Renovation and building and infrastructure reuse/adaptation should always be the first option. What the US data tells us is that since 2005, our new construction has slowed down a bit with new buildings becoming more efficient (operations), and renovation has probably picked up with renovated buildings also operating much more efficiently and more than offsetting any additional energy consumption from new buildings operations. With COVID, I expect this trend to dramatically increase – less new buildings (but more efficient and incorporating onsite renewables) and more adaptive reuse and renovation (also more efficient and incorporating onsite renewables).
Best,
Ed