Urban retrofit in Canadian cities: the adaptive reuse of offices into housing as a dual response to housing affordability and the climate crisis

Converting vacant offices into houses is gaining traction as a means of addressing housing affordability in Canadian downtowns. We argue that this adaptive reuse practice is a form of ‘urban retrofit’ with the dual potential to tackle affordability and precipitate wider climate benefits by avoiding carbon-intensive teardown and supporting the creation of mixed-use, walkable neighbourhoods in struggling downtowns. Sharing reflections from a Canada–UK study tour that visited Halifax, NS, the article traces the planning innovations and property trends shaping conversion and highlights the challenges associated with adaptive reuse practice elsewhere, before identifying lessons for future practice.