In recent years, implementing a circular economy in cities (or “circular cities”) has been proposed by policy makers as a potential solution for achieving sustainability. One strategy for circular cities is to reintroduce manufacturing into urban areas (or “urban manufacturing”), allowing resource flows to be localized at the city scale. However, the extent to which urban manufacturing contributes to circular cities is unclear in existing literature. The purpose of this paper is therefore twofold: to understand whether urban manufacturing could contribute to the circular economy, and to understand the drivers and barriers to circular urban manufacturing. By reviewing existing literature and interviewing experts, we identified the caveats for the contribution of urban manufacturing to circular cities, as well as the spatial, social, and material-related drivers and barriers for circular urban manufacturing.

Circular building has gained considerable attention in the Netherlands during the past decade. It is rooted in concepts such as circular economy (CE) and Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C^®), accentuating the closing and coupling of material loops to establish effective and efficient resource flows. Moreover, those concepts adhere to a systemic, holistic worldview, incorporating multiple flows and values. Although social aspects, such as health, wellbeing, and social inclusiveness, are generally part of circular building principles, specific benefits for end-users are not. This paper explores the synergistic potential of circular and flexible (Circ-Flex) criteria from the perspective of enhanced control and convenience for residents. The hypothesis is that without integrating the user domain, replicability of circular building concepts on a larger residential scale cannot be done in a truly sustainable manner. The paper is structured around two objectives: (1) further identifying the relationship between flexible and circular building; and (2) exploring the impact of circular, flexible building concepts and practices for the users of multi-family housing, specifically regarding interior partitioning. The research follows a mixed-mode methodology comprising of literature review, case study, expert consultations and a quick-scan assessment. Eleven Circ-Flex criteria are explored, grouped in three categories: flexibility capacity, circularity capacity, and user capacity. These criteria are applied to two partitioning variants, whilst exploring the performance regarding material circulation and user benefits.

This article sheds light on the materialization and operation of residential partitioning wall components in relation to circular and flexible performance. The hypothesis is twofold: (1) A stronger integration of materialization and operation aspects is indispensable in establishing sustainable value-models, and (2) recent innovations, concerning the reversibility of material connections, will help disrupting the status-quo in that respect. Attention is drawn to renewable natural fibre composites (NFC), reversible adhesives, and biodegradable insulation materials. After a background sketch regarding the notion of time, change, and material circularity in design and planning, the housing challenge in the Amsterdam metropolitan area (AMA, the Netherlands) is described. Next, a design conceptualization stage is introduced, informed by two methods and tools in particular: Circ-Flex assessment, and activity-based spatial material flow analysis. Results of the conceptualization stage are presented regarding materialization and operation, culminating in Circ-Flex partitioning components, more specifically: Side panels and insulation. It was found that NFC can tackle current issues relating, most prominently, to circularity performance. Associated modifications in the value-chain occur, above all, in raw material sourcing, manufacturing, reutilization logistics, and data-sharing. The outcomes are valid for multiple building components other than indoor partitioning, such as kitchens and furniture, but also insulation—and interior side-sheeting—of walls and roofs in energy-renovations.

This paper addresses the connection between circular building design and residential health and well-being. The general research objective is to determine assessment criteria for the performance of indoor partitioning products in a circular model. The overarching aim is to establish a more integrated and inclusive approach to the transition from linear to circular built environments. This ties in with recent calls for a more comprehensive evidence-base to better inform the policy debate, in the light of interrelated Sustainable Development Goals. The paper emphasises the operational level, looking closer at the actual performance of circular economy implementation, providing more grip on performance indicators of infill components in circular applications, specifically partition walls. Next to partitioning one can think of other components in the infill domain, such as kitchens, bathrooms and mechanical, electrical, plumbing installations. After a brief background sketch, a literature review is reported regarding indoor environmental quality and indoor air quality in general and the linkage with circular and flexible building (products) in particular. Next, an analysis is made of three assessment schemes that address the operational level. Subsequently, several criteria are synthesized and tested. It was shown that the assessment schemes have overlapping and complementary features that, in unison, provide a solid basis for an integrated assessment of circularity potential and health impact of infill products. The test-case helped to pinpoint generic, as well as case-specific, learning points. The interface between product performance and building performance over time remains a grey zone, insufficiently covered by current criteria. More stringent coordination efforts are essential to safeguard circularity potential and healthy living environments pre-use, post-use and not least in-use.

Circular Building gained traction during the past decade in the Netherlands. Circular Building (CB) is rooted in concepts such as Circular Economy and Cradle-to-Cradle®, accentuating closing and continuing of material flows to establish sustainable resource cycles. CB implies that buildings and building components are designed to retain value, tailored for specific service lives and responsive to changing needs. This way, wasting of buildings and building components can be reduced or avoided. This paper revolves around circular materialisation and operation of building infill, such as furniture, partitions, and kitchens. The short to medium-long material cycles usually associated with those components provide potential benefits for circular resource management. The paper comprises a study into materialisation and operational performance of the Niaga ECOR Panel (NEP): an innovative cellulose board product. NEP aims to offer a healthy and circular alternative for conventional linear board products and value chains, adhering to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, notably: SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG12 (Responsible Production and Consumption). The study follows Circ-Flex assessment guidelines, anticipating operational performance through the supply, use, and reverse-supply chain. The findings indicate that the intrinsic properties of the NEP can enable circular infill value models, provided that networked actors remain aligned.