Circularity in Urban Regions

AMS Institute takes on the urban challenge of transitioning from a linear model of using materials to a fully circular model. To achieve circularity in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA), we must completely rethink and redesign the flow of resources, such as building materials, water, food and energy, that drive urban activities. The goal is to reuse resources rather than to dispose of them as we do now, making the whole economic model resilient and sustainable. To support this, we need to establish an integrated sustainable ecosystem, where the value for people, the planet and prosperity is not destructed but retained or created anew.

How we work on circular cities

Why do we focus on cities? Globally, despite taking up just 2% of the global landmass, our urban centers consume more than 75% of natural resources, are responsible for over 50% of solid waste and emit up to 60% of greenhouse gases. In a word, cities are bulk consumers of energy, water and materials. This makes them major contributors to problems such as resource depletion, pollution and climate change. But cities are also the centers of our economy, concentrating capital, data and talent. This makes urban areas ideal spaces to develop and demonstrate innovative circular solutions – and create impact that matters.

Amsterdam recognizes this and has set clear policy goals. The city of Amsterdam committed to reducing material consumption by 50% in 2030 and becoming fully circular by 2050. The city has positioned itself as a front-runner in circular innovation. AMS Institute actively contributes to this by focusing on material infrastructures, biobased construction and data & governance.

Material infrastructures in urban areas are the physical structures that are needed to deliver services and facilitate urban life. Within this topic, we develop circular solutions for digital infrastructure, energy infrastructure, roads & waterways in public space and related logistics. Together with infrastructure, construction is responsible for the bulk of material and waste flows through the city. This is why we support knowledge development to achieve 20% biobased construction of all new residential buildings in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Our expertise includes the development of biobased building materials, life cycle analysis and policy-building perspectives. Data & governance pertain to the identification, collection and creation of relevant data and monitoring systems to keep track of the circular economy transition in the city, assess impacts, support decisions and direct investments to where they accelerate the transition

The transition to a circular city requires a systems overhaul. This is why we continuously strive to develop integrated solutions in our research and innovation projects - especially when two transitions may be at odds with one another. Examples of integrated solutions are that we work on are: circular solar panels, biological soil improvement and circular logistics.