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Received: 22 June 2022 Revised: 30 November 2022 Accepted: 9 December 2022

DOI: 10.1002/sd.2481

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A neighbourhood-scale conceptual model towards


regenerative circularity for the built environment

Henrique Sala Benites | Paul Osmond | Deo Prasad

School of Built Environment, University of


New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Abstract
There is potential in applying the circular economy (CE) and regenerative design
Correspondence
Henrique Sala Benites, School of Built (RD) models for the redevelopment of urban areas as a response to the current linear
Environment, University of New South Wales,
and mechanistic practices that still contribute to exceeding planetary boundaries and
Sydney, Australia.
Email: h.salabenites@unsw.edu.au; reinforcing social inequalities. Despite these models' common roots, they are usually
hsbenites@gmail.com
approached quite differently. A merged approach may be able to solve existing gaps
Funding information and critiques. This paper reviews relevant CE and RD definitions linked to the urban
Commonwealth through the Australia
context. An inductive content analysis to map and discuss existing themes is con-
Government - Research Training Program
Scholarship (RTP); University of New South ducted, leading to a set of five underpinning pillars. The resulting ‘Regenerative
Wales - UIPA - University International
Circularity for the Built Environment’ conceptual model adopts a systemic and posi-
Postgraduate Award
tive impact approach that is the steppingstone for the development of a practical tool
aiming to support urban stakeholders in the transition of existing neighbourhoods
with strategies more suitable to their aims and notion of place.

KEYWORDS
circular cities, circular economy, circularity, conceptual model, regenerative design and
development, sustainable urban planning

1 | I N T RO DU CT I O N increase from 4.22 billion in 2018, to 6.68 billion in 2050 (UN-


DESA, 2019), driving the expansion of cities and the demand for
Societal development is a result of its core principles, and the current resources. At the same time, an existing building stock inefficient in
linear model, obsessed with economic and technological growth, has energy consumption, use of raw materials, and capacity for adaptive
led the planet into many of its social and environmental problems, to reuse is calling for attention. In the United Kingdom, 87% of current
the point of entering the so-called Anthropocene (Crutzen & stock, mostly inefficient, will still exist in 2050 (Kelly, 2009). In
Stoermer, 2000), or Capitalocene (Moore, 2017): A mindset in which Australia, 50% of the buildings existing in 2050 will probably be built
humans are seen as the measure of everything (Lyle, 1994). Global after 2019 (ASBEC & ClimateWorks Australia, 2018). And in Europe,
resource use is responsible for about 50% of global greenhouse gas most existing buildings date from 1940 to 1980 (Berggren &
(GHG) emissions and over 90% of impacts on water stress and biodi- Wall, 2019). Different profiles will require different strategies.
versity loss—this is, in part, a result of urbanisation, due to its inten- The comprehension that development needs to be a multidimen-
sive resource demand for infrastructure and buildings (IRP, 2019). sional concept that considers the environment as a central component
Current urban development practices also negatively influence the was formally consolidated in the second half of the 20th century. This
aspects of equity, health and climate resilience (Barton, 2017). These may be represented by important milestones as the need to move
impacts look to rise as the global urban population is expected to towards a sustainable world proposed by the Club of Rome

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
© 2022 The Authors. Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

1748 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sd Sustainable Development. 2023;31:1748–1767.


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SALA BENITES ET AL. 1749

(Meadows et al., 1972), the United Nations Conference on the Human Westin et al., 2019) in the planning of current and future cycles of
Environment, in Stockholm at the same year, and the well-known defi- use, and the improvement of the inefficient and expanding urban built
nition of sustainable development (SD) by the Brudtland Report environment (buildings and infrastructure) stock. LCT is a systemic
(1987). Later, the United Nations proposed the ‘Agenda 2030’, a blue- approach used in resource management to better comprehend the
print with 17 ‘sustainable development goals’ (SDGs) for urgent dynamics of environmental, social and economic interactions between
action towards a thriving planet. Among them, goal 11, Sustainable humans and the environment throughout their various stages and
Cities and Communities, aiming to ‘make cities and human settle- having life cycle assessment (LCA) studies as the main method for its
ments inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable’ (UNDP, 2019). implementation (Frostell, 2013).
In the built environment sector, since the 1990s, an increasing Changing course requires better approaches and a new attitude
number of buildings and planned communities has adhered to envi- that embraces the equilibrium between satisfying human desires and
ronmental principles through voluntary tools or certification schemes, aspirations, that is, quality of life (Gallopín, 2003), while regenerating
such as the British BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Envi- the social and ecological systems (Raworth, 2017a; Steffen et al., 2015).
ronmental Assessment Method) and the American LEED© Among the many schools of thought, the regenerative and circularity
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Frameworks aiming approaches introduced in the following sections, which are linked to
at community precincts and infrastructure projects, which we will call the ideas of metabolism and LCT, emerge as important and recognised
‘neighbourhood sustainability assessment’ (NSA) tools, however, were pathways to be adopted in a transition to positive impact urban devel-
only launched in the 2000s and 2010s (International Federation of opment (Blomsma, 2018; Newman et al., 2017; Reed, 2007).
Consulting Engineers [FIDIC], 2021).
Some issues arise from these frameworks. Firstly, they usually
foster technological solutions as a panacea to reach sustainability 1.1 | The circular economy approach
(Benne & Mang, 2015). This is represented by the checklists and
emphasis on efficiency (a.k.a. ‘less bad’) of the Green Building move- The ‘circular economy’ (CE) has gained momentum recently and is con-
ment. Similarly, most NSAs fall short of a truly sustainable approach, sidered an essential strategy for a Green Economy (UNEP, 2011b), the
that is, a net-zero impact, as they value efficiency over eliminating the New Urban Agenda (Resolution adopted by the United Nations General
impacts (Du Plessis, 2012) and fail to implement an integrated and Assembly on 23 December 2016—New Urban Agenda, 2017), and the
systemic approach (Sala Benites et al., 2020). Secondly, in many places European Green Deal (European Commission, 2019). Nevertheless, it
these NSA are used mostly or only in new developments, a possible was seeded in the zeitgeist of the Space Race and the discussions about
consequence of the complexities to renovate existing urban areas. At finite resources and metaphors of Earth as Spaceship (Fuller, 1969).
the same time, a gap that requires attention. Reusing the existing built Despite its current strong focus on resources management (Calisto
form can lead to different and exciting experimentations, more than Friant et al., 2020) as exemplified in the four Rs model (Reuse, Repair,
those allowed in developing new areas from scratch. Jane Jacobs Reconditioning, and Recycling) proposed by Stahel (1982), the CE
explored this when advocating for the mixture of old and new build- embedded in its roots the belief that society's progress should go
ings as an essence for a thriving neighbourhood: beyond an economic view and the cycles of resources. Other authors
suggested it should consider human bodies and minds (Boulding, 1966),
As for really new ideas of any kind – no matter how the supply of aesthetic enjoyment and spiritual comfort (Pearce &
ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of Turner, 1989), and the provision of individual and collective welfare
them might prove to be – there is no leeway for such (Jackson, 1993).
chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high- As the concept evolved over time, it reverted to a resource loop
overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can perspective with some consideration of environmental impacts, as the
sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old commonly accepted definition proposed by the Ellen MacArthur
buildings. (Jacobs, 1961, p. 168) Foundation (EMF) illustrates:

