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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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Policy case

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

Increase Awareness

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)

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes

Education and Government Services

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Marketplaces or services that enable the second hand sale of products

Second-hand sale, distribution

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

Participating in government programmes that support and advance the circular economy

Government programmes

Other

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

Inform

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

 Convene Towards Action

Matchmaking platforms

Information campaigns

Use longer and more often by extending and intensifying use of existing resources, products, spaces and infrastructure

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Reuse

Create and support online platforms and physical spaces for sale, sharing and exchange of spaces, items and materials.

Facilitate second-hand markets, sharing & exchange platforms

Manufactured goods, such as vehicles, textiles, appliances and equipment and their associated production processes are big employers but:
- production processes often rely on fossil fuels and currently drive one-third of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its GHG production, 
- material- and energy-intensive industrial activities are linked to deforestation and drive 15% on both the land use and freshwater planetary boundaries, 
- manufacturing goods results in substantial amounts of hazardous industrial waste and leaks chemicals into the environment.

Here, circular solutions must tackle the full value chain, but material demand must also shrink: this will necessitate a societal shift to favouring sufficiency over excess and reducing consumption to sustainable levels. Our four key solutions for manufactured goods are:
- Mainstream industrial symbiosis and efficiency : Achieve process improvements, scrap diversion and reduction in yield losses through greater industrial symbiosis and efficiency. Foster tighter collaboration within and between industries to deliver powerful material and emissions savings.
- Extend the lifetime of machinery, equipment, and goods: Maximise the lifetime of goods that serve our daily needs to bring a number of environmental benefits. 
- Buy what's needed: Reduce the number of purchases of common electronic goods, appliances, and other equipment to sufficiency levels. 
- Eschew fast fashion in favour of sustainable textiles: Drastically reduce new clothing purchases. All used clothing should go on to be repaired, reused or, if needed, recycled appropriately. Prioritise natural and local textile manufacturing, as well as higher-quality and more durable garments. 




👕📱 Consumer Goods

Businesses

Governments

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

Policies

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

Nace Sectors

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

 Every year New York City landfills 200 million pounds of clothing (equivalent to over 440 Statues of Liberty). Globally, 73% of the materials used to produce clothing are landfilled or burned at the end of their life, while less than 1% of old clothing goes on to be used to make new clothing.
In spring 2019,  some of the biggest names in fashion are collaborating for the first time in a campaign to save clothes from landfill in New York. Brands work alongside New York City Department of Sanitation, New York City Economic Development Corporation, collectors, recyclers, resale companies, and Make Fashion Circular, as part of #WearNext – a city-wide effort to tackle waste and pollution in the fashion industry. DESCRIPTION OF INITIATIVE
From 4th March to 9th June 2019, the Make Fashion Circular #WearNext campaign aimed to make sure the city’s old clothes find a new life. Participating stores and other locations across the city acted as drop off points. Every available drop off point – more than 1,100 in total – were marked on a new online map created by the New York City Department of Sanitation, to make it as easy as possible to save clothes from being landfilled. WHO’S INVOLVED?
The campaign has been initiated by:

City of New York: New York City Department of Sanitation, New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Make Fashion Circular
Brands: ASOS, Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, H&M, Reformation, Zara
Collectors/Resale/Reuse/Recycling Bank and Vogue, Hallotex, I:CO, Lenzing, ThredUP
 MORE INFO
WearNext campaign 

New York

New York City government

A large amount of worn clothing is burnt, or worse, deposited in landfills. In New York City alone, the clothes disposed in landfills every year amount to 100'000 tonnes. The City of New York collaborated with retail partners, recyclers, collectors and resellers to create a campaign called #WearNext that should spread awareness for this issue. As a result, a widely shared interactive map displaying points to drop off used clothes was created and shared, and a campaign was run via posters, press and social media. This led to a significant increase of drop-offs and interest from other cities.

