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Transferring Circular Economy Solutions across Differentiated Territories: Understanding and Overcoming the Barriers for Knowledge Transfer

Author

Listed:
  • Marcin Dąbrowski

    (Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Viktor Varjú

    (MTA KRTK, Institute for Regional Studies, Hungary)

  • Libera Amenta

    (Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Italy)

Abstract

“Learning from abroad” is a widely recognised and used means to innovate and improve strategies and policies implemented by regions and cities. However, literature on knowledge transfer and related concepts, such as policy transfer, policy mobility or lesson-drawing, highlights the limitations of this process, especially when it entails the simple transfer of (best) practices from “place A” to “place B”. Such a transfer may lead to suboptimal solutions particularly when the imported practices concern complex phenomena, involving networks of multiple actors and relying on place-specific dynamics. Departing from this critique, the article sheds light on the process of knowledge transfer in the field of circular economy, taking place between the two metropolitan regions of Amsterdam and Naples. This process is guided by an innovative methodology based on a network of (peri-urban) living labs generating eco-innovative solutions for using material waste and wastescapes as a resource in peri-urban areas. Using participant observation in knowledge transfer workshops, stakeholder interviews and surveys, it investigates how the process of co-creation of knowledge in the relational space of the networked living labs takes place thanks to the participation of stakeholders from both regions. This in turn allows for drawing conclusions on what barriers are encountered in such knowledge transfer, what makes solutions transferable across different contexts, and, finally, how the solutions are adapted as they travel from one place to another.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Dąbrowski & Viktor Varjú & Libera Amenta, 2019. "Transferring Circular Economy Solutions across Differentiated Territories: Understanding and Overcoming the Barriers for Knowledge Transfer," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 52-62.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v4:y:2019:i:3:p:52-62
    DOI: 10.17645/up.v4i3.2162
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Schumacher, Ingmar, 2015. "The endogenous formation of an environmental culture," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 200-221.
    2. David P. Dolowitz & David Marsh, 2012. "The Future of Policy Transfer Research," Political Studies Review, Political Studies Association, vol. 10(3), pages 339-345, September.
    3. Libera Amenta & Arjan Van Timmeren, 2018. "Beyond Wastescapes: Towards Circular Landscapes. Addressing the Spatial Dimension of Circularity through the Regeneration of Wastescapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, December.
    4. Dominic Stead, 2012. "Best Practices and Policy Transfer in Spatial Planning," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 103-116.
    5. Marino, Marianna & Parrotta, Pierpaolo & Pozzoli, Dario, 2016. "Educational diversity and knowledge transfers via inter-firm labor mobility," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 168-183.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hilde Remøy & Alexander Wandl & Denis Ceric & Arjan van Timmeren, 2019. "Facilitating Circular Economy in Urban Planning," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 1-4.

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