Building vacancy, abandonment, and obsolescence: A dynamic perspective on urban systems and policies.

This conceptual contribution analyses how both policymakers and academics often discuss the state of buildings. Property vacancy and abandonment are generally approached statically, in an undifferentiated way and responded to with ad hoc public policies. However, there is great variety in the causes and effects of a building’s state of affairs. This contribution adopts a more complex and dynamic view of building obsolescence to better understand the development of a building and the reasons behind its current (temporary) state. It basically shows that a different set of policy options come into the picture when viewing the city as a complex evolving system, rather than as a “made order” or “organisation.” Rather than policy rules and actions that are reactive and correct for undesired urban outcomes, these (framework) rules are anticipative as they facilitate and incentivize change before a building reaches a socially unwanted state.