The ECODISTR-ICT project develops an integrated decision support tool that facilitates decision making on the retrofitting and renewal of existing districts and its composing buildings. It connects the main decision makers in urban district transformation programs, acting from different perspectives, with different time scales, to reach a coordinated approach that joins building retrofitting with district renovation.
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The ECODISTR-ICT project aims at developing an integrated decision support tool that facilitates decision making on the retrofitting and renewal of existing districts and its composing buildings. In this way it supports urban stakeholders in addressing complex urban challenges that relate to the much needed energy and sustainability transition. It connects the main decision makers in urban district transformation programs, acting from different perspectives, with different time scales, to reach a coordinated approach that joins building retrofitting with district renovation. The tool provides trustworthy insights on retrofitting and renewal projects, the associated costs and benefits during the life cycle of the buildings and the impacts of these on resource efficiency, social aspects, indoor and outdoor quality of buildings and districts, and environmental concerns.
The work method for the project consists of 4 constructive pillars of software development towards an Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS), complemented by testing the resulting IDSS in 5 case studies. The 4 software development pillars consist of (1) assessing stakeholder needs and context factors for the selected decision environment, (2) securing appropriate methods for the necessary data collection, (3) selecting a set of calculation and evaluation modules that fulfils the assessment requirements, and (4) creating a user-friendly interface that navigates stakeholders and decision makers through the ICT-supported evaluation process. The five case studies are related to urban districts in need of renewal. They are situated in Valencia (ES), Rotterdam (NL), Antwerp (BE), Warsaw (PL) and Stockholm (SE).
Ecodistr-ICT is funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union and brings together 10 partners from across Europe. VITO/EnergyVille is the coordinator of the project.
More info can be found in this publication in the Regional Review
