Abstract
The article presents the results of the research activity carried out within the framework of the European project H2020 REFLOW, which aims to build an integrated approach for the development of innovative participatory practices dedicated to urban circular metabolisms. As a result of the survey conducted on the application of collaborative models for the urban circular economy, it emerged that there is no shared operational strategy that can be adopted for the circular development of complex systems, such as cities. Based on this premise, this paper offers a new perspective on how to build and validate a transitional pathway for the development of circular cities through the adoption of a design-oriented approach that orchestrates different resources and capacities.
Highlights
The concept of the circular economy has recently emerged as a sustainable development model that can represent a viable alternative to the current linear economic model, based on continuous growth and resource exploitation
The experiences of developing transition processes towards the circular economy have so far been characterised by the lack of a systemic design vision (Kircherr et al, 2017)
Design plays a fundamental role, since, in line with the action framework for the circular economy promoted by the EU (European Commission, 2020), it responds to the need to design product-service systems through a strategic approach aimed at converting unsustainable production and consumption behaviours (Manzini and Vezzoli, 2003)
Summary
The concept of the circular economy has recently emerged as a sustainable development model that can represent a viable alternative to the current linear economic model, based on continuous growth and resource exploitation. The experiences of developing transition processes towards the circular economy have so far been characterised by the lack of a systemic design vision (Kircherr et al, 2017). It is necessary to adopt a broader view that enhances the interaction between the process and the environmental and economic aspects of the context in which it takes place (Ghisellini et al, 2016), in order to design the appropriate tools to involve actors which can contribute to radical changes. The transition towards the circular economy represents one of the grand challenges of the contemporary age, characterised by urgent and complex issues in response to which the adoption of a mission-oriented design approach (Mazzucato, 2018) can enhance the experimentation and development of innovative and interconnected solutions in a systemic way. The concentration of numerous tangible and intangible resources represents a threat to the liveability of these urban spaces due to the use of these resources
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