A more systemic discussion about the regeneration of the existing A circular economy is an industrial system that is restor-
built environment should consider, among many other aspects, the ative or regenerative by intention and design. It replaces
intricate dynamics of the urban metabolic processes (inputs and out- the ‘end-of-life’ concept with restoration, shifts towards
puts) over time. In an analogy to how living beings function, the the use of renewable energy, eliminates the use of toxic
notion of city or urban metabolism (UM), commonly credited to Abel chemicals, which impair reuse, and aims for the elimina-
Wolman (1965), refers to ‘the sum total of the technical and socioeco- tion of waste through the superior design of materials,
nomic processes that occur in cities, resulting in growth, production of products, systems, and, within this, business models
energy, and elimination of waste’ (Kennedy et al., 2007, p. 44). These (Ellen MacArthur Foundation [EMF], 2013, p. 7).
processes and their impacts within and outside urban boundaries,
however, change over time (Kalmykova & Rosado, 2015), for which Building upon the Cradle to Cradle concept (McDonough &
metabolic studies should also embrace life cycle thinking (LCT) (Lavers Braungart, 2002), EMF's model emphasises resource loops in separate
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1750 SALA BENITES ET AL.

flows, cascades, and cycles of use of biological and technical resources environmental, and political aspects. They propose a differentiation
(EMF, 2013) throughout the value network. Nevertheless, it does not between a CE and a circular society. The CE falls under the Techno-
explicitly mention resource use reduction. Buchmann-Duck and Beaz- centric Circular Economy category, which has a very practical approach
ley (2020) understand that not properly addressing over-consumption focused on technical innovations rather than on socio-cultural
may affect biodiversity conservation due to a possible increase in changes. Whereas under the Reformist Circular Society category, which
resource use. This derives from the so-called ‘circular economy emphasises social changes and call for a strong change of the eco-
rebound’ effect, that is, when CE ‘activities, which have lower per- nomic system, one can find regenerative design (RD), sharing econ-
unit-production impacts, also cause increased levels of production, omy, doughnut economics, among other approaches (Calisto Friant
reducing their benefit’ (Zink & Geyer, 2017, p. 593). Corvellec (2015) et al., 2020). This aligns with the initial discussion of this paper on
claims that CE is far from a radical approach, as it seeks to solve waste how society's principles shape its progress and development, and links
and resource issues under a capitalist growth mentality, without to the following introduction to regenerative thinking.
proper attention to post-materialist perspectives as frugality, volun-
tary simplicity, zero waste experiences, post-ownership paradigm, and
grassroots initiatives. Allwood (2014) complementarily argues that, in 1.2 | The regenerative approach
a growing economy, there is a similar growing demand for resources.
If there is an expansion of buildings requiring steel, and an insufficient The term ‘regenerative’, connected to the idea of regeneration, per-
source of that same material from a non-virgin source as there may meates fields as different as medicine, engineering, and philosophy.
not be enough demolitions, how are we supposed to close the loop Just as with CE, RD originates in the concept of systems thinking.
without depending on external raw materials inputs? In this context, it goes beyond traditional urban regeneration, in
Achieving full circularity and reducing rebound may not be feasi- which derelict urban areas go through major renewals involving
ble on a growth-dependent and profit-driven economy. That is one of evictions and displacements, to one that effectively engage all
Raworth's (2017a) criticisms on how CE has been largely adopted by stakeholders towards a conscious and healthy co-evolution
large corporations that would be more interested in financial returns (Du Plessis, 2012). The first identified use of the term ‘regenerative’
rather than providing as many benefits to all of society as possible. in an environmental context dates back to Robert Dale's discussion
Even when societal and wellbeing aspects are considered, they are about organic agriculture (Rodale Institute, 2020) in the 1980s,
mainly about employment, health and safety, and participation aligning with the permaculture system developed in Australia in the
(Padilla-Rivera et al., 2020). 1970s by Mollison and Holmgren (1987). Only later in 1994, John
It is noticeable how CE tools are mostly geared towards resource T. Lyle pioneered its use in BE in the book Regenerative Design for
management in products and organisations, with only a few examples Sustainable Development (1994). He builds on metabolism thinking to
designed for buildings, for example, Level(s) (Dodd et al., 2017) and define a regenerative system as one that ‘provides for continuous
Dutch BREEAM for buildings' addenda (Circle Economy, Metabolic, replacement, through its own functional processes, of the energy
DGBC, SGS Search, & Redveco Foundation, 2018). Similarly, urban- and materials used in its operation’ (Lyle, 1994, p. 10). And beyond
scale initiatives and frameworks—like Helsinki's Circular Economy that, he discusses regeneration as a process of renewal, rebirth, and
Watchdog (City of Helsinki, 2020), London's circularity indicators reconnection with nature.
(Cambridge Econometrics, 2018), Circular city actions framework One of the bedrocks of RD is its promotion of a positive rather
(Circle Lab for Cities, 2021), and Circle city scan tool (Circle than neutral or merely less-harmful attitude. It seeks to restore natural
Economy, 2020)—also adopt a narrow look mostly into resources. systems and achieve a reconciliatory vision that places humans as an
The CE is not about recycling or waste management. It is about a integral part of nature (Reed, 2007). It is also about regenerating
holistic and collaborative redesign of our society based on a systems human connections within a community by providing the conditions
and LCT perspective that integrates varied solutions in different sec- for human interactions and citizen empowerment and participation,
tors (OECD, 2019a). Circular solutions should stimulate the local fundamental to a regenerative transition (K. Brown, 2012). This is par-
economy, generating more distributive financial benefits ticularly important when we note that the SDGs may still fall behind
(Raworth, 2017a) to address social inequalities, particularly in coun- the bolder approaches of regenerative thinking, particularly the need
tries dominated by informal economy activities. In an attempt to move for a more holistic vision, the coevolutionary processes between
beyond EMF's strong focus on resources, Schröder et al. (2020) humans and the environment, and the positive impact rather than
included a ‘human sphere’ that would support the development of negative impact reduction approach (Ibrahim & Ahmed, 2022).
equitable and inclusive societies and CEs. Boselli (2016) suggests regeneration should focus on four core
Another way of addressing these gaps may be through cross- aspects: (1) resources, (2) natural capital and urban ecosystems,
pollination with other concepts, approaches or discourses that are (3) urban spaces, and (4) communities. The deep ecology roots of the
connected to the CE. Calisto Friant et al. (2020) identified different regenerative development paradigm (Du Plessis, 2012), nevertheless,
types of discourse based on whether they are sceptical or optimistic sometimes results in strong philosophical content not always easily
in relation to technological innovation and ecological collapse, and accessible to or comprehensible by a lay person without the support
whether they are segmented or holistic regarding social, economic, of experts.
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SALA BENITES ET AL. 1751

