WP1 - Research, Policy & Rooftop Assessment
Lead organisations: University of Cyprus (SURF Lab), InfoDim, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)
Assessing regulatory frameworks, stakeholder needs, rooftop potential and urban case studies across Southern Europe to identify opportunities and barriers for large-scale rooftop transformation.
Advancing Rooftop Retrofitting Strategies Across Southern Europe
The aRTes consortium continues to advance the activities of Work Package 1 (WP1), focused on establishing the regulatory, technical, and strategic foundations for multifunctional rooftop retrofitting across Southern Europe.
Led through the collaboration of the University of Cyprus (SURF Lab), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), and InfoDim, WP1 combines policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, spatial assessment methodologies, and urban case study development to better understand the opportunities and barriers associated with rooftop transformation in Mediterranean cities.
Understanding the Regulatory and Technical Landscape
As part of Task 1.1, partners conducted a cross-country analysis examining the regulatory, technical, governance, and socio-economic conditions affecting rooftop retrofitting across six European countries. The work combined policy and literature review with stakeholder surveys, semi-structured interviews, and case study analysis.
The findings highlighted that rooftop retrofitting is not constrained by a lack of perceived value, but rather by fragmented regulations, financial limitations, technical complexity, and governance challenges in multi-owner buildings. Technical obstacles such as structural load limitations, waterproofing, drainage systems, and maintenance concerns were identified as major barriers to implementation.
The analysis also demonstrated the growing recognition of rooftops as strategic urban spaces capable of supporting climate adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, renewable energy generation, stormwater management, and social wellbeing.
Identifying Opportunities for Scalable Rooftop Transformation
WP1 activities further explored opportunities for scaling rooftop retrofitting solutions through improved governance frameworks, simplified regulatory procedures, clearer performance metrics, and stronger municipal support mechanisms.
Country-specific assessments revealed significant differences in policy maturity and implementation approaches across Cyprus, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, while also identifying common challenges linked to permitting procedures, fragmented governance structures, and limited standardisation.
The consortium concluded that multifunctional rooftop transformation requires integrated approaches that move beyond single-benefit solutions and support long-term urban resilience objectives.
Rooftop Impact Studies and Urban Case Studies
Task 1.3, led by InfoDim and UPM, focuses on the development of rooftop impact studies and spatial assessment methodologies. A dedicated rooftop potential assessment tool is currently being developed to evaluate recurring spatial, structural, and environmental conditions affecting existing rooftops.
Using GIS technologies and multi-criteria analysis, the tool supports the identification of adaptive reuse opportunities and the estimation of potential environmental and social impacts linked to rooftop transformation strategies.
The ongoing work includes the analysis of 12 urban case studies across six European countries, covering dense urban environments and existing building stock representative of Mediterranean urban conditions.
Madrid Urban Case Studies
Particular attention has been given to the Madrid pilot area, where four urban case studies have been selected to represent different urban typologies, socio-economic contexts, and rooftop characteristics.
The studies evaluate rooftop suitability, spatial potential, and building typologies aligned with Madrid’s urban regeneration strategies. Preliminary findings indicate that more than half of Madrid’s existing residential buildings could potentially support rooftop interventions, demonstrating significant opportunities for energy generation, climate mitigation, and multifunctional rooftop use.