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Circle Economy and ICLEI have partnered up to initiate the go to knowledge hub of case studies about the circular economy in cities. The Cities Collection is a repository of case studies that demonstrate the role of cities in the circular transition, and includes policies, business cases and research articles. Cases in the Collection flow into an ecosystem of digital products which support users in transitioning cities to circularity, for example [Ganbatte](https://ganbatte.world/cities/) and <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/" target="_blank">ICLEI Circulars</a>, both part of the <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/circle-lab-for-cities/" target = _blank">Circle Lab for Cities Programme.</a>

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Circular Cities

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Starter Kit collection

Policy case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Societal Services

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Recover waste energy or generate fuels and energy from waste streams

Energy recovery from waste

Recovering and reusing waste heat, gas, etc. for energy

Recovery and reuse of waste energy

Biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste can be used as an energy source for cooking, lighting and generate electricity, replacing thus other fuels. Moreover, the treatment of organic waste alleviates the solid waste crisis in urban and peri-urban area if the developing world.


Use biogas

Wastewater (blackwater and water from industrial processes) can be treated and reclaimed for agricultural and industrial purposes. Moreover, depending on economic factors, wastewater treatments can be adopted for supplying domestic freshwater. 

Use wastewater

Other

'Manage' influences the use and function of physical and material elements within the urban environment. 

Manage

Infrastructure

Develop infrastructure to support resource cycling

Eliminate waste by maximizing the recovery of resources at the end of the use phase so that they can be reintroduced into production processes


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Recover

Process waste into valuable industrial inputs or consumer products; distribute processed waste to users.

Process waste and ensure its re-entry into industry at its highest value

Residual organic and food wastes can offer a quasi-renewable and low-carbon source of energy. By processing organic wastes, often under high temperatures, pressures and in the absence of oxygen, organic wastes can be transformed into fuels, which can be used for heating, electricity generation, as well as transportation. A variety of technologies have been developed to generate biogas from organic materials, for example, anaerobic digestion. Such facilities can vary in scale from single units that can process the waste of a single building or neighbourhood, to large-scale facilities that can process the majority of the organic wastes generated from the entire city. 

Cities have a key role to support the utilisation of organic materials as biofuels due to their close oversight and influence on the urban waste management system. In particular, cities can support the financing of large-scale facilities to help to overcome the investment costs, as well as develop relationships with businesses to operate such facilities. 


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🍏  💧  Biogas from organic materials

Cities consume about 75% of global energy and emit between 50% and 60% of global greenhouse gases (UN-Habitat). To reduce the negative impact of their energy consumption, cities need to shift away from fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy sources. Such a shift will help cities work towards their climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans. Renewable energy technologies such as wind, water, solar, and geothermal can also help improve access to energy in vulnerable and marginalised neighbourhoods through, for example, decentralised, off-grid solutions.

Renewable energy technologies can harvest the energy in nature’s processes, such as wind, and solar radiation and geothermal heat, that can be replenished within a human lifespan. In contrast, fossil fuels are materials that are not replenished within a human lifespan and are combusted for energy, losing the fuel material and resulting in emissions.

Local governments can develop sustainable energy plans, considering different energy resources and requirements, to develop a robust strategy for the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure throughout the city. They can also institute specific legislation and tax systems to regulate energy production and consumption, incentivise research and development of cleaner, more efficient technologies. Via Power Purchase Agreements cities can buy renewable energy from green energy providers and fix the price in order to provide security to financial institutions to finance renewable energy infrastructure. Furthermore, increasing awareness and facilitating capacity-building on planning urban sustainable energy projects can help the uptake of clean energy across the city by different stakeholders—from citizens to businesses and institutions. Facilitating collaboration, then, will be crucial, since private companies operate most of the world’s energy systems.