#WearNext textile recycling campaign

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

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

Biodiversity

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

Water and Sewage

Providing recreational and cultural services, including hotels, resorts, casinos, sport and fitness centers, stadiums, golf courses and amusement parks, restaurants, bars, pubs, fast-food or take-out facilities, as well as libraries and museums

Hospitality and Tourism

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

Agriculture

Consider opportunities to create greater value and align incentives that build on the interaction between products and services

Rethink the business model

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use

Design for the future

Replace freshwater with less impactful alternatives and enact water efficiency measures

Regenerative water

Ensure that biological products are properly managed and preserved

Maximise lifetime of biological products

Designing to reduce waste during production and use

Design out waste

Industry peers to industry peer collaboration to create joint value and identify synergies

Industry collaboration

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Engage with the local community where facilities or offices are located

Community collaboration

Preserving and conserving biological products such as food, forests, etc.

Preservation, conservation

Managing and enriching biological products such as soil, land, etc.

Management, enrichment

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

Manage

Infrastructure

Develop regenerative infrastructure

'Regulate' changes the rules of the systems to achieve compliance through enforcement. 


Regulate

Legislation

'Incentivise' sends market signals and support to businesses, citizens and governments to promote certain activities.

Incentivise

 Fiscal Frameworks

Subsidies

Other legislation

**Harmonize with nature** by promoting infrastructure, production systems and sourcing that allows natural ecosystems to thrive




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Regenerate

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

Includes measures that protect and enhance ecosystems and biodiversity both within and beyond city boundaries, as well as actions to restore degraded ecosystems.


