Circular Construction In Regenerative Cities (CIRCuIT)

Project Information

CIRCuIT

Grant agreement ID: 821201

DOI

10.3030/821201

Project closed

EC signature date 3 May 2019

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 30 November 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 10 579 687,50

EU contribution

€ 9 814 612,50

Coordinated by

KOBENHAVNS KOMMUNE
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CIRCuIT (Circular Construction In Regenerative Cities (CIRCuIT))

Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2023-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The way we currently build our cities today is based on a linear mindset where resources are integrated in design and constructions without being prepared for future circular systems and exchanges and a large consumption of virgin resources are used when establishing new buildings.

Cities hold the key to the transition to a resource and material efficient and regenerative society. They must seek collaboration with industry to rethink the use of scarce materials and build a new urban agenda on circular economy.
CIRCuIT – Circular Construction in Regenerative Cities – is a Horizon 2020 project responding to the European Commission’s focus area ‘Connecting economic and environmental gains – the Circular Economy’. Running for four years from 2019 to 2023, the project have supported the creation of regenerative cities by implementing sustainable and circular construction practices.
The cities of Copenhagen, Hamburg, Helsinki region and Greater London brought together a consortium of 31 partners across the entire built environment value chain to work on the project.
Many circular construction techniques, tools and approaches have been developed and tested around Europe, but circular practices are yet to be scaled up effectively to a city or regional level.
Through a series of demonstrations, case studies, events, and dissemination activities, CIRCuIT have aimed to increase the regenerative capacity in the four cities by reducing the yearly consumption of virgin raw material by 20% in new built environments and to show cost savings of 15%.
Within three innovative areas CIRCuIT investigated and demonstrated technical solution in 36 demonstrator projects across the four partner cities given knowledge and experiences that can be implemented at city levels in the future development;
• Urban mining and reverse cycles explored how obsolete constructions and spaces that are to be demolished, building materials can be reused, to reduce consumption of virgin materials.
• Extend life-cycle through transformation and refurbishment of the built environment explored how constructions that are no longer suitable for the current use but still represent values to the urban or peri-urban area, e.g. heritage, parts of the construction can be transformed and reprogrammed for other purposes.
• Design for disassembly and flexible construction explored how buildings can be designed to meet new demands in the future and developed to be easily demolished keeping with a focus on resources and adaptable for future needs.
Over the course of the project three key results emerged:
1) It is beneficial: Circular practices can improve both the financial and environmental outcomes of construction projects. The results from the technical demonstrators showed within all three areas there can be significant carbon emissions reductions and resource savings. Cost benefits are also evident within the context of a circular approach and have been explored in the business cases. Shifting to circular practices requires use of long-term thinking and seeing buildings as investments to be examined by legislation, integrated collaborations, and new financial models.
2) It can be done: Real changes are possible by defining a common agenda , collaboration across the value chain and by applying data and tools that enable cities to include resources in planning and governance a strategic level. CIRCuIT has developed tools that can help cities and their stakeholders embed circular economy practices and help to create changes within the urban landscape, processes, and behaviours.
3. It has scale-up potential: Within CIRCuiT each city created roadmaps that illustrated how best practices could be effectively embedded into city policy, the business case identified reparative design strategies that can be adapted to other projects and the digital tools, material hubs, enable increased uptake and insights in available resources in the build environment.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

CIRCuIT results included recommendations, guidelines, and key findings which can supports cities in implementing circular construction solutions and initiate changes at system level;
Within the three innovative areas technical solutions and replicable design strategies was developed. The upscaling potentials was defined through business cases by determining the technical and economic feasibility of the demonstrators.
The four City roadmap enabled the cities and, municipal policymakers to embed circular economy principles in city strategies, planning, and projects.
Urban planning approaches and instruments such as policy intervention, policy brief, criteria for public tenders on constructions and dialogues tool were defined supporting the framework of governance.
CIRCuIT provided a consistent and comprehensive approach to data collection, analysis, and management including a list of indicators to serve as an overview of circularity at city level, a material stocks and flow database, data templates and have defined data driven aspects of assessment, monitoring, and measurement of the demonstrations.
Circularity Hub was established , including a group of 5 digital platforms, data atlas, dashboard, citizen engagement portal, materials exchange platform and wiki, to monitor and promote circular principles strategically. They can be used by decision makers, supporting development of a circular market and dialogue with citizens. To conduct future implementation, CIRCuIT has identified future owners and appropriate transfer plans for each application.
CIRCuIT Academy was created as a knowledge sharing structure to disseminate project experience, knowledge, and practice, promoting upscaling and replication of circular economy solutions in the built environment. It engaged public authorities, the construction industry, community-based partners, innovative entrepreneurs, and academia in networking, training and hackathons activities. CIRCuIT results, recommendations and key findings have been presented both in the final report and final event.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

CIRCuIT explored how the circular economy can be effectively embedded in cities across Europe, and bridge the gap between theory, practice, and policy.
The project demonstrated innovative solutions for closing the loop of urban materials and resource flows in the built environment sector and covered the potentials of upscaling and implementation at a city level through governance and instruments, dissemination and collaboration.
The project have responded to the overall objective of reducing environmental and cost impact which are summarised in the business cases. The CIRCuIT reports represent results, knowledge and experiences that can be used both by the construction industry and at a city level in transition towards a circular society.

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