The reuse of vacant residential buildings offers a sustainable alternative to demolition and new construction, extending the lifespan of structures and contributing to circularity in the built environment. By transforming underutilized spaces into community assets, reuse can also support the revitalization of shrinking cities. Yet, the process involves stakeholders from diverse disciplines with conflicting interests, creating significant challenges. Understanding who these stakeholders are, how they interact, and what conflicts or opportunities arise is key to accelerating reuse processes that potentially enhance circularity, and provide affordable housing.
This study addresses the question: Who are the key stakeholders involved in the challenges and conflicts of interest that hinder decision-making in residential building reuse? A semi-systematic literature review followed by thematic analysis was employed to identify stakeholder groups, supplemented by stakeholder–issue mapping to examine their interrelations. The research identifies five key groups: (1) property owners, (2) investors, (3) government representatives and regulators, (4) building professionals, and (5) users, community, and civic society.
Findings highlight how challenges are deeply interconnected across multiple stakeholders, revealing patterns of conflict but also opportunities for collaboration. Government actors and investors emerge as key initiators of the reuse process, while building professionals act as mediators beyond their expected technical roles. Although users, community, and civic society are not always directly involved, their inclusion is essential for the long-term success.
Existing research on building reuse often adopts a single-disciplinary perspective, overlooking interdisciplinary dynamics with limited focus on residential buildings. This disciplinary approach risks overlooking key stakeholders and their roles in the reuse process. To address this gap, this study offers a multidisciplinary, holistic view of stakeholders and their interrelations. This study contributes insights into stakeholder dynamics in residential building reuse for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to manage urban vacancies as resources and promote a more circular built environment.