Protect and restore local ecosystems

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

New Yorkers like to brag about their tap water. Not only is it safe to swill, but it has even been called the “champagne of drinking water.”Now, New York City has committed $1 billion to protect the nation’s largest municipal water system as part of a far-reaching 115-page agreement with state health officials that makes New York one of the few cities in the country that can provide nearly all of its tap water without being forced to rely on expensive filtration plants.“The city’s water system could well be its single most important capital asset — or at least on par with the subway system,” said Eric A. Goldstein, a senior lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group. “Imagine living without clean running water in New York City for even a single day. Life as we know it would grind to a halt.”New York’s immaculate water supply is backed by science, lots of it. Every day, dozens of scientists monitor the quality of the city’s drinking water, collecting samples by hand that are tested no less than 600,000 times a year for more than 250 variables, including pollutants. They are augmented by a growing army of robotic monitors that have been plunged into far-flung reservoirs, testing the water another 1.6 million times a year.ImageEvery day, dozens of scientists monitor the quality of the city’s drinking water, collecting samples that are tested no less than 600,000 times a year.Credit...Piotr Redlinski for The New York TimesThis enormous monitoring apparatus is one critical part of New York City’s drinking water supply, ensuring the safety of more than a billion gallons of water flowing daily through a sprawling network of three pristine lakes, 19 reservoirs, and mile after mile of aqueducts and tunnels. About 90 percent of that water never sees the inside of a filtration plant, flowing from huge reservoirs as far as 125 miles away in the rural Catskill Mountains.New York has spent more than $1.7 billion to protect this unfiltered water supply since the early 1990s, in return for being granted a succession of federal and state waivers exempting it from costly filtration requirements. It is one of only five cities nationally — along with Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, Ore. — that have an unfiltered water supply. This marvel of water engineering has attracted visits from scientists and government officials from Australia, China, India, Singapore and Colombia.The financial stakes are high. Vincent Sapienza, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, said that if the city were refused a waiver, it would have to spend more than $10 billion to build a massive filtration plant, and at least another $100 million annually on its operation — which would be “the largest capital project that the city has ever taken on.” Water bills would have to rise significantly to cover the cost, he said.The city already filters 10 percent of its drinking water from a dozen small reservoirs surrounded by development in Westchester and Putnam counties. In 2015, it opened a $3.2 billion filtration plant under a golf driving range at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.The city’s new $1 billion investment in the drinking water system will be used to reinforce and expand a host of programs that protect the one million acres of watershed land surrounding the reservoirs that supply the unfiltered drinking water. The biggest chunk, or $200 million, will be used to maintain and upgrade dozens of wastewater treatment plants. Ensuring the adequate collection and treatment of wastewater, including sewage, is crucial because that wastewater is cleaned and released back into the environment and eventually reaches the rivers and streams that feed the reservoirs.Allison Dewan, right, and Paul Perri, scientists for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, gathering water samples from a tributary of the Ashokan reservoir.Credit...Piotr Redlinski for The New York TimesAnother $180 million will go toward reducing pollution from working farms and managing forests to remove old and dead trees to make room for young trees that absorb more nutrients from rain and snow melt that run into the reservoirs. There will also be $150 million for shoring up eroding streams to improve water quality and support flood mitigation projects.In addition, $96 million has been allocated for preserving land from development, especially in critical streamside areas, and $85 million will be used to expand a program that repairs or replaces septic systems for homes and small businesses to municipal buildings, churches and other nonprofit groups as well.The new agreement is the result of more than six months of negotiations between city and state officials, along with input from environmental and public health advocates, and representatives of upstate residents near the reservoirs.