Lisbon,
Portugal
With a strong focus on material banks and on-site reuse logistics, Lisbon demonstrates how circular construction can be embedded in urban transformation processes to create social, economic, and environmental value.
Context
As the second-oldest European capital, Lisbon is a thriving modern city of approximately 548,000 residents, spread across 24 parishes and covering an area of about 100km². The city’s building stock includes roughly 56,000 residential buildings, most of which are exclusively for housing. Recent years have seen a surge in urban regeneration, particularly in the historic center, driven by tourism and the municipality’s efforts to improve social housing and develop new residential areas. Against this backdrop, Lisbon is working to lead a new chapter in sustainable construction by advancing circular solutions.
548,000
Population
100 km²
Area
1.7M T
Construction waste
€ 4 M
Estimated investment
23,000 municipal homes
Expected managed building stock
City level
Upscaling
The Lisbon showcase will deliver a fully operational CCH that combines a physical material bank with a digital marketplace, specifically designed to support the city’s public and private construction sectors. The CCH will enable the systematic collection, storage, and redistribution of reusable materials and will be tested within GEBALIS’ extensive social housing portfolio. In a city where available space is limited, Lisbon will explore the use of a distributed network of connected sites, offering a more flexible approach.
Over time, the hub is expected to reduce the volume of construction and demolition waste significantly, making it easier and more cost-effective for construction projects to incorporate reclaimed materials. By 2040, Lisbon’s CCH aims to handle around 15% more material throughput compared to the starting point. The project will also contribute to national circular economy goals by helping to lower material consumption, cut emissions, and stabilise resource costs in the long term.
The Lisbon showcase will focus on creating the processes, partnerships, and infrastructure needed to make circular construction a working reality in a complex urban environment. Lisbon’s construction sector faces specific challenges, including high dependence on raw materials, price volatility, and limited space for material storage. To overcome these barriers, the showcase will test a decentralised model, linking multiple smaller sites into a coordinated material bank system supported by an integrated digital platform.
Lisbon will also leverage national regulatory changes such as the mandatory adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) by 2030 and the introduction of green criteria in public procurement. These policy drivers, along with Lisbon’s ongoing housing and urban regeneration projects, provide a strong foundation for expanding the circular construction market. The showcase will explore how the CCH can actively support the city’s growing social housing refurbishment efforts, help reduce material costs, and build confidence among local builders and developers to embrace reuse at scale.
Involved partners
Lisboa E-Nova promotes Lisbon’s sustainability and climate objectives, Lisboa E-Nova works across multiple sectors, including urban planning, energy efficiency, water management, and sustainable mobility. The organisation will play a central role in coordinating the Circular Construction Hub and supporting engagement with public authorities, local businesses, and the wider community.
GEBALIS is a key partner in the Lisbon showcase and is responsible for managing the city’s social housing neighbourhoods. GEBALIS will provide critical support by integrating the CCH into the city’s housing refurbishment plans and testing circular solutions within its large building portfolio. The organisation will also contribute to promoting social inclusion, professional training, and environmental education within local communities.
