Mapping material stocks of buildings and mobility infrastructure in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding the size and spatial distribution of material stocks is crucial for sustainable resource management and climate change mitigation. This study presents high-resolution maps of buildings and mobility infrastructure stocks for the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (IRL) at 10 m, combining satellite-based Earth observations, OpenStreetMaps, and material intensities research. Stocks in the UK and IRL amount to 19.8 Gigatons or 279 tons/cap, predominantly aggregate, concrete and bricks, as well as various metals and timber. Building stocks per capita are surprisingly similar across medium to high population density, with only the lowest population densities having substantially larger per capita stocks. Infrastructure stocks per capita decrease with higher population density. Interestingly, for a given building stock within an area, infrastructure stocks are substantially larger in IRL than in the UK. These maps can provide useful insights for sustainable urban planning and advancing a circular economy.
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,520
Awards: G1028517464, G2284241275, G2517580639, Multi-scale, circular economic potential of non-residential building stock, G3903392617, G434337789, G4745804264, UK FIRES: Locating Resource Efficiency at the heart of Future Industrial Strategy in the UK, G7097328358, Understanding the Role of Material Stock Patterns for the Transformation to a Sustainable Society, Transforming the Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRE)
OpenAlex ID: W4394912095