“New Yorkers have a powerful impact when working toward a common goal — the protection of clean drinking water and lands that provide it,” said Dr. Howard A. Zucker, the state health commissioner. “That is the spirit behind this agreement.”New York City’s modern water system dates to 1842 when water flowed down from the first reservoir in Westchester — created by building a dam on the Croton River — in what would become known as the Croton system. It replaced a local patchwork of ponds, streams, wells and cisterns that were inadequate for a growing city, resulting in shortages during the Great Fire of 1835 and outbreaks of cholera from contaminated water.A dam on the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, N.Y.Credit...Piotr Redlinski for The New York TimesThe new water system was welcomed with parades, fireworks, and fountains shooting plumes of water 50 feet into the air. Eventually, the Croton system grew to a dozen reservoirs, but it was not enough. So in the early 1900s, city officials looked further north and started building the much larger Catskill and Delaware water systems — an immense undertaking that involved relocating residents and cemeteries and submerging entire villages.Today, with three water systems, the city no longer has to worry about where to get its water. Yet it has faced challenges in keeping the water from the Catskill and Delaware systems safe enough to drink. The federal government has generally required surface drinking water systems to be filtered since the late 1980s, granting waivers to New York beginning in 1993 as long as the city’s unfiltered drinking water met federal and state water quality standards. The unfiltered water is disinfected with ultraviolet light and chlorine.The New York State Health Department took over direct oversight of the city’s drinking water system in 2007, and last month issued the latest waiver for 10 years, including a public review process to be conducted at the five-year midpoint. State health officials said that they regularly review the city’s water quality and conduct on-site inspections of the reservoirs and disinfection stations. The new agreement also calls for an independent review of the city’s water protection efforts by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.“The water continues to be of a very high quality,” said Brad Hutton, a deputy state health commissioner.Mr. Goldstein concurred that the city’s water protection efforts have been successful, but added that “this is no time to let down one’s guard.” He pointed to climate change as a growing problem, leading to more storms and floods and rapid snow melts that could increase the turbidity of the water in the reservoirs.More than a billion gallons of water flow daily through a sprawling network of three pristine lakes, 19 reservoirs, and mile after mile of aqueducts and tunnels.Credit...Piotr Redlinski for The New York TimesCity environmental officials said they are expanding their efforts to address the impact of climate change on the watershed, including setting aside more money to buy out homeowners in flood-prone areas and pay for engineering studies of flood hazards in towns and villages.The city’s efforts have not only safeguarded its water system, but also provided tangible economic benefits to residents of upstate towns and villages in the watershed — helping to smooth lingering tensions over the reservoirs, which were built decades ago on land seized by eminent domain. The city’s investment in the water system has created local construction jobs, and funded development loans to hospitals, restaurants and small businesses, a far cry from the economic distress in many parts of northern New York.The Catskill Watershed Corporation, whose board members include local town supervisors, has used city money to reimburse private property owners for treating storm water runoff, and for elevating homes and relocating businesses in flood areas. It has also sponsored school programs about the watershed, including having children raise trout in classrooms that they later release in the Catskills.But its most popular program may be one that has given out more than $40 million to reimburse a total of 5,200 homeowners and small businesses for the repair or replacement of aging septic systems that they might otherwise have to pay for themselves. Those septic systems now treat 1.7 million gallons of sewage a day.“Homeowners get a septic system that is working and the city gets 1.7 million gallons of clean water,” said Timothy Cox, a lawyer for the corporation. “It has been successful in not only preserving the watershed but also the community character of the watershed.”

