Articulating circular economy dimensions in space: six case studies

Transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is a complex multi-actor, multi-level, multi-phase and multi-pattern process [1]. It requires new pathways weaving together technological, governmental, societal, behavioural, economic and environmental dimensions [2] into sustainable and equitable [3] circular futures. Two Flemish regions, Antwerp and Central-Limburg, adopt research by design (RBD) to develop strategies for circular territorial development. They produce forward looking projections of circular resource flows while simultaneously densifying settlement patterns and initiating infrastructural synergies. This paper analyses imaginaries for the future CE produced in six RBD investigations in Antwerp and Central-Limburg. The paper articulates how these imaginaries synthesize some of the CE’s complex systems changes in space. Furthermore, this paper investigates the role these future imaginaries can play in the processes supporting circular territorial development. Demonstrating RBD’s capacity to synthesize multiple CE transition dimensions in future imaginaries, this paper contributes to transdisciplinary research methods supporting transition to a social and multi-dimensional CE.status: accepte