Circular economy in sustainable development of cities

Abstract

The closed-loop economy, its opportunities and challenges, are of high interest to a growing number of organizations, especially industrial ones. However, an important role has to be played by the cities that spatially link different types of activities. Besides, local authorities have the potential to initiate and coordinate cooperation by connecting the activities of residents with the municipal economy and many industries. The purpose of this paper is to enhance awareness of the process of transforming the cities for circularity. It aims to provide some guidelines to the complexity of the process presenting the mixture of economic, management, environmental and social instruments. The main research methods were case studies analysis followed by literature and document review. The article explores the good practices of building an urban circular economy. It presents theoretical and application conclusions and recommendations. Special attention has been paid to the current activities in the Polish cities.