Ex-post Evaluation of the Adaptive Circular Reuses of Bucharest’s Industrial Heritage: Lessons Learned for Integrated Planning

Deindustrialization has brought industrial heritage to the attention of specialists and developers from the perspective of the need to reuse it to ensure the preservation of its heritage values and to stimulate sustainable economic growth. Adaptive reuse ensures the extension of the life cycle of heritage monuments by assigning a new function, preserving the original structure and materials, and contributing to the development of circular economy models. The aim of this study is related to the need of identification of the positive impacts and weaknesses of adaptive reuse of industrial monuments. The authors proposed measures to increase the inclusion of industrial monuments in adaptive reuse process. The study is based on the following research questions: what challenges do adaptive reuse projects of industrial monuments raise? What lessons can be learned from functional conversion of industrial heritage in a European post-socialist capital city? A multi-criteria evaluation based on a system of criteria and indicators of circular economy was applied. The case studies show different patterns of adaptive reuse, which generated different impacts in terms of socio-cultural and economic added value. The added value of the study lies in the usefulness of the results for public authorities in order to optimize the decision-making process through the lessons learned: prioritizing the selection of abandoned industrial monuments with exceptional heritage values for adaptive reuse, the need of an ex-ante analysis of functional conversion projects, and greater attention paid to added value from environmental and socio-cultural perspective.