The Invisible Buildings project addresses urban vacancy and energy efficiency by reactivating vacant and underutilised buildings instead of constructing new ones in Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Athens.
Buildings account for 36% of CO₂ emissions and 40% of energy consumption at the European level, while repurposing vacant properties can reduce carbon emissions by up to 85% compared to new construction. Despite growing housing demand, millions of buildings across Europe remain underutilised. Within this context, the project integrates vacancy reactivation into municipal systems and One-Stop-Shop (OSS) services in Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Athens, reducing emissions, optimising energy consumption, and fostering a climate-neutral built environment in these cities.
Key project activities include vacancy mapping, policy labs, and capacity-building workshops designed to test policy incentives and engage stakeholders. The project aims to involve a diverse range of stakeholders in Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and at the EU level, including public authorities, civil society actors, the private sector, technical networks, academia, European institutions, and EU expert organisations.
A replication programme will further expand the project’s reach to six additional cities, ensuring long-term impact and raising awareness across Europe.
The Invisible Buildings project is funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) under Grant Agreement 81322838.