Developing an Urban Resource Cadaster for Circular Economy

The ever-increasing pressure on resources has provided an impetus to the circular economy paradigm, especially in the construction sector. Unfortunately, the construction industry is not easily convinced about the implementation of circular economy strategies without a clear and dynamic overview of the materials demand and supply. An important perspective for such an overview is so called urban resource cadaster that characterizes the urban built environment stocks based on their location, type, quantity, and quality in high spatial and temporal resolution. In this chapter, we detailed the concept, methodology, use cases, and general implications of such an urban resource cadaster. Three case studies were presented based on integrating heterogeneous data through a Geographic information system-based bottom-up material stock analysis with sampled data on building material composition portfolios. The case studies involve the development of an urban resource cadaster for a city in a developed country (Odense, Denmark) and a city in a developing country (Beijing, China) and a global historical subway material stock analysis. Despite Beijing’s massive urban environment, the stock per capita is 140 tons in Beijing, compared to 329 tons per capita in Odense, Denmark. A spatially refined urban resource cadaster can provide a comprehensive overview of the built environment stock and thus assist the decision-makers in the construction industry and the governmental agencies for better urban planning and waste management.