Rethinking urban capacity: identifying and appraising vacant buildings

Abstract

Policies related to urban development and regeneration have prompted a need for greater levels of information concerning vacant land and property. A need is identified to create efficient use (and reuse) of existing real estate. Drawing on information primarily collected for property taxation, a methodology is presented to create comprehensive data sets relating to vacant non-domestic buildings to help identify the type, size and location of long-term vacant property. The case is made for this methodology to be extended and for improved access to comprehensive data to enable scarce real estate resources to be used in a more sustainable manner.