Applied NSAs with a regenerative approach still have few case 2 | RESEARCH AIMS AND METHODS
studies and do not fully address all issues. The Living Community
Challenge (LCC) 1.2 framework (ILFI, 2017) does not require a This study (Figure 1) adopted an inductive approach in which litera-
complete LCA study, except for the need to compensate the ture was examined to identify relevant documents with existing circu-
embodied carbon. Both water and energy require an onsite net larity and regenerative definitions for cities, the built environment
positive approach. For other resources, it relies on a red list of and/or related domains. Through a non-systematic literature review,
materials, and additional requirements regarding the origin and we conducted searches in Scopus and Google Scholar using different
responsible sourcing of resources, and waste management. Eisen- combinations of the keywords ‘circular economy’, ‘circularity’, ‘regen-
berg and Persram (2009) explored many of the barriers to the erative design’, ‘regenerative development’, ‘built environment’,
implementation of the LCC, such as regulatory impediments, lack ‘urban planning’, ‘urban development’, ‘neighbourhood’, ‘district’ and
of incentives, the need for more education and advocacy pro- ‘infrastructure’. The process was complemented through snowballing.
grammes and extended research and development. Holden et al. Additional grey literature was gathered from organisations, platforms,
(2016) argue the LCC devalues local in favour of universal solu- and research centres dedicated to CE and RD. Documents were then
tions, and although participation is crucial, a greater importance is scoped based on their relevance for the study.
placed on experts rather than on non-expert stakeholders. The Rather than discussing or comparing specific definitions, this
LENSES framework (Center for Living Environments and study mapped common ideas and gaps to be filled, so that a common
Regeneration, 2016), while extremely comprehensive, may become pathway between both could be found. Once themes were identified,
extremely complex with all the different layers and levels of they were grouped into five broader areas, which we named ‘under-
performance. pinning concepts’ or ‘pillars’. These pillars, some of the emerging rele-
vant themes, and interconnections to the SDGs are discussed by
using the literature. They shape the resulting RC4BE conceptual
1.3 | Towards a merged approach model. It is proposed with the aim of supporting processes of systemic
transition of existing urban areas from a degenerative and linear to a
It is clear that both CE and RD foster systemic and LCT, with potential regenerative and circular BE.
to contribute to a post-Covid sustainability transformation of cities A total of 32 circularity definitions were gathered from 27 docu-
(Newman, 2020), the achievement of the SDGs (Williams, 2021), and ments: 11 from NGOs or consulting firms, 8 documents originate from
even beyond that, the regenerative development goals (RDGs) institutional sources, 6 from academic reports, books, or scientific arti-
(Ibrahim & Ahmed, 2022). Although their origins and development cles, and 1 from an international standard. Twenty-one definitions are
intertwine (Calisto Friant et al., 2020), frameworks and standards specifically focused on the city or built environment domain.
derived from them, like Level(s) (Dodd et al., 2017), British Standards A total of 24 regenerative definitions were gathered from 21 doc-
Institution (BSI)'s (2017) and ISO's (2022) CE standards, the Circle City uments. Regarding source, the absolute majority, 19, are from aca-
Scan Tool (Circle Economy, 2020), or ILFI's (2017) Living Community demic reports, books, or scientific articles, and 3 from NGOs (one of
Challenge still fail in this integration. And just like it happens with sus- them in partnership with academia). All definitions, but three, are spe-
tainability, a better comprehension of what these concepts mean for cifically focused on the city, place or built environment domain.
the built environment is needed. These gaps provide an opportunity Circularity and regenerative definitions were listed in separate
to improve how we apply these concepts to the transition of existing spreadsheets and scoped for the identification of relevant themes.
urban areas. Emerged themes from each concept were then merged and harmonised.
In this paper, we first aim to understand the main ideas behind The list of documents where definitions were extracted from is in
the different definitions of CE and RD for cities. As Robinson (2004) Appendix. The list of CE and regenerative definitions and mapping of
suggests, the myriad of existing definitions may be confusing, for themes and pillars is in Supporting Information S1.
which a summative perspective of those ideas may be a more advan-
tageous approach. Thus, as a second step, this research stands on the
premise that an effective way of addressing the pros and cons of the 3 | EM E R G I N G T H E M E S A N D CO N C E P T S
above concepts may be by merging their ideas and efforts, leading
towards our proposal of a unified approach, a ‘Regenerative Circular- Scoping of circularity and regenerative definitions revealed 47 relevant
ity for the Built Environment’ (RC4BE). themes or ideas, as represented by the word cloud in Figure 2. Once
The RC4BE conceptual model presented in this paper seeks to the themes started to be analysed, broader ideas or areas of focus
effectively contribute to the redevelopment of urban environments linking emerged. Supporting Information S1 presents the matrix of
by generating a positive impact in a systemic manner. This is the initial emerging themes in each document.
step towards the development of a practical tool to support urban The detailed frequency of occurrence of these themes in ‘circu-
stakeholders in the transition of their neighbourhoods and communi- larity’ and ‘regenerative’ definitions is presented in Figure 4.
ties beyond current practices, as well as expand the way the CE is As expected, aspects regarding the management and cycles of
understood in the built environment. resources (materials, waste, water and energy), that is, their
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
SALA BENITES ET AL.

