RSA Policy Expo Book Launch

 When: Wednesday 9 April 13:00 – 15:00 CEST
Where: Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, room D and Zoom (link provided to registered participants)
Speakers: Marcin Dąbrowski, Karel van den Berghe, Ellen van Bueren, and others

We warmly invite you to attend a book launch event, combined with a debate on circular cities and regions. Going Circular, the book in question—edited by Marcin Dąbrowski, Karel van den Berghe, Joanna Williams (UCL), and Ellen van Bueren—is published in the Routledge Policy Impact Book Series and provides readers with a primer on the spatial dimension of the Circular Economy.

Drawing on contributions from leading researchers and practitioners, the book calls for integrating circularity into the spatial planning and policies of cities and regions. It also highlights a number of dilemmas, challenges, and blind spots in the current discourse and policy practice. It draws attention to:

• the opportunities that geopolitical tensions create for ‘going circular’,
• the often-overlooked social dimension of the Circular Economy, and the ‘care’ lens that can be used to make cities more inclusive and just through circular strategies,
• the potential of circular bioeconomies to reduce the ecological footprints of urban regions,
• and the need for integrated approaches to assess urban and regional transitions towards circular futures.

The launch event will not be limited to presenting the key messages from the book; rather, it will actively engage participants in a lively debate on the implications of the Circular Economy for spatial planning and urban design practice, as well as on avenues for future research on those issues. More details are provided below.

Please register here and help us spread the word within your networks.

 

Abstract: The premise of our book is to offer policymakers, planning practitioners and researchers a fresh perspective and policy recommendations on Circular Economy (CE) and its often-overlooked spatial dimension. In fact, CE offers significant potential to transform cities and regions into sustainable, resilient, and equitable systems. By rethinking material and energy flows, CE can tackle challenges like land pressure, resource demand, emissions, and inequalities. However, its success depends on recognising the unique spatial dynamics of cities and regions. The current CE policies often lack a spatial perspective, limiting their impact. Effective strategies must be place-based, leveraging local resources, infrastructure, and community strengths. Without addressing these spatial interdependencies, CE risks becoming a narrow zero-waste initiative, rather than a transformative approach that integrates economic, social, and environmental goals. A circular city is framed as a regenerative and adaptive system engaging in recycling, ecological restoration, and participatory design. A circular region connects urban, peri-urban, rural, and industrial areas through integrated material flows, to regenerate ecosystems, support local economies, and build resilience. We need to critically examine the gaps in current CE approaches, particularly their neglect of governance and socio-ecological complexities. While CE can bring benefits like job creation, reduced emissions, and healthier cities, these outcomes depend on careful policy design and localised implementation.

Reference:

Dąbrowski, M., van den Berghe, K., Williams, J., van Bueren, E., Eds. (2024). Going Circular: Unlocking the Potential of Regions and Cities to Drive the Circular Economy Transition. London: Routledge (Regional Studies Policy Impact Books).

The book can be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rpim20/current
Chapter 1 (Free Access): https://doi.org/10.1080/2578711X.2024.2418227
Chapter 6 (Free Access): https://doi.org/10.1080/2578711X.2024.2418236