⚡ Energy Systems

Governments

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Impacts

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Industries

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A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policy Instruments

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

Urban Opportunities

The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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SummaryThe City Council of Almada provides wastewater treatment service that accounts 
for almost 100 percent of wastewater within the city. This is a result of a municipal 

strategy which aims to achieve full coverage of the drainage networks and treatment 

systems within Almada™s territory; a goal towards which the City Council has allocated 


The Portinho da Costa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the subject of this case 
study, demonstrates the City Council of Almada™s commitment to ensuring that water 
circulates within closed loops in the municipality. A closed loop water cycle not only 
allows for repeated use of water resources, it also contributes to the preservation of 

biodiversity in the Tagus estuary, which provides numerous ecological functions and 



WWTP is connected to one of the three municipal wastewater drainage systems, and 

serves approximately 80,000 inhabitants across the territories of Costa de Caparica, 

Trafaria and part of Caparica. 
This case study documents the recovery of the biogas generated in the wastewater 
treatment process and highlights its importance within the framework of the Local 

Strategy for Climate Change of the Municipality of Almada.
Introduction: the importance of biogas recovery Anaerobic digestion is being increasingly used in wastewater treatment systems. The 

main goal of this process is the stabilisation of the primary and secondary sludge 

resulting from the treatment, rather than the production and use of biogas. Typically, 



considered a useful energy by-product that can be harnessed. 

that if all the worlds organic waste which is processed through anaerobic digestion 

the result would be the savings of approximately 5 percent of global fossil energy.
The potential energy recovery with this technique is considerable and can be utilized 
in any WWTP equipped with anaerobic digesters for the treatment of sludge. However, 

considering biogas conservation during the project planning phase provides greater  







which recovers energy from biogas, represents integrated local action which progresses 


Almada, PortugalRecovering energy from biogas produced  in wastewater treatment plantsPopulation / Land area
174 030 (2011) / 72 km²  
Municipal budget 
77,5 M• (2015)Greenhouse gas inventory Yes, since 2003
ICLEI Case Studies189March 2016Facts & FiguresAlmada has been a member of 

ICLEI since 20012Biogas is suitable for use within energy conversion equipment such as power units 
(motor + generator), cogeneration units for heat (thermal energy) and electricity 

output, and even boilers for hot water and/or steam production. The possibility of 

producing and internally using biogas in the WWTP as a "free" fuel, which also serves 

to reduce GHG emissions, proved to be enough evidence to justify the technical, 

(SMAS) have invested in the design and construction of the Portinho da Costa WWTP.
Almada: between land and seaLocated on the south bank of the Tagus River across from Lisbon, Almada is one of the 
18 municipalities within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The municipality has 175,000 

full-time residents and an estimated 8,000,000 visitors per year. It occupies a surface 

of 72 km2, 40 percent of which is built up urban area and 24.2 percent is a lush forested 


to the east and north lay the Tagus River, while to the west lays the Atlantic Ocean. 
Almada™s Atlantic Ocean beachfront, Costa de Caparica, extends for approximately 13 km and is a popular summertime destination for Lisbon residents as well as foreign 
visitors.The Almada City Council has long been developing policies and strategies towards a 
more sustainable city. The Local Strategy for Climate Change of the Municipality of 
Almada contains a number of actions targeted at reducing the energy consumption 




been technically supported by the Local Energy Management Agency of Almada, 





sustainble investemnts within the municipality.
Along these lines, the City Council of Almada has been a signatory of the Covenant 
Photo: Ajuntament de Barcelona
Photo 1: A cogeneration engine at 
Portinho da Costa WWTP3of Mayors since its inception, and has embraced the challenge of reducing its energy 
consumption and GHG emissions by 20 percent as a contribution to the EU common 

3x20 objectives.
Most recently, Almada subscribed to the Paris City Hall Declaration during the COP 
21 and embraced the ambitious commitment of reducing its emissions 80 percent by 

2050.Planning in Ten Year Intervals
Every 10 years, the Municipality of Almada approves an updated local development 

strategy, and water and wastewater management have factored heavily in many of 


 1960™s - First Plans made for the wastewater drainage network and water supply 
network. 1980™s Œ Plan & construction of the wastewater drainage network; construction 
and renovation of the water supply network 
 1990™s Œ Plan & construction of wastewater treatment plants
 2000™s Œ 100% urban water cycle coveraage
 2010™s

water and wastewater systems to climate change.
Almada™s Strategic Plan also includes guidelines and actions for its wastewater 


 Pollution prevention and assets management, with the use of technology for 
intensive measuring and monitoring Œ in parallel with sewer rehabilitation Œ to 


 Pollution reduction, through adaptation of older WWTP™s to current EU regulations Sludge valorization, through biogas energy recovery and re-application to 

agricultural lands  
 

treatment System within the municipality, as indicated in Table 1. The plan also 

includes targets for the development of sustainable urban drainage solutions, 

including harvest and retention of rainwater.
Measures towards the 2033 targets have already been implemented to address the 





ballasts) to minimize energy consumption. Biogas recovery through cogeneration has 

been implemented to maximize energy production and minimize external energy 

dependence. Physical-chemical treatment plus biological treatments ensure process 


