Materials in the built environment impact ecosystem function throughout their life cycles. One way of thinking about managing the impact of materials in the urban ecology is via the “Circular Economy” framework, a concept developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and others. Here is the over-arching vision for the circular economy:
Whether during selection of infrastructure materials, monitoring of, and managing, material flows within cities, or enacting zero-waste policies, the ecosystem approach can guide design, operating, and management decisions within municipalities.
Construction Materials in a Circular Economy
Rethinking the Future of Plastics
The Generation, Composition, and Management of Urban Solid Waste in Beijing
In Detail: The Mosaic Centre
IDP: The Integrated Design Process
MEASURES OF SUSTAINIBILITY APPLIED TO THE CIRS BUILDING AT UBC
Exploration of Sonoma Mountain Village