Room for Reuse
Optimising spatial implications of circular paving flows through road maintenance planning and design in the city of Rotterdam
M.J. Marler (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
K.B.J. Van den Berghe – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Development Management)
J.N. Quist – Mentor (TU Delft - Energy and Industry)
Karin Peters – Graduation committee member (Wageningen University & Research)
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Abstract
Global material consumption continues to rise, and high-income countries such as the Netherlands play a disproportionate role in this trend. In response, the Dutch government aims to halve the use of primary abiotic resources by 2030 and achieve full circularity by 2050. Yet translating these national ambitions into local infrastructure practice remains a major challenge. Urban road networks, managed largely by municipalities, illustrate this difficulty: they are among the most resource-intensive systems in the built environment and face growing spatial and logistical pressures as circular reuse practices expand.
This thesis examines how Rotterdam’s road renovation practices can enable the systematic reuse of paving materials while managing the resulting spatial demand. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a material flow analysis of municipal renovation projects with policy analysis, expert interviews, and site visits to reuse facilities. The analysis quantifies circular flows of paving materials, estimates the space required for reuse infrastructure, and identifies bottlenecks in planning and design.
Findings show that Rotterdam’s reuse potential is strongly shaped by the interaction between maintenance cycles and design regulations. Standardisation enables reuse of newer materials but limits the reintegration of older ones, leading to surpluses that require large storage areas. Two distinct forms of reuse infrastructure emerge: compact storage hubs for standardised materials and extensive construction hubs for non-standard materials. Adjustment pathways demonstrate that design flexibility, allowing non-standard materials in less visually sensitive areas, can reduce spatial demand by up to 80%.
The study concludes that circular efficiency in municipal infrastructure depends on aligning physical capacity, adaptive design standards, and institutional coordination. The combined use of material flow and spatial analysis provides a transferable method for other municipalities to anticipate the spatial implications of circular transition in their infrastructure systems.