The report Growing in Circles: Climate-ready, resilient, resource-efficient and equitable cities summarises the results of applying recommendations set out in the Weight of Cities report by the International Resource Panel. This summary report describes the original work that has been developed by the Global Initiative for Resource Efficient Cities (GI-REC) to identify and test promising approaches and tools in pilot cities around the world, especially in the global south.
This report gathers the lessons and insights from GI-REC's work with city leaders and technical professionals, and summarises practical pathways towards resource efficiency and a circular economy. By providing research highlights and giving examples of cities with a bold ambition and strong political will, this report hopes to inspire a paradigm shift in the way cities think of 'growth' and initiate change in the way cities are planned and managed. The report outlines three pathways taken in the piloting experience: circular economy in cities, recognising linkages, and community-scale action (the neighbourhood approach) on pilot projects performed in eight cities:
- Medellin, Colombia;
- Cusco, Peru;
- Sao Paulo, Brazil;
- Recife, Brazil;
- Brussels, Belgium;
- Dongguan, China;
- Sorsogon, Philippines; and
- Cape Town, South Africa.