Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Resources and Waste Quantities from Buildings (as Urban Mining Potential) Generated by the European Metropolis of Lille: A Methodology Coupling Data from Construction and Demolition Permits with Geographic Information Systems
Authors: Simba Cédric Mpié , Lemelin Emmanuel 
Published: June 2024

The aim of this article was to conduct a spatial and territorial analysis of the urban mining potential of the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL), which had 1,174,273 inhabitants in 2018. This involved quantifying construction and demolition waste (CDW) deposits and analyzing their spatial distribution. The chosen quantification approach utilized building and demolition permits as input data, along with waste diagnostics for Construction and Building Materials Products (CBMPs) obtained from stakeholders in the building sector. Waste quantities were estimated using the production rate calculation method (GRC). Specifically, the calculation based on surface area combined with GIS geographic information systems. CDW quantities were categorized by demolition rehabilitation and construction; by type (hazardous non-hazardous inert); and by urban fabric. For the MEL area, the findings revealed that building sites covered the largest surface area, with over 8 million m² being constructed between 2013 and 2022. The construction activity, including renovation, is expected to constitute approximately 20% of the MEL’s building stock from 2013 to 2022. During the same period, 5.51% of the MEL’s building stock was demolished. This corresponds to nearly 6 million tons of CDW being generated during this period, averaging 661318 tons per year. Demolition sites contributed 73% of the total CDW production, compared to 22% for new construction and 4% for renovation sites. Inert waste continued to dominate the composition of waste, accounting for 90% of the total with 9% for non-hazardous waste and 1% for hazardous waste. Semi-detached and grouped houses business fabrics and townhouses or collective fabrics were identified as the primary type of waste-producing urban fabrics. Furthermore, our GIS-based methodology enabled the analysis of CDW quantity distribution by municipality, providing essential data for understanding the urban mining potential and the disparity between construction material requirements for new buildings and resources derived from building demolition. This approach facilitates the assessment of (1) a geographical area’s reliance on construction materials, and (2) the significance of reusing and recycling products equipment materials and waste (PEMW) in new construction to achieve circular economy objectives and to comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) channel initiated in France in 2023. Over the period from 2013 to 2022, annual construction material requirements remained significantly higher than resources from building demolition and rehabilitation, ranging between 29% and 35%. Additionally, the analysis indicated a potential 41% rate of substitution of new construction materials with secondary primary materials in the MEL, varying by municipality and typology, with higher rates in rural communities and lower rates in urban communities.