Beyond Worship: Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Urban Redevelopment Inspired by the Adaptive Reuse of German Sacred Spaces

Johann Weiß, Jakob-Fabian Svoboda, Florian-Jonas Wehner and Sven Bienert

ERES from European Real Estate Society (ERES)

Abstract: Purpose – The adaptive reuse of sacred buildings presents a unique challenge and opportunity for urban and real estate development, addressing challenges posed by secularization, demographic shifts, and economic pressures. Despite the increasing emergence of these transformations, the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of repurposing sacred spaces remain underexplored in real estate research. This study addresses this gap by integrating interdisciplinary insights from theology, monument preservation, architecture, real estate economics, and social sciences to propose a common-good-oriented framework for sacred space transformation.Design/methodology/approach – Through a qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz, 2018), we examine over 14 interdisciplinary case studies and workshops, as well as expert interviews, and secondary data. By integrating the Common Good Framework (Mazzucato, 2023) and the Institutional Real Estate Development Process (Healey, 1991), this research seeks to expand existing real estate development models to address complex, metaphysical, and ""wicked"" problems inherent in urban redevelopment.Findings – Our findings reveal barriers and opportunities in aligning adaptive reuse projects with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11, which emphasizes sustainable urbanization and heritage preservation. Results reveal that sacred buildings can serve as community anchors and drivers of urban resilience when redeveloped with interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory planning.Originality/value – To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first to propose a meta-dimensional, common-good-oriented approach to real estate development, integrating theoretical and practical insights from multiple disciplines. It provides actionable strategies for developers and policymakers to enhance inclusivity, sustainability, and cultural preservation in urban environments.

Keywords: Adaptive Reuse; Common Good; Sacred Spaces; Sustainable Urban Redevelopment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: R3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-01-01
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