Taavi Dettenborn
July 3, 2025
New study reveals importance of lifecycle costs in urban planning decisions
Urban planning and infrastructure projects need to account for lifecycle costs, including maintenance expenses and associated emissions over the full lifespan of the infrastructure, which can extend beyond 100 years. How design solutions influence these long-term and recurring costs and emissions is crucial and must be carefully considered.
Historically, decision-making has prioritised costs and emissions during the design and construction phases of projects. However, due to climate change and the push for more sustainable urban environments, new strategies have emerged that underscore the importance of lifecycle implications on maintenance costs.
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd and Ramboll conducted a study calculating the maintenance costs and emissions of various surface structures in tramways during operation in the Helsinki region in Finland. The study evaluated two types of grass tracks - closed grass track and grass stone track - against traditional asphalt and concrete tracks, also known as surface slabs.
“To ensure decision-making encompasses the full lifecycle costs and emissions, systematic collection and utilisation of data on maintenance impacts are necessary.”
Aesthetic green tracks come with high maintenance costs
Green, vibrant tracks enhance the urban landscape and improve liveability. Unlike asphalt and concrete tracks, which store solar heat, green tracks contribute to urban resilience by cooling the environment, helping to reduce flooding, and fostering biodiversity. However, maintaining green tracks is notably more expensive.
Different green track construction methods can lead to significant variations in maintenance costs, potentially amounting to millions of euros over a project’s lifecycle. The study reveals that maintaining widely used closed grass tracks costs nearly three times more than maintaining traditional asphalt and concrete tracks.
“The current grass track type demands constant upkeep, including fertilising, mowing, weed control, patching, and watering. Without proper maintenance plans, the grass tracks quickly deteriorate, losing their visual appeal and vitality, thereby negatively impacting the cityscape,” notes Dettenborn.
To reduce high maintenance costs, new, sustainable surface structure solutions tailored to local weather and maintenance conditions are required. Potential savings lie in improving the growth substrate and carefully selecting vegetation. Green tracks should be implemented wisely by considering their lifecycle impacts in terms of costs, resilience, ecology, and social effects — and finding the best alternatives from a lifecycle perspective.
Applying lifecycle principles to other infrastructure projects
As climate change drives the search for innovative solutions, it is vital to also consider the post-implementation maintenance impacts of various choices in infrastructure projects. Innovating to create better living environments must be balanced with careful evaluation of long-term maintenance implications.
“Currently, construction and maintenance costs are not viewed as a cohesive whole. There is a noticeable focus on construction and commissioning rather than usage and maintenance. We need more information on how design and procurement decisions affect lifecycle costs and emissions. Furthermore, collaboration between different parties must be ensured,” concludes Dettenborn.
Want to know more?
Taavi Dettenborn
Decarbonisation Lead
+358 50 3275949