Table 1:  Almada™s Strategic Plan 
targets for 2017/2033Performance indicators and targets2011
20172033
3/km)660060002000Sewer rehabilitation (% of total)
0.1%0.5%2%Energy optimization in pumping stations (kWh/m
3 100m)0.650.450.35Reclaimed wastewater (%)
2.36%3.5%10%Regulation compliance (%)
89%100%100%4Further additional measures are already being explored, including maximizing use of 
renewable resources through installation of solar panels and photovoltaic panels, as 

well as WWTP 8-year energy auditing programs to reduce electric energy consumption. 


lighting, energy management tools and professional training.
Explaining the Initiative:Energy in Portinho da Costa WWTP 
Portinho da Costa WWTP produces energy which corresponds to that which is used in 
the treatment of the sludge and electricity consumed it the various processes. Since 

its inception, the project foresaw the potential of supplying these energy needs by 
installing a cogeneration system powered by the biogas produced within the same 
WWTP.Biogas stems from the digestion of the sludge originated in the primary and secondary 
treatment of wastewater. Sludge, which is mainly formed by the organic matter of the 
initial sewage, is the ideal substrate for the application of a treatment process known 
as anaerobic digestion (biological degradation in the absence of oxygen). This process 

results in the production of biogas, a form of renewable energy, essentially consisting 
of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO
2), which may be used as fuel.
Graph 1: Annual community energy 
use in Almada as of 2012 by sector 

(MJ/year)Graph 2: Annual community 

emissions in Almada as of 2012 by 

sector (tonnes CO2eq)5Biogas from Portinho da Costa WWTP: a noble renew-able energy
the methods that allow for recovering 

waste should be considered in all cases, as 
they combine energy generation with an 


used for energy production, biogas which 


to this group.The importance of biogas as an energy 
resource is due to its main constituent, 

methane. This compound has a high heating 
value, which makes it a very valuable utility 

for the cogeneration of thermal energy and 

electricity. However, its direct release to the 
atmosphere is harmful, since methane has a 
global warming potential approximately 21 
times higher than that of carbon dioxide.
Biogas composition varies according to 
the waste characteristics and operating 
conditions of the digestion process. On 

average, it is 60 percent methane (CH4) 

and 40 percent carbon dioxide (CO2). Other gases such as nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen 

sulphide (H2S) are also present in the 

composition, but only in trace amounts. The 

laboratory analysis of the biogas produced 
at the Portinho da Costa WWTP displays a 
percentage of over 65 percent methane.
While, in absolute terms, biogas energy is a lower grade of energy than most of 

into other forms), the fact that it is both a by-product and renewable makes its use 



used, it is always possible to produce at least one form of energy, be it electrical, 

thermal or mechanical.The cogeneration system of Portinho da Costa WWTPThe cogeneration system of Portinho da Costa WWTP consists of two power units 

(motors and alternators) that feed on the biogas stored in two double membrane 


The power units (2 x 250 kW) allow for converting approximately 33 percent of the 
energy contained in the biogas into electricity. About 60 percent of its energy is 


from the thermal energy present in the exhaust gases and engine cooling circuits. The 

loss of energy in the co-generation process amounts to just 7 percent.
Figure 1: Energy equivalence of 
biogas with 70% methaneFigure 2: Diagram of the Portinho da 

Costa WWTP cogeneration system
6Portinho da Costa WWTP: an ecological WWTP that turns waste into 
energyThe co-generation system of Portinho da Costa covers about 40 percent of the energy 
needs of the facility, equivalent to about 550 MWh per year. In environmental terms, 

these energy savings translate into a decrease of 40 percent of GHG emissions, which in 

absolute terms represents a reduction of 180 tons of CO
2. In addition to the reduction 
of emissions due to the displacement of 

the use of natural gas and electricity, this 

measure also decreases the amount of 
carbon dioxide equivalent that would 
otherwise be released from the disposal 