themes identified in the definitions. Word


F I G U R E 1 Methodology to develop
a ‘Regenerative Circularity for the Built

F I G U R E 2 Word-cloud of relevant
Environment’ conceptual model

size reflects the frequency


1752
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SALA BENITES ET AL. 1753

FIGURE 3 Frequency of themes identified in ‘circularity’ (blue) and ‘regenerative (grey) definitions

metabolism, have a stronger presence in all circularity definitions Another group that emerges refers to the quality of urban systems.
(Circle Economy, WBCSD, & Arcadis, 2018; ISO, 2022), whereas The need to embed resilience and the capacity to change and adapt to
they do not appear very strongly in regenerative definitions new uses and future conditions, as those resulting from climate
(Girardet, 2016). change, is a strong idea here (Garzillo et al., 2019; Hes et al., 2018). A
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
1754 SALA BENITES ET AL.

F I G U R E 4 Occurrence of pillars in
circular (inner circle) and regenerative
(outer circle) definitions

final aspect regards the provision of urban spaces and amenities or concepts, or pillars, of a ‘RC4BE’. Figure 4 illustrates in how many of
services that promote quality of life and sustainable lifestyles (EMF & the definitions each pillar occurs. These pillars are further explored
ARUP, 2019; Newman et al., 2017; Turntoo, 2019) (Figure 3). and defined in the following subsections.
The presence of aspects related to nature, as biodiversity, bio-
sphere, ecosystems, and natural capital appears in the definitions of
both concepts (EMF, 2017a; European Commission, 2020; 4 | DI S C U S S I O N O F U N D E R P I N N I N G
Haggard, 2002; Reed, 2007). The specific notion of eliminating pollu- C O N C EP T S O R P I L L A R S
tion and other externalities appeared only in circularity definitions
(EMF, 2013; Stahel, 1982), and not once in regenerative ones. How- 4.1 | Circular metabolism
ever, they are inherent conditions once we untangle the discussions
around regenerating, restoring, and replenishing. Cities are sinks of resources and producers of waste and emissions.
Societal aspects regarding the governance of communities, the par- One of the core concepts of CE is to redesign the whole system to
ticipation of citizens (Garzillo et al., 2019; Mang & Reed, 2012b), the eliminate waste and see everything as a resource (EMF, 2013), thus
strengthening of social capital, and innovation (Buck, Koh, & rethinking how we manage the flows and stocks of physical resources
Sparkes, 2016) appear clearly in both concepts. Integrated design, or associated with cities and the built environment. This can only be
eco-design and project management also appear strongly in both. Cir- attained through LCT and a cradle-to-cradle approach which pro-
cularity definitions give additional emphasis to the development of motes longer lifecycles, eliminates emissions, and replenishes techni-
local economies with new business models and more connected sup- cal (non-renewable) and biological (renewable) resource loops
ply chains, thus supporting the increase of capital stock and economic (McDonough & Braungart, 2002). Closing the urban biological cycles
growth decoupled from resource use (Circle Economy, WBCSD, & or biocycles offers immense opportunities to improve the UM, resil-
Arcadis, 2018; Girardet & World Future Council, 2013; Schröder ience, and foster a circular bioeconomy by recognising the value of
et al., 2020). Education and capacity development are more evident in biogenic materials and waste (Venkata Mohan et al., 2020). Under an
regenerative thinking (Plaut et al., 2016; Wahl, 2016). UM lens, other flows, such as information, money, energy, and social
Finally, the notion of a systems approach is present in both con- and intellectual capital (Kennedy et al., 2011) may also be considered.
cepts, although regenerative thinking gives it a stronger emphasis, in An example of LCT is illustrated (Figure 5) by combining the typi-
tandem with a positive impact approach derived from restoring and cal life cycle stages of a building of the European Standard EN 15978
regenerating, evolution, and the importance of relationships and syner- Sustainability of Construction Works (CEN, 2011) with the ‘levels of cir-
gies between people, communities, and systems (L. Gibbons cularity’ expanded from Cramer (2014) and Potting et al. (2017), to
et al., 2018; Girardet, 2016; Reed, 2007). The CE places a great empha- visualise the planning and design stage, where decisions made have a
sis on creating, retaining or maximising value (EMF, 2013; ISO, 2022). stronger effect to change the whole system (Kohler & Moffatt, 2003).
The above broader focal points that emerged from the amalgam- Our vision is that it is essential to rethink and challenge our current
ation of themes were reorganised to structure the five underpinning practices, refuse, whenever possible, the extraction of virgin resources,
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
SALA BENITES ET AL. 1755

