This research introduces the Housing Passport
knowledge graph (HPKG) as a novel digital standardization framework with a
robust semantic data infrastructure to promote a circular economy in the
home-building industry. Unstandardized and dispersed housing data impedes a
comprehensive assessment of housing stock characteristics and life cycle
impacts, hindering the implementation of circular economy principles. The HPKG
addresses this challenge by providing (1) a standardized framework for
integrated analysis of residential buildings’ affordability and circularity
across various spatiotemporal scales and socioeconomic contexts, and (2) a
scalable semantic infrastructure using web ontologies that enhances the
sharability, searchability, readability, and interoperability of
housing-related data. A case study involving five Canadian cities demonstrates
the HPKG's effectiveness in semantically linking and standardizing
approximately 62 million data points representing over 1.2 million residential
buildings. The results show how the HPKG enables a multi-scale integrated
assessment of Canadian housing stock, focusing on affordability, energy
efficiency, and environmental footprints. As a key conclusion, the HPKG
supports informed decisions regarding housing stock by enabling the exploration
of circular economy scenarios that prioritize the reuse and recycling of
residential building materials. The HPKG empowers stakeholders to develop
residential typologies that promote affordability, circularity, and
sustainability across diverse socioeconomic contexts.
This research is funded by Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation (CMHC) as part of the Housing Supply Challenge Data Driven
Round.
DATA HOMEBASE