This is, therefore, a significant 
contribution from the Almada SMAS to 



reduce GHG emissions which originate 
within the municipality. 
The construction of the Portinho da Costa 
WWTP ensures the additional treatment of 24 percent of the wastewater in 
the Municipality of Almada without 
increasing emissions from the waste 
sector. This performance is due to the fact that the design of this facility provided for 

a cogeneration system to convert biogas into thermal and electric energy. 
The wastewater treatment process of Portinho da Costa WWTP 
Portinho da Costa WWTP receives a daily average rate of around 9 500 m
3 (3 467 500 m3/year). The treatment encompasses a solid phase process and a liquid phase 

followed by an advanced physical-chemical treatment (the primary treatment). This 





25m deep and 150m from the bank of the Tagus River. 
In the solid phase, the sludge resulting from the primary and secondary treatment 
of the wastewater is thickened by gravity. In the next step, this thickened sludge 

undergoes a digestion in a mesophilic regime (35°C temperature), using the heat 
generated by the cogeneration engines to maintain an operating temperature that 
maximizes the generation of methane.
The digested sludge is then dehydrated by centrifugation, stored in silos and used 




higher than 96%), produces biogas, repurposes the sludge as agricultural fertilizer, 
and reuses the treated wastewater for washing and watering green spaces.
Photo 2: Primary treatment of sludge 
at Portinho da Costa WWTPPortinho da Costa WWTP design parameters
Project lifetime [3]2020Population served [3]140.000 inhabitants equivalent
Tratment capacity [3]
22.400 m
3/day
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5-days 
(BOD5): 96%Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 97%

Total Suspended Solids (TSS): 97%
Anaerobic digestion design parameters
Biogas storage capacity
2 x 200 m3Cogeneration design parametersElectricity production capacity
2 x 250 kWClimate change mitigation
Potential greenhouse gas emissions 
reduction687 t CO2/yearTable 3: Technical characteristics of 

the Portinho da Costa WWTPFigure 3: Energy balance of the 

Portino da Costa cogeneration plant7Lessons Learned Municipalities should consider energy recapture and cogeneration at the draft 
stage of constructing new facilities in order to ease their physical integration in the 

wastewater treatment plant and its operation.
 




community associated with this measure.
 
the possibility of harnessing the biogas energy generated in the anaerobic digestion 

process, and included this as a requirement in the public procurement procedure 

to select the design of the treatment plant.
 Process control, close monitoring, and planned maintenance can help to ensure 

continued good performance of the system and delivery of expected savings and 



essential.Replication The technology used in the Portinho da Costa WWTP is all commercially available and 

poses no obstacles to use. Existing WWTP™s that already have anaerobic digestion in 
place to treat sludge, but which are not yet harnessing the energy potential of biogas, 
can potentially replicate elements of the Almada model. 
The key issue to bear in mind in the implementation of such a project is that the 

of in-house expert knowledge and expertise allows for identifying the needs and 
opportunities for energy recovery of waste, or a by-product of the wastewater 
treatment process.Energy carrierConsumption prior to cogeneration              

(MWh/year)Consumption with 
co-generation 
(projections for 2020) 
(MWh/year)Energy savings 
(MWh/year)Energy savings (%)Electricity1,778967811
46Natural gas1,282511,23196Total
3,0601,0182,04267Policy  Long-term municipal strategy and action plan for water and wastewater, and a long-standing committment to 


Finance 
 Funding was provided through grants
Organizational arrangements and 

capacity  Technical support was provided by Local Energy 
Management Agency of Almada, AGENEAL, and Almada™s 

Water and Sanitation Municipal Services, (SMAS Almada)
Stakeholder engagement  Harnessing of energy from the biogas was included as 
a requirement in the public procurement procedure to 

award the design of the treatment plant
Technology
 Anaerobic digestion for biogas production coupled with 

electricity and heat cogeneration
Table 4: Projected potential energy 
savings enabled by the cogeneration 

plant when fully operational (2020)
Table 5: Key features of Almada's 
approach to the Portinho da Costa 

WWTPHarnessing biogas reduces operating costs with the acquisition of energy while it also 
avoids GHG emissions. The major costs towards such a WWTP are those associated 
with the acquisition and installation of equipment, which are recoverable within its life 




Costs and FundingThe investment in Portinho da Costa WWTP was approximately 10 million Euros. 

