Urban retrofitting: creating different sorts of spaces and uses out of places that are already there.

Steffen’s definition frames “urban retrofitting” as a pragmatic, climate- and resource-aware approach to city-making: instead of expanding outward or relying on grand, tabula-rasa redevelopment, it emphasizes reworking existing urban fabric—streets, buildings, parking lots, underused parcels—into new forms and functions. The stress on “places that are already there” highlights constraints (legacy infrastructure, sunk costs, social patterns) as opportunities for innovation. The quote also implies a shift in planning values: adaptability, reuse, and incremental transformation become central strategies for resilience, livability, and lower-carbon urban growth.