Circular Economy City Planning
The premise of a circular economy is built upon one principle: sustainability. With sustainability, a circular economy intends to reuse materials and replenish environmental resources. This is done through re-manufacturing, recycling, and reusing of materials. And, more biological materials are used that can be returned to the natural environment when it is used up.
First, a city that is meant to support these principles needs to be powered by renewable energy. If emissions are generated that harm the environment, the idea of rebuilding the natural environment is violated.
Another part of a city that supports this economy is by constructing buildings with modular construction. This allows for the reuse of various parts of a building. Also, it will allow for the safe decomposition of buildings, which will not hurt the surrounding environments.
A city with a circular economy must also have sustainably sourced building materials. This means building materials that are locally sourced, and can be either composed, recycled, or reused. This will reduce emissions from transportation, and will allow for the rebuilding of the environment when materials are finished and ready to be added to the environment.
The last major part of creating such infrastructure is by creating sustainable energy and water collection structures. Installing rainwater collection systems along with recycled water systems will further this principle of reuse. Also, solar systems may be attached to buildings, which can help support the principle of renewable energy that was previously stated.
Circular city planning has begun to be implemented across the world. In Copenhagen, nature-based materials have been used for recent infrastructure developments. And, in the Taisugar Circular Village in Taiwan, modular construction and solar power has been implemented across all the buildings in this area.
Such planning does not follow a set series of steps to follow. Every city is different, and it is up to civil engineers to determine how they can apply these principles to different environmental demands, population demands, and existing structures. But, the principles of planning for a circular economy should revolutionize how we think about a city, and should mark a major shift in sustainability in civil engineering.
