Achieving the Circular Economy: Exploring the Role of Local Governments, Business and Citizens in an Urban Context

Urbanisation and climate change are urging cities to find novel pathways leading to a sustainable future. The urban context may be viewed as a new experimentation space to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Urban symbiosis and circular economy are emerging concepts attracting more and more attention within the urban context. Moreover, new business models are emerging around sharing and peer-to-peer practices, which are challenging existing roles of actors in society. These developments have an important impact on the flows of resources and use of the city infrastructure, and each research area has taken a different perspective on the analysis of such impacts. This special issue aims to explore what a “circular city” could constitute and how and why cities engage in circularity. The special issue includes seven high-quality papers on theories and practices on circular cities. Actors, concepts, methods, tools, barriers to and enablers of circular cities are discussed and provide a solid base and inspiration for future developments of circular cities.