Funding was secured through grants from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and 

EEA Grants. The use of biogas for cogeneration enables operational cost savings through the 
displacement of natural gas and grid electricity consumption, which in 2011 amounted 


(changed from 6% to 23%), the savings associated with energy amount to at least 

60.000•/year.References[1] Estratégia Local para as Alteracoes Climáticas, Sector Resíduos, Medida ME8 Œ 
Energias Renováveis: aproveitamento de recursos endógenos Œ Cogeracao a biogás em 

ETARs Municipais
[2] Almada Wastewater Drainage and Treatment System - WWTP Portinho da Costa, 
Alexandra Sousa, Waste Water Treatment Department, Water and Sanitation Municipal 


[3] http://www.smasalmada.pt/web/portal/etar-do-portinho-da-costa 
Key ContactsCâmara Municipal de Almada
City Council of Almada

Department for Energy, 

Climate, Environment and 
MobilityRua Bernardo Francisco da Costa, 42, 2800-029 Almada, 

Portugal
Tel. +351 21 272 25 10
Email: almada21@cma.m-almada.ptAcknowledgements Authors: Catarina Freitas 
 Câmara Municipal de Almada, 
Departamento de Energia, 

Clima, Ambiente e Mobilidade 

| City Council of Almada, 

Department for Energy, 

Climate, Environment and 

MobilityAlexandra Sousa
 Serviços Municipalizados 
de Água e Saneamento 
de Almada, Departamento 

de Tratamento de Águas 

Residuais | Municipal Water 

and Wastewater Services 

of Almada, Department of 

Wastewater Treatment
Carlos Sousa 
 Agência Municipal de Energia 

de Almada, AGENEAL | Local 
Energy Management Agency 
of Almada, AGENEALEditors: Ana Marques, Senior 




Research, ICLEI World 

SecretariatTranslator: Diana Mota
This series of local case studies is produced within the Urban-LEDS project funded 
by the European Union, and implemented by UN-Habitat and ICLEI, which has the objective of enhancing and the transition to low emission urban development in 
emerging economy countries.They represent solely the views of the authors and cannot in any circumstances be 

Almada

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UNHabitat

Municipality of Almada

Almada, Portugal, is paving the way towards a carbon-efficient urban water cycle. As a coastal city, progressive water and wastewater management is a priority for the City Council of Almada. The construction of the Portinho da Costa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) represents a circular model of wastewater treatment that includes a closed-loop water cycle and a system of biogas energy recovery.&nbsp;

Almada's integrated wastewater treatment 

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Contributing to the improvement of biodiversity including species diversity, total number of protected species, and ecosystem health

Biodiversity

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Engage with the local community where facilities or offices are located

Community collaboration

Using <a href="https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals" target="_blank">materials that are not toxic or hazardous</a>.

Non-toxic materials and inputs

'Inform' increases the overall levels of awareness and builds the necessary skills and knowledge around the circular economy to foster long-term change.

Inform

Conduct research

Develop regenerative infrastructure

Raise awareness and run information campaigns about  strategies for and impacts of the circular economy in different contexts.

Communication and awareness

Do better with less by using and supporting infrastructure, processes and products that are designed to minimize material, water and energy use and waste generation from production to end of use


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Reduce

Ensure that infrastructure and built assets in the city are designed and upgraded to be as resource-efficient as possible.

Design infrastructure and the built environment for resource efficiency

Put enablers in place that allow circular businessesto grow, thrive and innovate (e.g. incubators, start-up funding, partnerships, innovation deals, business capacity building and testing groundsfor new business models).


Support circular and resource-efficient business innovations

Increase efficiency and promote local economic growth by shortening supply chains and connecting local producers to consumers.


Support local low-impact circular economies

As cities have expanded, they have conventionally pushed space for agricultural activities to the peripheries and surrounding rural areas, and have become reliant on globalised supply chains. Cities can nevertheless have a home for organic urban and peri-urban agriculture. 

Organic urban and peri-urban agriculture refers to production of food that happens either in or near the city. It includes organic farming at any scale, and can also refer to small holders, various forms of private urban farming initiatives, and community initiatives (vegetable gardens). Organic urban and peri-urban agriculture can support food security in the city, boost biodiversity, as well as stimulate local economies and community participation.

A local government may stimulate and enable organic urban and peri-urban agriculture by making spaces in and near the city available for markets, growing spaces and waste processing through spatial planning. Communities may be engaged through the use of making information and tooling available, alongside making spaces in neighbourhoods available and accessible to different people through spatial planning. Local governments can support local food services businesses in sourcing and obtaining locally grown organic crops. 


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🍏  Organic urban and peri-urban agriculture

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.



