New Wisdom Letters publication calls for a planetary sustainability approach to the existing building stock

The School of Resource Wisdom at the University of Jyväskylä (JYU.Wisdom) has published a new issue of Wisdom Letters (2/2025) focusing on the sustainability implications of demolition and preservation in the built environment. Preservation as the Rule, Demolition as the Exception – Sustainability Perspectives on the Existing Building Stock is authored by Reetta Nousiainen, PhD, and Aleksi Lohtaja, D.Soc.Sc.

The publication approaches the built environment through a planetary sustainability framework and argues that preserving existing buildings should be the default starting point in land use, construction, and public decision-making. Current demolition-driven redevelopment practices consume vast amounts of natural resources, accelerate biodiversity loss, and erode social and cultural values – often without comprehensive impact assessment.

“The impact of the built environment on the climate, nature, and human well-being is so significant,” the authors state, “that it cannot be ignored if the goal is a planetarily sustainable society.”

According to the publication, sustainability transformation in the built environment is not merely a technical challenge but also a cultural and societal one. Although municipalities play a central role in planning and decision-making, they require stronger national frameworks, expert support, and more binding assessment tools to enable holistic and sustainable outcomes.

Three recommendations for a sustainable building stock

The authors present three key recommendations:

1. Adopt planetary sustainability as the value base for decisions concerning the building stock.

   • Develop a comprehensive national sustainability assessment model to be incorporated into the assessment of the impacts of land use, zoning, and construction projects.
   • Make use of the model mandatory in all significant decisions concerning existing buildings.

2. Use dynamic preservation as a guiding principle for maintenance, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

   • Demolition should not be the first option. The possibilities for renovating the building and changing its use should be thoroughly studied before applying for a demolition permit.

3. Strengthen the capacity of local actors to take responsibility for existing buildings.

   • Develop operating models and guidance methods at the national level that support the maintenance of existing buildings, conservation repair methods, and reuse.
   • Ensure that municipalities have sufficient resources and expert support.
   • Promote participatory practices and strengthen local democracy.

“It is important to raise this issue in the public debate,” Nousiainen and Lohtaja comment. “There is already plenty of research data on the renovation and reuse of existing buildings – now we need a strategic approach and political choices.”

What is Wisdom Letters?

Wisdom Letters is a cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed open access journal that publishes research-based articles to support public decision-making and the awareness of citizens in various issues related to sustainable development, sustainability transition, and planetary well-being. It provides a publication platform for a new format of research articles that present policy recommendations. 

Publication (in Finnish):
Nousiainen, Reetta & Lohtaja, Aleksi (2025). Säilyttämisestä sääntö, purkamisesta poikkeus – Kestävyysnäkökulmia olemassa olevaan rakennuskantaan. Wisdom Letters 2025(2). https://doi.org/10.17011/wl/13

Authors

Reetta Nousiainen, PhD, Finnish Heritage Agency

Aleksi Lohtaja, D.Soc.Sc., the Information Centre for Finnish Architecture