Energy-plus downtown

The climate crisis will be the main driver of social pressure in the next twenty years, and the production of food is the biggest single component of CO2 emissions (today already one billion of seven billion people are malnourished).
In New Zealand the climatic condition, food production and the residential density are extremely favourable which will therefore represent a perfect case study in which to test new sustainable urban strategies.
In view of increase of global population by at-least two billion by 2050, it is essential to safeguard the availability of soil for sustainable food production.
Increasing the housing density in already urbanized areas and making them energy self-sufficient is an absolute need in this hour.
One of the strategies that can guarantee results, in short term, is retrofitting of the downtown buildings' fabric through “Energy-Plus” interventions, thus transforming urban districts into power generators.
The present study provides possible solutions and applications of this approach in Auckland City Central through sampling of some districts, in order to analyse results for power generation, and overall benefits of comfort, reduction of Heat Island Effect and seismic response of buildings.