 The Croton Reservoir. Photo credit: Patrick Stahl
New York City is world-renowned for its clean and delicious drinking water. The NYC watershed delivers roughly 1.2 billion gallons of water each day to 8 million NYC residents and 1 million residents of Westchester, Putnam, Orange and Ulster Counties. The watershed’s forests, swamps and soils act as natural filters, removing pollutants, and making NYC’s drinking water supply the largest unfiltered system in the U.S. But in 2013, the Croton Water Filtration Plant, currently under construction in the Bronx, will begin filtering 1.2 million cubic meters or 10% of New York’s water supply each day.
Photo credit: NYC DEP
Operated and maintained by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),  the NYC watershed consists of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes in a 2,000-square-mile area in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River Valley, north and northwest of NYC. 95% of the water is conveyed by gravity alone through a remarkable 6,200-mile long system of pipes, tunnels and aqueducts. The Catskill and Delaware watersheds, west of the Hudson River, provide 90% of NYC’s water. The Croton water system, which began operation in 1842, is located east of the Hudson. It supplies 10% of NYC’s drinking water mainly to the Bronx and parts of Manhattan, but is capable of supplying up to 30% in times of drought. So that water can be exchanged among the watersheds in case of local drought or excess precipitation, the three water systems are interconnected.
While NYC’s water is unfiltered, it does get treated with chlorine to kill germs, fluoride to prevent cavities, orthophosphate to inhibit lead contamination from pipes, and sodium hydroxide to lessen acidity. In order for drinking water to remain unfiltered and earn a Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that a water system not be the source of a waterborne disease, not exceed set limits for coliform bacteria (indicators of fecal contamination and sewage) and turbidity (murkiness caused by suspended solids), and curb levels for trihalomethane (a chemical used in solvents and refrigerants) and disinfectant residues. The system must also implement a program that can minimize microbial contamination of the water, and control local activities to ensure protection of the watershed. To guarantee that NYC water meets these standards, the DEP conducts over 900 daily and 330,000 annual tests on drinking water throughout the city, as well as 230,000 tests in the watershed.
Since the early 1990s, NYC has been granted FADs, allowing water from the Catskill/Delaware system to remain unfiltered. The FAD is contingent upon the DEP providing ultraviolet (UV) radiation disinfection for the water, so a $1.5 billion UV disinfection facility, which will be the world’s largest when it opens in 2012, is currently under construction in Mt. Pleasant, NY.
NYC has been successful in obtaining FADs largely due to the landmark 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) negotiated by NYC and New York State agencies, the EPA, upstate communities and environmental groups. The MOA established a watershed protection program that limits activities affecting water quality such as construction, septic system installation, and the building of water treatment plants. It provides for land acquisition, enabling NYC to buy up environmentally sensitive watershed lands from willing sellers and keep them from being developed. And it set up partnership programs with local watershed communities to fund septic system upgrades, repair infrastructure, and deal with agriculture-related and other pollution.
The need to filter water from the Croton system was discussed as far back as 1908, but at the time, chlorination was selected as the best approach to the water quality issues. Although Croton water meets public health standards, it does not always meet the aesthetic standards for water quality. Compared to the other two watersheds, the Croton reservoirs contain more natural organic matter, such as algae, associated with eutrophication, and iron from bottom sediments; at times, these affect the water’s color, odor and taste. Moreover, the Croton watershed is much more populated and developed than the Catskill/Delaware watershed, resulting in more paved surfaces and increased stormwater runoff and pollution. Because of water quality problems, the Croton system went offline for parts of 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1998, and was completely shut down for most of 2000 and 2001.
In 1989, EPA’s new Surface Water Treatment Rule required that all surface drinking water be filtered unless it met tough water quality and disinfection criteria. In addition, the Safe Drinking Water Act mandated all surface water to be filtered by June 1993 unless it could meet strict public health standards. As a result of these more stringent regulations, when the EPA issued the FAD for NYC’s Catskill/Delaware system in 1993, it determined that Croton water would need to be filtered and disinfected because it would be unable to meet all the standards required for filtration avoidance.
Construction on the Croton Water Filtration Plant finally began in 2007 after a complex series of delays caused by lawsuits, changes in agreements and missed deadlines. Following the pullout of the low bidder, Skanska Northeast and the Tully Construction Company were awarded the largest construction contract in New York’s history.
Croton Water Filtration Plant under construction. Photo credit: DEP
The estimated $2.8 billion project, to be operated by the DEP, will be one of the largest filtration plants in the U.S. The 9-acre, 4-story-deep site is located under the Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx; most of the land will eventually be restored as a golf course. Water arriving from the Croton Reservoir in Westchester County will be filtered for particulate removal; solids will be skimmed off, then dewatered by a centrifuge before being disposed of; the filtered water will be disinfected with UV and chlorine; and after being chemically adjusted, orthophosphate to control corrosion and fluoride will be added. Two huge water tunnels 8,000 feet long that will bring water into the plant and deliver fresh water to the Jerome Park Reservoir distribution system have already been completed. The plant is expected to begin operation in 2013.
The Croton Water Filtration Plant will enhance NYC’s water supply, as it will put an end to Croton shutdowns, add to the flexibility of the overall water system, and improve water quality for New York residents. Maintaining NYC’s high quality drinking water, however, depends on continued protection of the watersheds. According to Riverkeeper, the environmental watchdog organization for the Hudson River and the NYC watershed, NYC has so far spent about $1.5 billion on watershed protection strategies, a good deal that has bought New Yorkers some of the best and least expensive water in the world. But If NYC is unable to safeguard the 90% of its water that comes from the Catskill/Delaware watershed, EPA has the option to require that it too be filtered. Riverkeeper estimates that the cost of filtering the Catskill/Delaware water would be $8 to $12 billion to construct a plant, and $350 million a year to operate it.
Learn more about how to protect the NYC watershed.
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Columbia Water Center demonstrates research-based solutions to global freshwater scarcity and climate-related water risks.  Follow Columbia Water Center on Facebook and Twitter   I'd like to get more stories like this.   

