Current adaptation theories tend to consider individual buildings or at the city level, which does not address the decisions associated with master planning for large-scale brownfield developments. This paper examines the drivers of building demolition or retention and adaptation decisions at the master planning scale. Expert interviews and three case studies were used to explore how and why decisions were made to demolish, or preserve and adapt, at this scale. The study compared three different geopolitical contexts: Cambridge in the UK, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, and Sydney in Australia. Other factors and complexities that should be considered in the size of the master plan were identified. The theoretical basis for the urban development process was used to explain the complexity associated with these four existing models and to demonstrate that none of them was sufficient to describe these interactions. As awareness of the impacts of climate change continues to grow, it is critical to review demolition decisions regarding master plan development from a carbon and heritage retention perspective.
This study shows that there are different and specific concerns for the demolition and retention of master plan scale sites compared to individual building scales. Although the evidence suggests that decisions are context-specific, the criteria identified and categorized in this study provide stakeholders with a useful tool for their approach to prioritizing and making decisions about demolition or retention and adaptation in the context of master planning. This will help avoid controversial decisions and can help community groups who want to have an impact on long-term decisions, as well as developers who want to maintain good relationships with the local community. The criteria identified can support planners and local authorities responsible for approving master plan developments to better understand the factors relevant to each decision, including the importance of always being flexible to respond to changing circumstances.
