A circular city is one that promotes a just transition from a linear to a circular economy across the urban space, in collaboration with residents, businesses and the research community.
This means shifting away from a “take, make, waste” model and moving to an economic system where the value and utility of infrastructure, products, components, materials and nutrients is maintained for as long as possible. In a circular city, material loops are closed, meaning that existing materials are repeatedly cycled instead of becoming waste, and natural resource extraction is minimized.
The Circular City Actions Framework produced by the ICLEI provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. These five principles are: rethink, regenerate, reduce, reuse and recover. Each have sub-strategies that address the different roles that local and regional governments play, from public service delivery to cooperation with local stakeholders, asset management, urban planning and regulation.