Cities are systems of production,
consumption, and waste disposal that
negatively impact our shared environment,
and the current linear economic model of
based on extracting raw materials, making
single-use products, and disposing large
quantities of materials is reaching its
physical limitations. The circular economy
(CE) has emerged as a tool to transition
from a linear economic model where
materials are made-used-disposed to a
circular model where materials remain at
their highest value for as long as possible.
The circular economy challenges existing
processes of making and linear models of
economic growth that privilege systems of
globalized mass production and
consumption and re-centre localised
production processes, broadly termed
“urban manufacturing.” This dissertation
uses London as a case study for mixedmethods,
multi-scalar analysis at the city,
borough, and firm level to investigate how
cities can utilise the planning system to
drive circular economic transformation. The
most recent London Plan reflects the
growing importance of implementationlevel
spatial plans and attention to industry,
and industrial land. London’s boroughs translate city-wide policies into placespecific
waste management strategies,
industrial land protection, and employment
efforts to generate social, economic and
environmental benefits of CE. London’s
manufacturing activities are clustered in
boroughs and regions, suggesting economic
specialization, which boroughs can work to
support. Transitioning to a circular
economy requires nuanced understanding
of the types of makers present in the city,
government intervention to allocate
adequate, affordable land for
manufacturing activity, and design
strategies to ensure manufacturing firms
can thrive.
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