F I G U R E 5 Towards a circular
approach to life cycle thinking in built
environment. Based on the typical life
cycle stages of a building (CEN, 2011) and
the levels of circularity (Cramer, 2014;
Potting et al., 2017)

and reconnect with other individuals or organisations—there is no CE right thing) inherent to the complex systems of nature (Lietaer
without collaboration and cooperation. Only then one can reimagine et al., 2010; Webster, 2017).
and (re)design products, components, buildings, cities, or other sys- A third aspect regards the use of critical materials. While some
tems, while reducing resource use. It is also important to consider the common built environment materials normally have abundant
opportunities to share resources and physical spaces during the use reserves, others may be prone to limitations (Ruuska &
stage to increase use intensity, and finally, the different possibilities Häkkinen, 2014). The probability of disruption and vulnerability in
after a first life cycle completes and a new one initiates, including the supply of resources may be affected by different variables as geologi-
regeneration of ecosystems. Translating these levels of circularity in cal reserves, geopolitics, environmental impact, increasing demand,
the different BE life cycle stages has been explored through strategies substitutability, and recyclability (Roelich, 2012). Circumventing this
or typologies for the construction sector (Eberhardt et al., 2020; Sala involves diversifying the supply chain with alternative materials that
Benites & Zegers Cádiz, 2021) that could serve as a support for new are more abundant, local, renewable, and not overly exploited.
businesses models as discussed in Section 4.4.2. Finally, in the context of the climate crisis, the cycle of carbon
Another aspect, the reduction of the rate of extraction of the and other GHG is a priority to be considered. Density, land use mix,
resources we use comes with decoupling them from the idea of devel- connectivity, and accessibility are the key drivers of energy use and
opment and economic growth. Also referred to as dematerialisation, GHG emissions related to urban form, according to Seto et al. (2014).
resource-productivity, or eco-efficiency, it may be looked from two Their report suggests that while rapidly developing cities still have an
perspectives, as indicated by UNEP (UNEP, 2011a): resource decou- opportunity to shape new urban development towards a decarbo-
pling, that is, using less primary resources (material, energy, water and nised future, established or mature cities will need to rethink ways of
land) per unit of economic activity, and impact decoupling, in which regenerating their existing building stock. Rather than seeing carbon
despite economic growth, negative environmental impacts throughout as an enemy, we should approach it as a resource whose cycles need
the whole life cycle of a product are reduced. It is important to note to be better managed (McDonough, 2016). Adopting regenerative
that although efficiency (doing things right) is a desirable characteris- technologies may enable cities to generate positive impact by closing
tic, it must be sought in equilibrium with resilience (the capacity to the metabolic cycles and becoming sinks of carbon (G. Thomson &
endure shocks and adapt), thus achieving an effectiveness (doing the Newman, 2016).
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1756 SALA BENITES ET AL.

4.2 | Adaptive-resilient and high-quality urban


systems

Achieving a positive impact in this domain entails providing adequate


urban spaces and infrastructure through a people- and place-centred
design that facilitates public activities.
Public spaces shape the local urban dynamics (Barton, 2017) and
play an essential role in health and wellbeing (Lowe et al., 2015).
Reconnecting the community involves responding to context and cre-
ating a sense of place, where place refers to the many complex and
interacting layers of geographic and cultural features (Mang &
Reed, 2012a). For many decades, urban studies have explored in what
ways liveable cities may be reinterpreted, including Gehl's (2010) cri-
teria for protection, comfort, and delight in urban spaces, and encour-
aging the existence of all the basic needs, services and shops at
comfortable walking distances (Rydin, 2019). The redesign of public
spaces under these circumstances may be an important enabler for
the regeneration of the social fabric and promotion of healthy
lifestyles.
F I G U R E 6 ‘Bioconnectivity as an interconnection of four
Anticipating future changes may lead to future-proof urban
complementary concepts’. Based on Sala Benites & Osmond (2021)
spaces and systems that are flexible enough to adapt in response
to disasters, the effects of climate change, or even a pandemic in
which social distancing is a requirement. A concept linked to
SDGs 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and 13, Climate 4.3 | Healthy and bioconnected urban ecosystems
Action (UNDP, 2019). The notion of resilience has evolved over
time to acknowledge cities as complex and dynamic socio- Nature pervades cities in a variety of ways. There is, however, an
ecological systems with a need for an ‘adaptive resilience’ increasing need for more urban greenery that maximises the natural
based on: capital and potential socioenvironmental benefits from nature in
urban settings, a need that became more evident during the COVID-
(1) system integrity that enables the system to 19 pandemic (Ugolini et al., 2020). Seeing humans as an integrated
undergo shock, withstand and absorb it, and maintain part of nature is one of the tenets of the regenerative approach
the same character, function, and architecture; (Reed, 2007). The integration of nature and its functions in cities can
(2) capability of self-(re)organisation to accommodate actively contribute to the transition to a CE (Stefanakis et al., 2021)
external changes; and (3) ability to learn from the and the reversal of some planetary boundaries at the local level
disaster and seize it as an opportunity for self- (Hoornweg et al., 2016). Different pathways to achieve this have been
improvement and enhancement of the coping capac- discussed in previous research, where the concept of bioconnections
ity, (…) thus enabl(ing) the system to bounce back and or bioconnectivity was proposed as one that encompasses:
also bounce forward. (Sharifi & Yamagata, 2016a,
p. 1660) The solutions, initiatives, interventions, or strategies that
promote the reconnection between humans and nature,
Climate resilient developments depends upon broad cooperation ensuring adequate stewardship, maintenance and regener-
(IPCC, 2022). Hence, resilience thinking needs to be incorporated into ation of biodiversity, and enabling the provision of ecosys-
governance for both short-term actions and long-term effects and tem services sustainably into the future (Blinded source).
responses (Sanderson, 2020), by addressing the multiple dimensions
of urban resilience (Sharifi & Yamagata, 2016b), and eliminating the The idea of bioconnections may also be seen as an integration
dependency on drivers of climate change, ecosystem depletion, and (Figure 6) of various and sometimes overlapping principles, which
other threats to the planetary boundaries (Steffen et al., 2015). Mov- Mang and Reed (2012b) consider as steps for the evolutionary transi-
ing away from these dependencies, particularly fossil fuels, as argued tion from degenerative to regenerative:
by Newman et al. (2017), requires a combination of market, regula-
tory, and civil society forces. Programmes like the 100 Resilience Cit- 1. Ecosystem services (ESS)—The many benefits from nature to
ies network (The Rockefeller Foundation, n.d.) and the City Resilience humankind (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [MEA], 2005).
Index (ARUP, 2018) integrate those forces and are important enablers 2. Nature-based solutions (NBS)—The ‘actions to protect, sustainably
of action. manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems’, that address
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SALA BENITES ET AL. 1757

