Urban Facilities Management: The New Exciting Frontier in Facilities Management

Five years ago today, I successfully defended my PhD in Facilities Management the Centre for Real Estate Facilities Management at NTNU, focusing on green leases and green leasing. Reflecting on this journey, it is evident that the field has evolved, revealing new and exciting research frontiers. One such frontier is Urban Facilities Management (Urban FM), a concept that promises to revolutionise how we approach the management of urban spaces. Drawing on the work of prominent scholars (and friends!) such as Carmel Lindkvist , Alenka Temeljotov Salaj , Svein Bjoerberg , Savis Gohari and Tore Brandstveit Haugen , Urban FM stands at the intersection of strategic oversight and operational execution, bridging the gap between city planners and the lived experiences of citizens.

Defining Urban Facilities Management

Urban FM is defined as the application of facilities management (FM) skills at a city scale, enabling a top-down strategic approach while linking it to bottom-up operational processes within an organisation. This dual approach is crucial for managing services and facilities effectively within urban environments. Unlike traditional FM, which typically focuses on individual buildings or organisational needs, Urban FM addresses the broader connectivity of neighbourhoods, considering their relationship with the wider urban ecosystem.

The Connectivity Challenge

One of the central issues in urban regeneration is the disconnection between specific locations and their surrounding environments. City planners often employ participatory methods to engage citizens, yet the degree to which these citizen inputs influence final plans remains ambiguous. This lack of integration can hinder a city's ability to achieve its sustainable goals, as the views and needs of residents are not fully represented.

The Role of Urban FM

Urban FM offers a solution by leveraging FM managerial responsibilities—such as workspace management, maintenance, and energy management—at a city scale. By aligning these responsibilities with city services, Urban FM can enhance the measurement of citizen needs and link these needs to sustainable urban regeneration plans. This approach involves several key aspects:

1. Identifying Suitable Facilities Management Approaches: Evaluating and determining which FM strategies can be effectively applied to city services. For instance, workspace management principles can be used to design flexible, multi-purpose public spaces that respond to community needs.

2. Maintenance and Asset Management: Ensuring that urban infrastructure is well-maintained and optimally used. This includes the management of public buildings, parks, and other communal spaces to ensure they are safe, functional, and meet the community’s needs.

3. Energy Management: Implementing strategies for efficient energy use in urban settings. This could involve integrating renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency in public buildings, and promoting energy-saving initiatives among residents.

4. Digitalisation of Services: Utilising technology to streamline and improve service delivery in urban environments. This can include smart sensors for real-time monitoring of public spaces, predictive maintenance systems, and digital platforms for citizen engagement and feedback.

5. Synergies Between Authorities and Citizens: Fostering collaboration between city authorities, citizens, and FM professionals to ensure that urban regeneration initiatives are inclusive and sustainable. This participatory approach can help bridge the gap between strategic planning and operational execution, ensuring that the voices of citizens are incorporated into the city's development plans.

6. Linking to Smart Cities: Urban FM plays a crucial role in the development of Smart Cities, where data and technology are used to enhance the quality of urban life. By incorporating FM principles, Smart Cities can achieve greater efficiency and sustainability. For example, smart energy management systems can reduce consumption and costs, while digital platforms can enhance citizen engagement and service delivery.

Integration of Green Leases

Given the subject of my thesis, it would be remiss of me not to touch on this one! Green leases, a topic close to my academic heart, could become a fundamental component of Urban FM. These leases incorporate sustainability commitments between landlords and tenants, promoting energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. When scaled to an urban level, green leases can facilitate city-wide sustainability initiatives. For instance, public-private partnerships can adopt green lease principles to manage public buildings, ensuring that energy efficiency and sustainability are prioritised in urban regeneration projects.

Towards a Smart City Vision

The ultimate goal of Urban FM is to outline the role and requirements of an Urban Facilities Manager within a Smart City vision. This vision encompasses sustainable integration from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives, ensuring that strategic plans align with operational realities. By doing so, cities can become "sustainable heroes," achieving their environmental, social, and economic objectives. Urban FM professionals will be instrumental in realising this vision, leveraging their expertise to integrate technological advancements with sustainable urban planning.

In conclusion, Urban Facilities Management represents the new exciting frontier in the study and practice of facilities management. It addresses the critical need for integrated approaches to urban regeneration, ensuring that citizen voices are heard and their needs met. As we look to the future, the role of the Urban Facilities Manager will be pivotal in creating sustainable, resilient, and vibrant urban environments. Embracing this frontier, we can transform our cities into models of sustainability and inclusivity, paving the way for a better urban future.

In my current role as an Innovation Manager for FME ZEN at NTNU, I am excited about the potential of Urban FM to shape smarter, greener cities. The integration of green leases into Urban FM practices further enhances the sustainability and efficiency of urban regeneration projects. As we continue to explore and develop this field, the future of our cities looks brighter and more sustainable than ever before.

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Disclaimer: Portions of this article were proudly generated with the assistance of an AI language model for content creation, but the final piece has been reviewed and edited by the author for clarity and accuracy.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of FME ZEN, NTNU, or any other entities associated with the author's employment