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Circular Cities Summit 2025

A Message from the Chairman

The Genesis of the Inaugural Circular Cities Summit
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Amidst the crescendo of urbanization and the pressing need for sustainable development, the genesis of the inaugural Circular Cities Summit emerges as a beacon of purpose and vision. This seminal event is not merely an assembly of minds; it is a testament to the collective urgency to reimagine the urban landscape.

Mooted by a confluence of global imperatives and the passion of trailblazers, the Circular Cities Summit was conceived with a steadfast purpose:
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Global Imperatives: As our cities swell in population and resource consumption, the imperative for change becomes inescapable. Circular economies are poised to decouple growth from resource depletion, making them a cornerstone of sustainable development goals.
Interdisciplinary Synergy: The summit acknowledges that true transformation can only be achieved through the harmonious symphony of planners, architects, engineers, and landscape architects. Their collective wisdom, when synchronized, can revolutionize the very essence of urban design.
Leadership Catalyst: By unifying leaders from diverse fields, the summit ignites a fire of leadership. It empowers professionals to wield their expertise not just for individual projects, but as beacons guiding entire cities towards circularity.
Inspiration Through Convergence: The Circular Cities Summit is more than a gathering; it's a convergence of aspirations, ideas, and innovations. It emboldens attendees to transcend individual silos and foster cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Pioneering a Movement: The summit is the cradle of a movement that propels circular principles from theory into practice. It is an arena where policies, strategies, and partnerships germinate and take root.
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Organized with meticulous care, the Circular Cities Summit stands as an emblem of hope and progress. It is a response to the clarion call for sustainable cities, where waste is minimized, resources are cherished, and the echo of its impact resonates for generations. Together, as stewards of the urban landscape, we embark on a journey of transformation, driven by purpose and guided by innovation.
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With unwavering determination,
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Damian Tang
Organising Chair, Circular Cities Summit

About the Summit

The Summit aims to facilitate a global conversation amongst leaders and practitioners on the circular economy and
sustainable urban solutions, with a focus on innovative approaches and best practices.

What is a Circular City?

A circular city is a city designed to function in a circular economy, which is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In a circular city, resources sire used and managed in a way that is sustainable and regenerative, and waste is minimized through reuse, recycling, and other forms of resource recovery.

Circular cities are designed with a focus on sustainability and resilience, and they typically incorporate elements such as green spaces, public transportation, renewable energy sources, and smart technology to optimize resource use and reduce waste. Circular city planning also takes into account the social and economic needs of the community, with a focus on creating a livable and equitable urban environment for all residents.

Call to Rethink

The inaugural Circular Cities Summit 1.0 themed "Game-Changing Innovations for Future Cities" would focus on exploring innovative solutions and strategies for achieving sustainability and circularity in the built environment. The pursuit of circular cities is seen as a crucial step towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Discussion Topics

• Circular design principles and strategies for buildings and landscapes • Emerging technologies and innovative solutions for sustainable construction and maintenance • Circular material use and resource efficiency in buildings and landscapes • Sustainable building practices, including low carbon and energy-efficient design • Circular economy approaches for managing waste and resources in the built environment • Urban planning and design for circular cities and communities • Case studies of successful circular and sustainable building and landscape projects • Sustainable engineering approaches and more.

Speaker Highlights

We are assembling the most esteemed visionaries, leaders, and pioneers in the realm of sustainable urban planning, to unveil the
blueprint for Circular Cities that will transform the way we live, work, and thrive in our urban landscapes.

Dechen Tsering

Regional Director and Representative of UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office

Guan Yisong

Head of Ellen macarthur foundation, China

Dr. Julian Kirchherr

partner
mckinsey & company

Sasa Bozic

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT, SOPHIA ACADEMY FOUNDER, AUTHOR

View Full List of Speakers

Spotlight

Landmark MOU Signing

Witness the landmark Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony by the presidents of the 3 world professional organisations to mark the recognition and distinction of each profession towards collaborative fight against climate crisis. Hear their sharing and insights in the panel discussion on what it takes to develop circular cities.

international society of city and regional planners

A non-governmental global association of professional city and regional planners. It was founded in 1965 in a bid to bring together recognised and highly-qualified planners in an international network. The ISOCARP network brings together 700+ individual and institutional members from more than 90 countries worldwide.

international federation of landscape architects

A truly global federation, IFLA currently represents 78 national associations from Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Their mission as landscape architects is to create globally sustainable and balanced living environments for the benefit of humanity worldwide.

world federation of engineering organizations

WFEO is the internationally recognized and chosen leader of the engineering profession and cooperates with national and other international professional institutions in being the lead profession in developing and applying engineering to constructively resolve international and national issues for the benefit of humanity.

mou signing to be witnessed by

international union of architects

Founded in Lausanne (Switzerland), on 28 June 1948, with the aim of uniting architects from around the world, in a federation of their respective national organisations. Made up of delegations from 27 states at the time of its creation, today the UIA counts the professional organisations which best represent the architects of 131 countries and territories, and through these, over 1,300,000 architects globally.