C O N T E X T 1 4 5 : J U LY 2 0 1 6 31 graphically illustrate the form and function of this type of urban settlement. The city is representative of many historic city centres in Europe where the building construction types and heritage significance parameters set limits to their energetic performance. Visby already possessed a comprehensive inventory of the buildings in the historic district. This enabled the development of a multiscale data model and DSS validation using the simulation approach, leading to results similar to those for Santiago de Compostela. A further component of the EFFESUS research project has been research into options for renewable energy systems at the scale of historic urban districts, employing technologies that are not feasible at the scale of individual buildings, such as combined heat and power plants and district heating systems.Visby is an example of the latter, where a biomass-fuelled hot water distribution network has been installed below the city centre’s streets, serving most buildings in the town. Supplied by wood chip burning plants sited outside the historic district, it offers an excellent example for a self-contained small town served by surrounding land and forests. The EFFESUS project has brought together 23 partners and seven cities across Europe, working jointly for four years with a multi-dimensional and transdisciplinary approach. As a result, a new generation of methodologies, technologies and tools has been developed to support the adaptation of historic environments to modern requirements.The Decision Support System, comprising a methodology for evidence-based diagnosis and decision-making, is one of the key results. This software tool is supported by multiscale 3D city models with the objective of assisting decision makers to select suitable sustainable strategies for historic urban districts. Reference 1 The EFFESUS research project receives funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration (FP7) under grant agreement 314678.This article reflects the authors’ views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained in it. Aitziber Egusquiza is a researcher at Tecnalia Research and Innovation Foundation, Spain. Carsten Hermann is a technical advisor and researcher at Historic Environment Scotland. Dennis Rodwell is an architect-planner and consultant in cultural heritage and sustainable urban development in the UK. Wooden buildings next to the city walls atVisby, Gotland, Sweden Below:TheVisby district heating system under construction (Photo: Staffan Sundstrom, Gotland Energy)
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