Editorial understanding the social and economic value of construction

Introduction The origins of this special edition of Building Research & Information are in a report for nCRISP (new Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel, UK) published in November 2003 and entitled The Social and Economic Value of Construction: The Construction Industry’s Contribution to Sustainable Development (Pearce, 2003). Its author was David Pearce, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Economics, University College London, UK. Pearce died suddenly in September 2005 while this special edition was in preparation. It is, therefore, dedicated to his memory.