Bridging circularity and inclusion in urban metabolic transitions
Through the lens of waste system evolution in Almere, the Netherlands
Zhaowen Liu (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Daan Schraven (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
Martin de Jong (Fudan University, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Xin Tong (Peking University)
Ling Han (Peking University)
Marcel Hertogh ( Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Waste is a key material stock and flow in urban metabolism, and circular economy (CE) strategies are increasingly promoted to enhance resource efficiency and reduce environmental burdens. Yet CE practices do not always evolve in harmony with dynamic social needs, leading to exclusionary outcomes. To examine how circularity and inclusion interact in urban metabolic transitions, this paper analyses the evolution of Almere's waste system from the 1970s to the 2020s as a longitudinal case study. Using the Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure System (MSWIS) model and a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators, we identify three phases of sociotechnical system change. The findings reveal that while regulatory reforms and infrastructure upgrades advanced material recovery, more transformative outcomes emerged where inclusive governance arrangements and grassroots innovations were integrated into the waste system. Almere's experience demonstrates that when technological efficiency is aligned with social equity, waste systems can become engines of circular and inclusive urban transitions.
help_outline