URBAN METABOLISM AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY INTERRELATIONS. ANALYSING THREE EXAMPLES OF EU-FUNDED PROJECTS

Abstract

In Europe, the concepts of urban metabolism (UM) and circular economy (CE) have been made operational in several research projects and practical applications. However, although in the last years policy interests and scientific literature about UM and CE have been growing significantly, these concepts remain open, and their applicability is not univocal, especially concerning CE applied in urban systems. This paper analyses how three EU funded projects developed the interrelations amongst the fields of UM and CE. Different dimensions and scales of circularity were investigated, namely: (i) the potentials to create networking among different sectors to recycle waste at the regional scale; (ii) the importance of regenerating wastescapes; (iii) the accounting of resource flows that compose UM; (iv) the direct involvement of stakeholders in the management of resources.

Keywords: circular economy, urban metabolism, regenerative city