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Are you interested in sustainable circular cities?

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Our summary today works with the article titled Sustainable circular cities? Analysing urban circular economy policies in Amsterdam, Glasgow, and Copenhagen from 2023 by Martin Calisto Friant, Katie Reid, Peppi Boesler, Walter J. V. Vermeulen, and Roberta Salomone, published in the Local Environment – The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. This is a great preparation for our next interviewee, Dr Nicole Garofano in episode 171 talking about circular economy. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see circular economy policy analysis. This article investigates current literature on circular economy policies and real examples to develop a new conceptual framework to circular economy discourses.

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Welcome to today’s What is The Future For Cities podcast and its Research episode; my name is Fanni, and today I will introduce a research paper by summarising it. The episode really is just a short summary of the original paper, and, in case it is interesting enough, I would encourage everyone to check out the whole paper. Stay tuned until because I will give you the 3 most important things and some questions which would be interesting to discuss.

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Global consumption rates have increased tenfold in the past 100 years and are expected to triple by 2050. This unsustainable use of natural resources is leading to the overshoot of key planetary boundaries and the critical weakening of the life-sustaining functions of the biosphere. The Circular economy concept has recently become a central discourse to address these challenges through resource conservation, and recovery strategies such as refuse, reduce, reuse, remanufacture, refurbish and recycle. However, the circular economy concept is still contested, often ill-defined, thus its practical implementation remains a significant challenge.

Cities play a crucial role for the circular economy, as they are key centres of resource use and transformation. Cities currently consume approximately 80% of global natural resources, produce 50% of global waste and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. As urban populations are expected to increase significantly in the next decades, these figures will continue to grow. Other sustainable-related policies also take place in cities regarding waste-management, water and energy provision, transportation, housing and industrial development.

Thus, urban circular economy policies have a crucial impact on resources, waste, capital, labour, knowledge, energy and other materials that societies process. European cities are particularly important as they occupy a position of power in the global economy as centres of consumption, capital accumulation and social and industrial innovation. Therefore, this article aims to critically analyse urban circularity policies and compere the implementation across three chosen European city: Amsterdam, Glasgow and Copenhagen.

Circular economy has gained popularity in recent years across various sectors. While its foundational ideas date back to the mid-20^th century, its interpretation varies among different groups. Research indicates that mainstream circular economy focuses on environmentally friendly growth through technological innovations. However, some criticize it for overlooking social justice concerns and doubting its ability to truly separate economic growth from environmental harm. Alternative approaches emphasize social justice and living within ecological limits. Circular economy concepts can be also categorised based on their view on technology and social justice.

The concept of a circular city is gaining traction but its definition varies from place to place. While there is enthusiasm among policy makers, academic literature is just beginning to address its practical application in cities. Recent studies offer diverse interpretations of circular cities, emphasizing factors like social justice, resilience and ecological limits. However, most researched and implemented strategies focus on recycling and refurbishing, overshadowing transformative approaches that address consumption reduction and social justice. Many circular city strategies equate circular economy with sustainability, often repacking existing policies rather than introducing transformative changes. Some prioritize economic growth, especially in waste management, without sufficiently addressing environmental impacts. Despite the potential for diverse approaches, current practices predominantly showcase a limited techno-optimist perspective.

Based on their review, the authors concluded that Amsterdam and Glasgow focus on reformist and technocentric circular economy while Copenhagen primarily focuses on the technocentric one. The cities have mainly emphasized policies concerning economic and industrial aspects, governance, waste management, green buildings, food and education. However, areas like ecosystems, social justice, and urban planning received less attention. Amsterdam’s strategies and discourses seem comprehensive and forward-thinking on paper, the actual implementation is limited and doesn’t adequately address reducing overconsumption equitably. Glasgow’s previous strategy was business-centric but hinted at transformative vision for social justice. On the other hand, Copenhagen has long adopted a technocentric green growth approach emphasizing economic growth while attempting to reduce environmental impacts.

All three cities believe in achieving economic growth without environmental harm, a perspective which is challenged by evidence that suggests true eco-economic decoupling is unrealistic. The cities’ growth-centric policies might lead to increased dependence on resource consumption and waste management which is deemed unsustainable. While some social initiatives have been undertaken, they often don’t address broader wealth redistribution, perpetuating potential inequalities. Participatory democracy in these cities’ circular economy policies is limited, often sidelining citizens from the decision-making process. Urban planning, crucial for sustainable development, is notably absent in their strategies.

The analytical points established a framework to investigate circular economy policies across cities. Upon its application, cities like Amsterdam, Glasgow and Copenhagen were observed to heavily favour technological optimist discourses, emphasizing economic growth with minimal environmental consequences. However, this approach revealed potential socio-ecological impacts, prompting the need for transformative policies. The framework, besides being an analytical tool, offers utility for educational and participatory planning purposes, advocating for its ongoing refinement to cater for evolving urban context and policies. There is an urban call for its application and validation in the Global South given its imminent urbanisation challenges. There is a need for broader studies to aid cities in their transition to genuine sustainability.

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What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Do you have any follow up question? Let me know on Twitter at WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the transcripts and show notes are available! Additionally, I will highly appreciate if you consider subscribing to the podcast or on the website. I hope this was an interesting paper for you as well, and thanks for tuning in!

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Finally, as the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. The circular economy promotes resource conservation and recovery strategies like reuse and recycle, with cities playing a key role in its varied implementation and impact.
2. Circular economy’s implementation is often vague and leans towards a techno-optimist view, potentially neglecting the balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
3. The circular economy and circular cities provide a key solution to unsustainable resource use, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and safeguard the biosphere amid rising consumption and ecological challenges.

Additionally, it would be great to talk about the following questions:

1. In what ways can the circular economy help strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation?
2. How do you think cities can lead the way in transitioning to a circular economy and address rising consumption rates?
3. What challenges do you foresee in implementing circular economy policies on a global scale?
4. How can you contribute to the success of the circular economy and promote sustainable urban development in your city?

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