Hosted in partnership between UCL’s Circularity Hub and TU Delft’s Circular Built Environment Hub, ‘The Circulars’ is a seminar series which seeks to uncover challenges to and levers for implementing circular urban systems. You are warmly invited to join a day of seminars, led by experts in circular systems from UCL and TU Delft. Both institutions are leaders in the field of circular urban systems.

Programme

Session 1: Localising the loops (10:00 - 13:00)
UCL East Campus, One Pool Street , Room 301

The impact of urban systems is felt locally and globally. Currently, urban systems consume 75% of the world’s natural resources; produce 80% of GHG emissions and 50% of the world’s waste. Localising resources loops (water, nutrients, food, materials, energy) could help to ecologically regenerate urban and global systems. However, questions remain around how to successfully implement these regenerative circular regions.

During this session we will address:

1. The scale at which circular urban systems could best operate.

2. The benefits/disbenefits of circular systems operating at a local, regional and global scale.

3. The potential for circular systems to emerge at a local scale (city, regional and island scale).

4. The changes needed to facilitate a shift towards greater localisation of resource loops and ecocycles.

Speakers will include:

Joanna Williams (Professor of Sustainable Development, Bartlett School of Planning & Director of the Circular Cities Hub, UCL)
Mark Tewdwr-Jones (Professor of Cities and Regions, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL)
Catalina Spataru (Professor of Global Energy and Resources, Bartlett School Environment, Energy & Resources, UCL)
Naji Makarem (Professor in the Political Economy of Development, UCL & Founder of UrbanEmerge)
Karel Van den Berghe (Assistant Professor in Spatial Planning and Urban Development, TU Delft)
Daan Schraven (Assistant Professor in Circular Economy, TU Delft)
Alexander Wandl (Head of the Section Environmental Technology and Design in the Department of Urbanism and steering committee member of the Circular Built Environment Hub, TU Delft)
Daniel Hall (Assistant Professor in Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft)
Jim Watson (Professor of Energy Policy, Bartlett School Environment, Energy & Resources, UCL)

Session 2: Finding space for circularity (14:00 - 16:45)
UCL East Campus, Marshgate, Room 304

Our current economic system drives consumption, and undervalues natural resources and ecosystem services. It also creates economic and social inequalities. For decades there have been calls to address these problems; however, nothing has changed. This is clearly illustrated in the case of circular urban systems. The low economic value placed on activities fundamental to a circular urban system makes it difficult for these activities to compete for space in cities, resulting in many challenges. What can be done to overcome these challenges? Are there new economic models required or can this transition happen within the boundaries of the existing economic system?

During this session we will address:

1. How competition for space in successful urban systems has impacted on low-value activities (growing and reusing food, generating renewable energy and energy recovery, remanufacturing and recycling, re-using infrastructure and urban spaces) which are essential for circular urban systems.

2. The mechanisms for intervention in markets to enable the creation of circular urban systems.

3. Whether this transition can happen within the boundaries of the existing economic system.

4. Whether similar problems exist in cities in the developing world and if there are lessons to be learned.

Speakers will include:

Ellen van Bueren (Professor of Urban Development Management, Chair of Department of Management in the Built Environment, TU Delft)
Jessica Ferm (Associate Professor in Planning and Urban Economies, Bartlett School of Planning, UCL)
Josh Ryan-Collins (Associate Professor in Economics and Finance, Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, UCL)
Teresa Domenech Aparisi (Associate Professor in Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy, Bartlett School of Environment, UCL)
Hilde Remoy (Associate Professor of Real Estate Management, Department of Management in the Built Environment, TU Delft)
Birgit Hausenleitner (Lecturer in Urban Design, Department of Urbanism, TU Delft)
Thaleia Konstantinou (Associate Professor in Sustainable Design, Department of Architectural Engineering & Technology, TU Delft)

Implementing Circular Urban Systems - challenges and opportunities