F I G U R E 7 Examples of bioconnections-like cases. (a) Malmö's BO01 district, (b) Hamburg's Bio-Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) building,
(c) London's CityTree moss wall

societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously pro- (2002) understands ‘good urban governance’ as the combined efforts
viding human well-being and biodiversity benefits (IUCN, 2016). of individuals and organisations, private and public, for the manage-
3. Biophilia—The inherent attachment of humans to nature (Kellert & ment of common issues in cities with the aim of providing wellbeing
Wilson, 1993). for all through access to all necessities of life and pathways for citi-
4. Biomimetics—The ‘interdisciplinary cooperation of biology and zens to improve their socioeconomic conditions. Building upon this
technology or other fields of innovation with the goals of solving concept, Garzillo et al. (2019) proposed a ‘circular governance’ model
practical problems through the function analysis of biological sys- for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage based on five principles
tems, their abstraction into models, and the transfer into and appli- (participatory, inclusive, transparent, accountable, collaborative) that is
cation of these models to the solution’ (ISO, 2015, p. 2). easily adaptable to the context of urban transitions.
Another aspect of governance refers to fragmented or deficient
Some of these concepts have been translated into policies and regulatory environments, usually pointed out as the main barriers for
practice. This is the case of Malmö's ‘Green Space Factor’ and ‘Green RD and CE solutions (Bressanelli et al., 2019; Eisenberg &
Points’ system, an urban planning instrument initiated as a pilot pro- Persram, 2009). Only through adequate policies we may be able to
ject for the regeneration of former harbour area into BO01 truly enable regenerative and circular practices in the market
(Figure 7a), a new mixed-use neighbourhood (Kruuse, 2011); or the (Raworth, 2017a) and solve issues of just access and management of
development of new technologies, such as algae for energy genera- resources (Armstrong, 2017) and societal issues.
tion in facades (Elrayies, 2018) as the Bio-Intelligent Quotient house
in Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg (7b). Also, new structures have been using
vegetation to purify the air (Donateo et al., 2021), both indoors and 4.4.1 | Community engagement for socially resilient
outdoors, as the CityTree moss wall in London (7c). On a broader and connected places
scale, the adoption of a circular bioeconomy is key to foster the differ-
ent industries dealing with biological materials, from agriculture and A transition to a regenerative and circular BE cannot be achieved
forestry, to textiles, biotechnology, and waste treatment, among without an active and adequate engagement of communities. More
others (EMF, 2017a; Venkata Mohan et al., 2020). At the same time, than regenerating nature (EMF, 2017b), it should aim for the regen-
despite its acknowledged importance to climate change mitigation eration of social connections. Here, the African concept of Ubuntu
and adaptation by the IPCC (2022), nature-based solutions receive may add to the important notion of collectivity and collective that
less than 10% of all currently allocated climate funding (The Nature could be used as ‘a moral and ethical framework’ towards sustain-
Conservancy [TNC], 2022). able lifestyles (Shumba, 2011) and resilient societies. It requires
Such vision may catalyse, as envisioned by Benyus (2015), ‘gener- empowering and engaging citizens not only in the active co-design
ous cities’ whose urban environments are capable of learning from of collective solutions (Mang & Haggard, 2016) during planning
nature's genius to produce their own resources, regenerate ecosys- stages, but also involving them in the operation, and even monitoring
tems, and provide healthy environments for all beings. the performance of their communities, thus supporting them in their
fight for environmental justice (Hendricks et al., 2018) with data-
based informed-decisions. Cases of strong governance and decision-
4.4 | Good governance and thriving communities making processes that engage all community groups through a col-
lective and shared vision aiming for positive impact have been
Governance is increasingly essential in the backdrop of complex and emerging in the development of regenerative communities (Craft
dynamic urban transitions (Loorbach & Shiroyama, 2016). UN Habitat et al., 2022).
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
1758 SALA BENITES ET AL.

