A new report from The National Retrofit Hub (NRH), Understanding Place-Based Retrofit: Key Definitions, Principles, and Approaches for Place-Based
Retrofit Strategies provides a practical foundation for place-based approaches, setting out definitions and guiding principles to help establish a common language across the sector.
The report was developed in collaboration with the UK Green Building Council and the Energy Demand
Research Centre, with support from The MCS Foundation. It is the first in a series of resources produced as part of this collaborative project.
As more responsibility sits with local and combined authorities, there is growing pressure to move from isolated retrofit projects to coordinated local strategies.
Place-based approaches are widely referenced in policy, but often without a shared understanding of what they mean in practice. Without clarity, programmes risk repeating short-term, target-driven delivery models that do little to strengthen local capacity or create lasting value.
This report explains how systems thinking, area-based delivery, intermediaries, and civic infrastructure can work together to support more effective retrofit programmes.
The findings draw on a literature review and engagement with the NRH network, including a sector survey and workshop discussions.
Rachael Owens, NRH Co-director, said: “Place-based retrofit is often talked about as if it is self-explanatory, but in practice it means different things to different people.”