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The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified a crisis that has already been underway for at least a decade: to stimulate recovery, the EU has put in place an impressive package of measures, the implementation of which is largely left to the national authorities. This would require a systematic reading of the territory, which in Italy clashes with the chronic lack of effective paths to interconnect the political levels to the decision- making processes at different scales. This article presents a method for mapping the relationships between the main environmental challenges and the response (individual and collective) that the community, if enabled, is able to offer in terms of adapting its behaviour. The method consists of a matrix of relationships between environmental priorities and behavioural models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Energy and environmental implications in reinforced concrete and timber-based tall buildings. • BIM-LCA integrated approach for a comparative quantitative assessment. • Cradle-to-grave analysis of an RC-framed and CLT-framed 19-stories building. Energy demand reduction targets and sustainable design paradigms are fueling the search for more and more effective design solutions in the building sector, and new technologies and construction systems are being presented. However, each design solution has its own consequences for the environmental impact of the building. The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be profitably adopted for supporting the decision-making process. This paper reports a comparative methodology developed to analyse the impacts of alternative structural solutions for timber-based high-rise structures. Embodied, operational, and end-of-life environmental impacts based on two structural frame types, a reinforced concrete (RC) structure and cross-laminated timber (CLT) are explored. Two main inputs are used for performing a comprehensive cradle-to-grave LCA for the whole building: the bill of quantities from a Revit BIM model and the energy demand from DesignStudio. Then, an LCA is performed using the One Click LCA tool for a service life of 50 years and 12 impact categories. The environmental impacts of building materials are based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) directly embedded in the tool. The method is then applied to a case study in Aalborg, Denmark. Results indicate that the total emissions for the considered case study are 9.6 kg- CO 2 eq./m2/y for the CLT structure against 10.8 kg- CO 2 eq./m2/y for the RC structure. The production stage of building materials, including building systems and installations, accounts for around 55% of the total emissions, while energy use (B6 phase) during the in-use stage of the building recorded a lower environmental impact (45%). The outcomes confirm the opportunity to base the discussion on alternative design options on more objective and data-based elements to support the different positions which already involve a wide range of architectural, functional and financial criteria. This is of great relevance in achieving balanced and informed decisions which do not simply follow green-labelled ideas but are grounded on evidence-based considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]