Using mappable indicators for prioritizing the refurbishment of social housing. A case study of Zaragoza (Spain)

Nowadayscities include degraded, or even vulnerable, areas that need public efforts to be made to reintegrate them into the city. These areas contain dwellings that are now longer attractive for the market, and a selective depopulation phenomenon occurs that can expose their inhabitants to more than probable social exclusion. In addition, residential buildings accumulate physical degradation, like high energy consumption, lack of accessibility or exterior noise. Some of these areas are social housing estates built during Spain’s postwar period, which are currently embedded in cities, but are often not properly integrated into them. Public economic investment should focus on the most disadvantaged buildings. Therefore, collecting data about diagnosing the building sector is a priority for Public Authorities [1]. This communication conducts a study on existing mappable indicators for prioritizing the refurbishment of social housing estates in the Spanish city of Zaragoza and for diagnosing any possible gaps in these indicators. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.