🍏 Food Systems

Communities

Urban food transportation is a crucial component of both food and mobility systems, and significantly influences the level of urban sustainability and the total carbon footprint of foods. Cities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food transportation, commonly known as “food-miles”, through various urban logistics measures. These measures require the participation of multiple actors, from city users and inhabitants, to urban food suppliers, logistics providers and carriers, and distributors. 

Local governments can optimise the distribution of food to small retailers and consumers, reducing the associated environmental and social impacts generated by the urban food deliveries, for example, carbon emissions, congestion, mobility, and food loss. 

They can do this by incentivising the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles by, for example, using spatial planning to reserve spaces, regions and lanes in the city for low-carbon modes of transport. Local governments can also use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools and local businesses to explore the challenges and barriers for food logistics in the city, and to identify how the city’s spatial planning can be optimised to reduce food loss and waste.


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🍏  Optimised food logistics

With the continued growth of urban populations, cities are commonly facing a key challenge: how can we feed our residents with sufficient healthy and sustainable food? 

More resource-efficient methods and technologies for urban agriculture present opportunities to cultivate the urban landscape, for example through hydroponics and aquaponics systems. Resource-efficient systems can require less space, be more water efficient, and minimise inputs of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and could be key to secure a sustainable and healthy future for cities.

Resource-efficiency in urban farming methods could mean prioritising renewable energies, for example, solar/wind energy, biogas, making efficient use of different resources, for example, reuse or recycle of heat, water, nutrients and/or spaces, applying cutting-edge emission reduction technologies, and reusing waste or by-products from urban sources, for example,  industries and households. 

Local governments can leverage land use and spatial planning tools to create and maintain a resource-efficient infrastructure including concepts like aquaponics, indoor agriculture, vertical farming, rooftop production, and edible walls. As well as support innovation in new urban agriculture technologies through in-kind and financial support for start-ups. 


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🍏  Resource-efficient food production

Businesses support the innovation and implementation of circular strategies. Yet innovations and startups that close loops and facilitate reuse often face additional challenges, due to the lack of infrastructure that supports circular initiatives for example physical and digital infrastructure to support reverse logistics.

Sustainable business ecosystems connect circular businesses around common problems and provide coordinated support, education and financing opportunities for these businesses to operate and scale together. This solution stimulates the local economy, which can promote local circular job opportunities in the future, and provides an attractive and supportive environment for more circular businesses to start up and scale the city.

The local government may partner with innovation ecosystems and circular domain experts to create training modules and facilitation programmes for small businesses, making knowledge resources available to small businesses looking to go circular. Local governments may also provide financial support - either directly or in partnership with financial institutions - to target and stimulate ecosystems around specific circular business models. 


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🍏  Sustainable food and agriculture business ecosystems

        
   Dodoma’s Foodway will create productive and regenerative food spaces across the rapidly expanding city. The community garden in Msalato, implemented by INTERACT-Bio, marks the start of this forward-thinking vision and will serve as a model for others.  
   INTERACT-Bio is mainstreaming the benefits of urban nature into urban planning. The project seeks to find better ways to use and manage urban nature in fast-growing cities and the regions in Tanzania, India and Brazil. It is implemented by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.
The Dodoma community farm is one of three demonstration projects in Tanzania aiming to showcase how, if nature is embedded into urban planning, it can enhance human well-being and provide socio-economic opportunities whilst addressing wider issues such as environmental degradation and climate change.  
   WHAT IS A FOODWAY?
Foodways, a novel approach to land use pioneered by Inhabit Earth, are corridors of productive landscapes that form a living partnership between human communities and natural systems, each continually regenerating the other. Through principles of regenerative agriculture, foodways enable communities to have a greater degree of ownership of their food security.
  
   WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE? 
Regenerative agriculture is based on the ideas and ethics of permaculture: “people care, fair share and Earth care”. Permaculture uses practical and holistic solutions to imitate and cultivate the diverse closed loop systems seen in nature – systems that thrive for many years and produce no waste. The concept is often applied to food systems, but permaculture offers the opportunity for people to transition to live in a more eco-friendly and sustainable way. Permaculture is grounded on 12 principles that guide people on how to adopt sustainable practices. Permaculture ecosystems and natural systems differ in that the majority of species in the cultivated and re-designed ecosystems are intended for the use of human consumption.
Regenerative agriculture is considered to be a form of permaculture by some, as it focuses particularly on the health of the soil and ecological system as a whole. There are a number of principles also applied in regenerative agriculture practices and one of the potential benefits is the contribution it can make towards combating climate change. Permaculture and regenerative agriculture are often applied in transformed landscapes and settled areas and agricultural lands, where regeneration and rehabilitation of the environment may be needed.  
   INTRODUCING THE MSALATO COMMUNITY FARM
The project identified Msalato as an urban area in need of regeneration and rehabilitation. The aims of the Msalato Community Farm are to:
1. Develop a community farm with the capacity to produce food and materials that meet (and eventually exceed) the needs of residents, with a vision that it will contribute and add value towards a creating foodways across Dodoma and its bioregion and to build community; enhance the local environment; and create resilience in the face of the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss
2. Inspire a larger movement in Dodoma towards food security and food sovereignty, emerging from the bottom up and supported from the top down; and regenerates the land, the people and forms part of a larger purpose
3. Enable the community to build their capacity to grow regenerative livelihoods on various levels; understand their potential to contribute to the project and the larger vision of establishing a foodway across Dodoma and becoming more resilient.  
   A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT – WHO IS INVOLVED?
The development of the Msalato Community Farm in Dodoma has been made possible by collaboration and contributions of many. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) which is funding the INTERACT-Bio project INTERACT-Bio is managed and coordinated in Tanzania by ICLEI Africa, ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center and the UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. The implementation on the ground is being undertaken by BORDA Africa, Nipe Fagio and Inhabit Earth, with the support from the Dodoma City Council and the residents of the Msalato Community.
To make sure the voices that matter are heard, BORDA Africa, Nipe Fagio and Inhabit Earth have been engaging and working closely with the Msalato community members to regenerate the ecology of the Msalato site, to create a vibrant and productive landscape.  
        Image 1: A Google Earth aerial image of the Msalato site (demarcated by the red points)  
        Image 2: A photo taken during the site visits depicting what the site looks like on the ground  
   WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? 
The project kicked off in February 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic brought about some unforeseen challenges and delays to the inception of the project. With ongoing uncertainty, ICLEI Africa and the implementation team adapted their initial approach in order to get the project moving. Through correspondence with the Dodoma City Council, via letters and emails, the team made a request for a short list of possible sites for the project. In August 2020, the Dodoma City Council provided ICLEI Africa and the implementation team with a short list of sites. BORDA Africa and several city representatives visited each site to gather information, evaluate the sites and take photos. This information was presented to ICLEI Africa and the rest of the implementation team and the most suitable site, Msalato, was selected for the demonstration project.  
   About the site: 
The Msalato site is a government owned site situated approximately 15km outside the Dodoma City Centre and covers roughly 4 hectares. The site was previously used for agricultural activities, such as growing cash and food crops (millet, maize, cassava, ground nuts and sun flowers). Residents of the Msalato community live around the site, with a secondary school in close proximity. Socio-economic activities in the area comprise of small business centers and an agricultural and livestock market on Saturdays. There is also future potential in the area, as this part of the city is believed to be earmarked for the development of the new Dodoma international airport, due to the quick access to the city centre via the paved road.   
   Following the site selection, the BORDA Africa and Inhabit Earth team starting conceptualizing the design for different components of the community farm using the regenerative agriculture concept and a Google Earth aerial image. The design of the different components was then presented at a workshop with the Msalato community members, city council representatives and other relevant stakeholders. The workshop was held in March 2021 and was an opportunity for the community, city council representative and relevant stakeholders to contribute towards shaping the design for the site into something they would like to see in the area.  
        Image 3: Group discussions during the community co-design workshop in March 2021  
        Image 4: Participants that attended the community co-design workshop in March 2021  
   BORDA Africa and Inhabit Earth incorporated the discussions from the workshop into the final design for the Msalato Community Farm. The design was finalized in May 2021, with the implementation team then beginning their preparations for the implementation on the ground over a few weeks, beginning at the end of June 2021. The design for the community farm comprises several phases and, as part of the INTERACT-Bio demonstration project and available funding, Phase 1 will be implemented. The community and Dodoma City Council do, however, have the design and when additional funding is secured, will be able to implement the next phases. The concept and idea behind the design is that the community farm has long term sustainability and can expand as and when it is possible.
On-the-ground project implementation began at the end of June 2021, when BORDA Africa, Inhabit Earth and Nipe Fagio travelled to Dodoma and started work at the Msalato site. During this time the site was measured and marked by the team and the earthworks and shaping of the different design components were completed. The Msalato community was also engaged during these activities and some community members provided support in the shaping of components. A water exploration survey was also conducted during this time to evaluate whether a borehole would be a reliable and affordable source of water, as water is a critical resource for plants to become established once planted.  
        Image 5: The Msalato Community Farm design which is being implemented  
        Image 6: The community getting involved in the earth moving and shaping of the different design components in June 2021  
   Later this year, once the team set up a reliable and affordable water course, the community and implementation team will start planting. The water source will enable the community to nurture the plants until they grow and produce and seasonal rains begin. To ensure the project’s sustainability, community members will also be trained on establishing and caring for the different components of the farm during the planting and once the implementation team have completed the first phase of the design. By empowering the local community and encouraging agency, they will take responsibility for the project going forward and train others in the community to ensure its completion when the funds become available, ultimately providing the Msalato community with a beautiful, natural space that not only combats climate change, but also provides health and nutrition to their people.  