Urban regeneration projects may also be used as laboratories to systems (Birkeland, 2019), thus creating a value for all living sys-
improve the skills and capabilities of participants and the community in tems. That arises from acknowledging cities as complex and
general. They could provide education and awareness for less material- dynamic systems, a vision that emerged in the modern era in the
ist ways of life that focus on enough to satisfy one's comfort levels, and 1920s through planner and botanist Patrick Geddes, and later in
thus result in a more sustainable approach at the individual and collec- the 1960s through planning theorist Brian McLoughlin
tive levels with direct benefits to nature (Zsolnai, 2009). Boulding (1966, (Taylor, 1998), and urban activist Jane Jacobs (1970). Yet, it fails
p. 10) once argued that ‘if we had clothes that did not wear out, houses to be the predominant approach.
that did not depreciate, (…) we would clearly be much better off’. In a systemic approach, every action needs to acknowledge the
interconnectedness and interdependencies between systems and
their subsystems (ISO, 2019b). This requires the use of LCT and an
4.4.2 | Regenerative local economies and understanding that the level of effectiveness of a measure depends
regenerative business models enabling value for all on where one intervenes in a system (Meadows, 1999). Only an inte-
grated approach to planning and design, as opposed to traditional
Strengthening local economies is an essential component of sustain- practices, may be able engage all different stakeholders, enable the
able communities (Rydin, 2019), with jobs, business activities, and synergies between the different system components, and achieve
skills as usual indicators of economic sustainability (Turcu, 2012) and regenerative results (Fusco Girard, 2014).
key drivers of health and wellbeing (Barton, 2017), contributing to
eliminate poverty, provide food security, and increase gender equality
and social equity (Padilla-Rivera et al., 2020). 5 | T H E ‘R C 4 B E ’ C O N C E P T U A L M O D E L
Circular Business Models are concerned with the offer of solutions
designed to enable the circular metabolism of resources (Guldmann & The aforementioned five pillars or underpinning concepts build upon
Huulgaard, 2019). Regenerative business models, however, should a broad range of ideas which need to be seen connected with each
additionally promote a positive impact onto people and the planet and other. We attempt to offer a summary of the main ideas that shape
explore potential solutions to achieve the world we want, not to correct our proposed conceptual model (illustrated in Figure 8) under the
the world we have (Sanford, 2017). Rather than depending on corpora- assumption that they need to be dynamic, ever evolving, and adaptive
tions' top-down actions, regenerative models foster economies distrib- to each context. Our preliminary idea of a RC4BE is one that seeks:
utive by design, in which profit is not the main driver (Raworth, 2017a).
Solutions as the free share of knowledge through ‘open-source econo- 1. a circular metabolism of urban flows and stocks based on the fair
mies’ (C. C. Thomson & Jakubowski, 2012), social businesses share and regeneration of resources.
(Yunus, 2010), and community currencies, have potential to build social 2. adaptive-resilient and high-quality urban systems that adapt to and
capital and inclusion, access to credit, and enhance local business activi- recover from future conditions, and provide liveable, accessible,
ties (Michel & Hudon, 2015). In this arena, Chile's has been promoting and safe urban spaces to reconnect citizens and promote sustain-
the adoption of CE principles by businesses in the construction sector able lifestyles.
(Sala Benites & Zegers Cádiz, 2021) in line with its sectoral 3. healthy and bioconnected urban ecosystems that promote the recon-
(Construye2025, 2020) and national (MMA Chile, 2021) CE roadmaps. nection between humans and nature, the stewardship and regen-
This and other initiatives will have the support of the new international eration of urban and non-urban ecological systems, and the
CE standards being developed by ISO (2019a), with potential for being support of nature-inspired solutions, thus enabling the provision of
important enablers for the transition of existing businesses and the ecosystem services sustainably into the future.
development of new ones based on a circularity mindset. 4. good governance and thriving communities that stimulate a just man-
Smaller, local, open, connected, and diverse is the way to agement of natural, social, and economic capital, with inclusive,
go. Enabling innovative ecosystems in which cooperation is more equitable, and collaborative community participation, access to
important than competition is essential. And even more so for built knowledge, and regenerative local economies and livelihoods.
environment companies to enable broader changes in the sector. 5. all based on systemic approach and positive impact that, through inte-
grated planning, embrace life cycle thinking, respect the local and
global social and ecological boundaries, and create value for all.
4.5 | Systemic approach and positive impact
The visual representation of the RC4BE conceptual model
Last, but not least important, as this pillar transverses all others, are (Figure 8) draws upon the biological and technical resource flows,
the ideas of systemic approach and positive impact. respectively in green (left) and orange (right), of the Butterfly Diagram
Positive impact is not only about respecting the planetary bound- (EMF, 2019), and the ecological and social boundaries, here repre-
aries (Steffen et al., 2015) and using a fair share of the assigned sented by the two external circles in green and blue-grey, of the
planet's resources (Vale & Vale, 2009), but also doing good rather than Doughnut Economics model (Raworth, 2017a). It additionally presents
less harm and working towards replenishing and regenerating natural some of the ideas in each of the blue grey text-boxes, to some extent
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SALA BENITES ET AL. 1759

F I G U R E 8 Schematic
representation of Regenerative
Circularity for the Built Environment
(RC4BE) conceptual model

inspired by Barton's Health Map for Urban Planners Barton (2017), and to current mechanistic practices. The CE approach, currently being
Schröder et al.'s (2020) human sphere. adopted by corporations and policies at different levels, is suggested as a
The BE domain is placed as the focus of the model. An outer circu- possible pathway to achieve it. Some limitations of the CE approach
lar arrow suggesting LCT, and the elements of the urban infrastructure, regarding its technical nature, focus on resources, limited consideration
as in ISO 37105 (ISO, 2019c), is embedded, and to which a society of of some social aspects, and lack of tools for urban planning use, were
connected, engaged and empowered diverse citizens is added. examined. Additionally, we have identified a lack of NSA tools employing
Evoking the idea of a mandala, pervasive across humanity's and CE concepts. Despite the existence of some urban RD tools, there are
cities' history, the model embeds the idea of the cosmos and the ulti- only a few examples of precincts in which they have been implemented.
mate wholeness (Jung & von Franz, 1964), symbolising the aspirations As a solution for these gaps, we adopted a cross-pollination
for a better planet and the power of reshaping our communities and approach between CE and RD due to their common origins. The first
the built environment that supports them. step was understanding the main ideas behind the different defini-
tions of CE and RD for cities. Aspects related to the management and
cycles of resources, quality of urban systems, ecosystems, governance
6 | F I N A L CO N S I D E R A T I O N S of communities, and systems approach are common across both con-
cepts. CE has a more evident presence of ideas related to resources,
In light of the global challenges, this paper indicates the need for positive systems thinking and governance, whereas RD is stronger mainly in
impact practices in the transition of existing neighbourhoods as opposed systems thinking and governance.
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
1760 SALA BENITES ET AL.

