The Role of Urban Manufacturing for a Circular Economy in Cities

Review (2021)
Author(s)

T.P.Y. Tsui (TU Delft - Climate Design and Sustainability)

David Peck (TU Delft - Climate Design and Sustainability)

Bob Geldermans (TU Delft - Climate Design and Sustainability)

A. van Timmeren (TU Delft - Environmental Technology and Design)

Research Group
Climate Design and Sustainability
Copyright
© 2021 T.P.Y. Tsui, David Peck, Bob Geldermans, A. van Timmeren
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010023
More Info
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Publication Year
2021
Language
English
Copyright
© 2021 T.P.Y. Tsui, David Peck, Bob Geldermans, A. van Timmeren
Research Group
Climate Design and Sustainability
Issue number
1
Volume number
13
Pages (from-to)
1-22
Reuse Rights

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Abstract

In recent years, implementing a circular economy in cities (or “circular cities”) has been proposed by policy makers as a potential solution for achieving sustainability. One strategy for circular cities is to reintroduce manufacturing into urban areas (or “urban manufacturing”), allowing resource flows to be localized at the city scale. However, the extent to which urban manufacturing contributes to circular cities is unclear in existing literature. The purpose of this paper is therefore twofold: to understand whether urban manufacturing could contribute to the circular economy, and to understand the drivers and barriers to circular urban manufacturing. By reviewing existing literature and interviewing experts, we identified the caveats for the contribution of urban manufacturing to circular cities, as well as the spatial, social, and material-related drivers and barriers for circular urban manufacturing.