North Anhui 6 cities locate at the periphery of Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in the eastern part of China. Even though YRD are the country’s most developed region, north Anhui are the most underdeveloped area according to Human Development Index in the region with only 1/5 of the core area’s GDP per capita. Large population outflow and high take-up of primary industry are two key features of the area. All 6 cities are secondary cities (non-capital prefecture-city), with similar GDP total amount and different development momentum. The 6 cities’ geographical location also lays in the middle ground of two urban agglomeration, Xuzhou urban agglomeration and Greater Shanghai Metropolitan Area, giving them opportunities to exploit the development opportunities offered by both.

Currently, the Yangtze River Delta is facing the urgency to transit its current industrial landscape into a carbon-neutral circular economy. A new industrial value chain is about to be implemented throughout the region which can be a chance for the north Anhui area.

The project thus raises the research question: how and to what extend can circular transition help develop peripheral area. By combining Stan Allen’s infrastructural urbanism and Jo Williams’ three pillars of circular development, the project proposes the concept of place-based circular transition which guide the strategy setting towards agro-industrial synergy, regenerative agriculture and distributive justice through designing hard, soft and organizational infrastructures. The project is thus not only a proposition of new way of looking at region development equality, but also discusses a missing yet important spatial aspect of circular transition.

Food. It is grown, processed, distributed, sold, eaten and then oftentimes
carelessly discarded. In the European Union, 88 million tonnes
of food waste is produced each year, while the Netherlands stands
out as the EU’s largest producer. Food waste causes soil degradation,
emits significant amounts of greenhouse gasses and can contribute
to poorer respiratory health. Moreover, food waste is also representative
of our growing disconnect with natural systems and subsequent
unsustainable lifestyles. Yet, annually, more natural habitats are destroyed
to make way for agriculture and livestock, often in response to
providing for a growing population. However, there can be a reimagination
of a more circular bio-based economy and food supply chain
that lessens the pressure on the earth. The existing infrastructure
of the Port of Rotterdam and its surrounding areas provide a fertile
landscape in which this can take place. Additionally, while reducing
food waste, intensifying social segregation and inequality concerning
ethnicity, income and urban/non-urban divides in Zuid-Holland can be
addressed to ensure environmental, economical and social robustness
and longevity.

Solutions for problems relating to food waste, and social segregation
and inequality, have then been translated into a spatial vision and
strategy to realize a more circular and inclusive food supply chain in
Zuid-Holland by 2050. The vision and strategy are based on holistic
analyses of the spatial distribution and character of the current linear
food supply chain and demographic studies of the inhabitants of
Zuid-Holland. This is then supported by policies and strategic projects
that aim to use and build onto existing frameworks and spatial
conditions to achieve the overarching aims. Key drivers of the vision
and strategy include a transition of the port’s current fossil fuel economy
to a regional hub for organic fertilizer production to be exported
domestically as well as internationally. Additionally, a network of community
exchange centers and a matrix of interfaces together aim to
change the spatial and societal fabric of Zuid-Holland. To do this, they
provide space for members of the same and different communities to
share knowledge, experiences and tools, as well as re-establish connections
with the natural world.