The second step tries to address the multitude of definitions by adding other variables represented by each of its pillars. It may also
through a summative perspective, as discussed by Robinson (2004). enable the comprehension that our cities and neighbourhoods need
The common themes were identified and then grouped into the five to be regenerated to provide positive impact, reversing as many
broader underpinning concepts or pillars: circular metabolism, impacts as possible, rather than small increases of efficiency.
adaptive-resilient and high-quality urban systems, healthy and biocon- It is worth noting that no regenerative solution alone will operate
nected urban ecosystems, good governance and thriving communities, effectively without profound behavioural changes. Fiction offers us dif-
and systemic approach and positive impact. This set of pillars form ferent visions of future for inspiration or despair. It is up to all of our
what we propose as a RC4BE conceptual model. society to redesign our pathways towards either dystopic tales as
A limitation of this study is focus on the definitions and not the Butler's (1993) Parable of the Sower or utopic inspirations for change as
whole theory or document for the identification of emerging topics. Callenbach's (1975) Ecotopia. A real transformation can only take place
Additionally, due to its qualitative nature, the mapping and classifica- if we change our society's core principles. It is about gaining an ‘integra-
tion of topics vary. While at this stage it is only a theoretical frame- tive awareness’ of the planetary survival and seeing ourselves as part
work that requires further exploration about its practical implications of nature and co-evolving with the whole (Reed, 2007). This will only
and applications, the RC4BE model is an attempt to respond to the be possible by shifting from an anthropocentric, individualistic, compet-
identified gaps of the CE and RD paradigms in the context of transi- itive, and growth-fetish perspective to an eco-centric, community-
tioning existing urban areas. It is part of a larger research scope that focused, cooperative, and needs-based lifestyle (Gomes, 2018).
intends to develop a practical framework to support urban stake-
holders in their journey towards thriving cities. ACKNOWLEDG MENT
Based on what the literature presents for each separate approach, The lead author (Henrique Sala Benites) acknowledges the support of
the RC4BE conceptual model could contribute mainly to SDG6 (Clean a University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA) from the Uni-
Water and Sanitation), SDG7 (Affordable Energy and Clean Energy), versity of New South Wales, and a Research Training Program (RTP)
SDG8 (Decent Work, and Economic Growth), SDG11 (Sustainable Cit- scholarship provided by the Commonwealth through the Australian
ies and Communities), SDG12 (Responsible Production and Consump- Government. Open access publishing facilitated by University of New
tion), and SDG13 (Climate Action) (Pathak et al., 2022). Also, it could South Wales, as part of the Wiley - University of New South Wales
directly address what has been proposed by Ibrahim and Ahmed agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
(2022) as RDG. It has also been designed to improve cities' safe and
just operating spaces and facilitate the responses to the burdens OR CID
imposed upon the global and local ecological (Rockström et al., 2009; Henrique Sala Benites https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1616-8938
Steffen et al., 2015) and social (Raworth, 2017b) boundaries.
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APPENDIX

LIST OF DOCUMENTS WITH DEFINITIONS ANALYSED

Document Authors
Scaling the circular built environment: Pathways for business and government (Circle Economy, WBCSD, & Arcadis, 2018)
Circular city actions framework (Circle Lab for Cities, 2021)
Circular economy guidebook for cities (Dhawan, 2019)
DGNB-UD urban districts 2020 (DGNB GmbH, 2020)
Towards the circular economy: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition (EMF, 2013)
What is the circular economy? (EMF, 2017b)
Urban bio-cycles (EMF, 2017a)
Circular economy in cities: Project guide (EMF & ARUP, 2019)
Circular cities: Cities of tomorrow (ENEL, 2020)
Public procurement for a circular economy—Good practice and guidance (European Commission, 2017)
Circular economy action plan (European Commission, 2020)
D3.4 Circular governance models for adaptive reuse of cultural heritage (Garzillo et al., 2019)
Green Star—Circular economy fact sheet (Green Building Council of Australia [GBCA] &
Coreo, 2021)
The seven pillars of the circular economy (Gladek, 2019)
The London plan. Spatial development strategy for Greater London (Greater London Authority, 2019)
ISO 59004 CD—Circular Economy—Terminology, Principles and Guidance for Implementation, (ISO, 2022)
Committee Draft
Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions (Kirchherr et al., 2017)
White paper on the circular economy of Greater Paris (Mairie de Paris, 2017)
Circular Buiksloterham: Transitioning Amsterdam to a circular city (Metabolic, DELVA Landscape Architects, &
Studioninedots, 2015)
NSW Circular economy policy statement final: Too good to waste (NSW EPA, 2019)
The circular economy in cities and regions—Synthesis report (OECD, 2019b)
OECD principles on urban policy (OECD, 2019c)
Making the circular economy work for human development (Schröder et al., 2020)
The product-life factor (Stahel, 1982)
Kolding Marina City as a show case for circular area development (Turntoo, 2019)
A guide to circular cities (United 4 Smart Sustainable Cities [U4SSC], 2020)
Circular cities—What are the benefits of circular development? (Joanna Williams, 2017)
Regenerative design for sustainable development (Lyle, 1994)
Regenerative city-regions: A new conceptual framework (Axinte et al., 2019)
Cities must be regenerative. But what kind of regeneration are we actually talking about? (Boselli, 2016)
Design for regenerative communities (K. Brown, 2012)
Regenerative development as an integrative paradigm and methodology for landscape (L. Gibbons et al., 2018)
sustainability
The development, application, and refinement of a Regenerative Development Evaluation (L. V. Gibbons et al., 2020)
Tool and indicators
Regenerative cities (Girardet, 2016)
A living systems model for assessing and promoting the sustainability of communities (Larrick, 1997)
Regenerative development and design (Mang & Reed, 2012b)
Evaluating the practice and outcomes of applying regenerative development to a large-scale (Hes et al., 2018)
project in Victoria, Australia
Green to the power of three. Environmental design and construction, March/April, 24–31. (Haggard, 2002)
10991719, 2023, 3, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.2481 by CAPES, Wiley Online Library on [14/09/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
SALA BENITES ET AL. 1767

Document Authors
Defining regenerative design (In: Regenerative design in digital practice: A handbook for the (M. Brown et al., 2019)
built environment)
Regenerative urban design and ecosystem biomimicry (Pedersen Zari, 2018)
Resilient cities: Overcoming fossil fuel dependence (Newman et al., 2017)
Regenerative development through LENSES with a case study of Seacombe West (Plaut et al., 2016)
Geoengineering in the Anthropocene through regenerative urbanism (G. Thomson & Newman, 2016)
Designing regenerative cultures (Wahl, 2016)
Shifting from ‘sustainability’ to regeneration (Reed, 2007)
Towards the regenerative city Girardet & World Future Council [WFC]
Industrial ecologies—Manufacturing the post-industrial landscape (Chin, 2020)
DIF Animation 1: Regenerative cities (Buck et al., 2016)

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