             
      

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Dodoma

German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety

 City of Dodoma

UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

BORDA Africa

Nipe Fagio

Inhabit Earth

INTERACT-Bio, a ICLEI Program, is implementing Foodways in Msalato, a district of Dodoma, Tanzania. Foodways, a novel approach to land use pioneered by&nbsp;Inhabit Earth, are&nbsp;corridors of productive landscapes that form a living partnership between human communities and natural systems, each continually regenerating the other. Through principles of regenerative agriculture, foodways enable communities to have a greater degree of ownership of their food security.The project showcases how, if nature is embedded into urban planning, it can enhance human well-being and provide socio-economic opportunities whilst addressing wider issues such as environmental degradation and climate change.

Dodoma implements a Foodway for urban farming

Following a comprehensive multi-stakeholder consultation effort, the Urban- LEDS City of Bogor reviewed its existing spatial planning frameworks and strategically integrated low emission development into its 5-year Development Plan. A comprehensive Strategic Environment Assessment also increased awareness and efforts across the city government for energy efficiency and other low emissions development working areas.The&nbsp;5-year mid-term Development Plan (RPJMD), which speaks to Bogor's determination to strategically implement LEDS, prioritizes: introducing integrated low-emission transportation systems that emphasize pedestrians and cyclists; establishing city-wide waste management schemes and facilities; the development of green building standards to accelerate the use of low emission development technologies, materials, and design strategies; improving spatial planning and urban development projects to reduce vulnerability to climate-related risks; and enhancing accessibility and user-friendliness of urban facilities in general, in order to improve overall quality of life.

Low Emissions Development Plan - Bogor

ICLEI experts are guiding 10 pilot cities in developing circular economy strategies using the Circle City Scan Tool, an online tool developed by Circle Economy to enable local governments and city change agents to identify and prioritise circular opportunities in their city or region. The ten participating cities are Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Rabat, Morocco; Batangas, Philippines; Bogor City, Indonesia; Bogor Regency, Indonesia; Quezon, Philippines; Bonn, Germany; and Turku, Finland.

Circle City Scan Tool Pilots: Piloting a circular economy opportunity discovery tool in 10 cities around the world

The Circular Cities declaration is a commitment for cities and regions to use the levers at their disposal to transition from a linear to a circular economy. The declaration has been signed by over 30 cities throughout Europe, and brings knowledge experts towards a circular, and more resilient, future.&nbsp;

The Circular Cities Declaration

Turku is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2029 and is using circular economy principles to address GHG emissions in a systemic manner. The Circular Turku project showcases how circularity supports climate action in practice with priority areas in food, water, construction, energy, transport and logistics. This collaboration with ﻿ICLEI&nbsp;ensures the actions identified as part of the roadmap are inclusive, build on community initiatives and create opportunities for all residents. This will offer tangible learnings for other local governments globally and replicable guidelines to incorporate social equity into circular economy planning.

Circular Turku project

Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, is one of Africa's most rapidly growing cities. As a consequence of the need for more space, Lilongwe's green spaces have been endangered by the increasing urban population.&nbsp;To tackle this issue, Lilongwe City Council has stepped up and developed an action plan to integrate biodiversity into its planning decisions. The progress of dealing with biodiversity has been started by a previously drafted National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the pilot project by ICLEI called Local Action for Biodiversity.