Circular Economy

A circular economy considers production processes and outlines how to reuse, repair, and recycle items, thus increasing sustainable manufacturing and consumption. Industries worldwide, from fashion to construction, have begun to incorporate more circular economy practices into their work.

Because cities have high concentrations of resources in small areas, they are well-positioned to support circular business approaches such as sharing models, organic waste buyback programs, reuse systems, or product-as-service models. The emergence of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), could further accelerate this movement.

While most economies still operate under a linear model — extracting resources, using them, and discarding the waste — a growing number of initiatives, policies, and businesses are beginning to adopt circular economy principles across different sectors. Planners should consider how to support and integrate these strategies within their communities.