Reshaping urban futures : geospatial strategies for urban net zero energy buildings

The global urban population is projected to approach 70% by 2050, while the buildings and construction sector contributes approximately 37% of global energy- and process-related CO₂ emissions. In response, governments worldwide are implementing policies and strategies to reduce building-related emissions and achieve net-zero targets by 2050. Urban Net Zero Energy Buildings (UNZEBs) therefore represent an important pathway for reducing urban energy use and supporting net-zero transitions. However, current research lacks an integrated understanding of how geospatial technologies can support UNZEB assessment, and existing Urban Building Energy Modelling (UBEM) studies remain fragmented by inconsistent assumptions, data resolution, and levels of detail. In addition, practical applications of UBEM for evaluating UNZEB pathways remain limited in Canadian cities. To address these gaps, this dissertation first conducted a systematic literature review on geospatial technologies for UNZEB implementation. It then developed a physics-based, geospatially informed UBEM framework for Richmond, British Columbia, and applied it to evaluate five UNZEB pathways: retrofit and electrification, solar energy maximization, integrated retrofit–solar strategies, green-space replacement, and district-energy applications. In the Richmond case study, 55,272 buildings were classified into nine archetype categories for city-scale energy simulation. Results showed substantial variation in mean Energy Use Intensity (EUI), with retail stores, offices, hotels, low-rise apartments, and townhouses reaching 705.5, 624.5, 553.6, 545.2, and 448.8 MJ/m², respectively. The combined retrofit and electrification pathway reduced total site energy use by 55%, to 55.66 million MJ/year. Solar PV could offset approximately 12%–25% of building energy consumption, while the integrated retrofit–electrification–solar pathway reduced grid-based energy consumption by up to 75% and allowed approximately 40,678 buildings (72% of the modeled stock), toward annual net-zero energy status. Green-space replacement produced localized microclimate benefits but negligible annual energy reductions, while district-energy analysis showed that Richmond is strongly heating-dominant. Overall, this dissertation provides a spatially explicit Canadian framework that links UBEM, renewable energy assessment, hotspot analysis, and pathway planning to help municipalities identify where UNZEB interventions should be prioritized and how different pathways can be combined to support UNZEB implementation.