Five tensions for spatial approaches to circular regions and cities

In response to the urgent need to transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE), this chapter focuses on the spatial dimensions of CE. First, the author provides an overview of the topic, categorizing literature into two main groups: “territorializing CE”, which was developed from a regional economics perspective; and “spatially explicit urban metabolism”, which was developed from an industrial ecology perspective. Then, the author explains five tensions that arise when conducting spatial data analysis for CE due to the two different perspectives: “urban manufacturing and urban mining”, “clusters and hubs”, “space, people, and materials”, “present and future”, and “quantitative and qualitative”. For each tension, the author also introduces practical strategies and roles for stakeholders in resolving these tensions. This chapter was adapted from the final chapter of the PhD dissertation for TU Delft entitled “Spatial approaches to a circular economy: Determining locations and scales of closing material loops using geographic data”.