 1997 New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement   News  Read over the historic 1997 New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement among the partners involved in protecting this tremendously valuable water supply. Explore the various components of the MOA, including the City of New York’s Land Acquisition Program, New York City Watershed Rules and Regulations, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Filtration Avoidance Determination. Table of Contents (pdf)  Article I  (pdf) Article II  (pdf) Article III  (pdf) Article IV  (pdf) Article V  (pdf) Article VI  (pdf)    

Sampling in the stream not far from Montreal (Canada)I am like a child again, sitting with all I don’t know. I am part of a group that has followed a scientific researcher to his research site, a stream tucked away in a mountain, accessible via a bumpy rugged drive. To say he comes to this spot often is an understatement. In fact he spends days on end, painstakingly sampling the stream in hopes of capturing little bits of stream life that he can haul back to the lab for analysis, offering a single data entry into a multi-year study.With enough data, over time, years even, conclusions can be made. When he asks us “Is the stream gathering water and moving it or do streams change it ?” we all look puzzled. Patient, he asks again in other words “Is the stream like a pipe or is something else happening ?” I sit with the simplicity of the question. Of course something is happening with the streams and it dawns on me that without specific data of exactly what, it is difficult to change the course of human development and action around streams. It begins to sink in how this work is a labor of love. I begin to see this young scientist and all his dedication with new eyes.Standing in the stream bed as we ponder on the role and impact of streams.We are at a training that brings together social innovators and ecosystem scientists to co-learn about participatory leadership and co-creation processes, and along the way, each other. It takes place at the most appropriate venue, the Biology Research Station of the University of Montreal in Canada, currently directed by Roxane Maranger, an aquatic ecosystem ecologist, and one of our “hosts”. Created in the 1960’s, the research station serves as a baseline, as a pristine data point, since the rest of the lands nearby have given way to human development. We have to remind ourselves that though it feels like a retreat centre due to the abundance of nature, in fact the mission of this place is research. Our training event is appropriately called There’s no planet B.This is an Art of Hosting training with a particular theme. Art of Hosting is a form of leadership for co-creation of innovation to address complex challengesThe young scientist, who goes by the name of Charles, taught me a new term that day : “ecosystem services”. While “natural resources” are things, ecosystem services weave in layers of complexity with all the interdependences within an ecosystem. We can begin to link how a network of healthy streams contribute to oxygenated water running into our rivers and seas. Charles has the weight of the dead zone in the gulf of Mexico on his shoulders and the possibility that here in Quebec, Canada we could have one too if we are not careful.* He knows all too well that when nature is deprived on doing her thing, removing nitrates in this case, disastrous effects can happen hundreds of kilometres away. Simply put, ecosystem services are benefits humans gain from nature, such as absorbing pollutants we put into the ecosystem, for free. With an ecosystem service lens we can look at a stream or a forest or a lake with all that it may offer as a service, nearby and far away. Some other ecosystem services include: climate regulation, flood control, air purification. Ecosystem science helps us to understand the ecosystem services that are invisible to the eye. That is why it is a labour of love and so essential to understand if we are to live sustainably..After a bumpy ride up the mountain Charles Charrier-Tremblay welcomes us to his sample site with his co-advising professor Jean-François Lapierre.**Where was ecosystem science making a difference? I wanted a tangible example where ecosystem science had been heeded by decision makers. I asked three scientists and each one gave me the same answer: the water treatment plant of New York City. It is a fascinating and powerful example.Time Square evening rush by Andreas KomodromosIn the 1990s New York City was at a turning point with its drinking water and needed to build a new water treatment plant to filter its water supply. The foreseen budget was 8–12 billion dollars plus 300 million dollars annual maintenance fees for the new plant. But another option was possible that was hugely cheaper. Rather than building a water treatment plant, New York could simply ensure the quality of water in the streams and rivers of its watershed in the Catskill Mountains and in so doing avoid the need to filter water all together.*** This meant buying up natural lands and protecting them from development, funding septic system upgrades and infrastructure repairs in the watershed communities and offering financial incentives for farmers to shift to non polluting agricultural practices.The beautiful Catskill Mountains 2 and a half hours outside New York City (photo by Mitchell Joyce)This is what they did, adopting in 1997 the New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement. The ecosystem service strategy cost only 300 million dollars, saving the city billions of dollars and protecting an essential ecoservice now and into the future. Every day 1.2 billion gallons of water travels, mostly via gravity, from the Catskills providing 90% of New York’s drinking water. The bonus in the process is the Catskill Mountains watershed not only provides clean and affordable water that doesn’t require major treatment, but also the beauty of the region is protected.Photo by Christa LohmanThis example shows that major multi-sector collaboration, ecosystem science and good will can help us find a way to work with nature to provide one of the cleanest drinking waters in the world. I learn that Roxanne and Charles are working on our own mini NYC with a local municipality and I am keen to collaborate.****As I learn to truly face the physical limitations of the planet, the research of scientists like Charles gives me hope. I begin to see potential. At the same time, my work in co-creation, co-design, collaborative partnerships and platforms, seems more important than ever before. It’s going to take some serious conversation, collaboration and partnering to able to develop creative, smart solutions that can carry us into our future.As we were leaving the site, Charles had us stop for a moment and look out at the view. “What’s that ecosystem service there?” he asked, giving us a moment. As I tried to come up with a smart scientific answer, Charles, gently smiling, states, “Beauty and calming”, that is another ecosystem service._________________________________________________________________Notes*Roxane offers further science on this point: Human activities, such as extensive farming, have loaded excess nutrients to the Gulf coast through the streams that feed the Mississippi River, which has resulted in excessive plant growth, its decay, and subsequent oxygen loss in coastal waters that deprive fish and other species of their habit. This oxygen loss, or hypoxia, is an important threat to many coastal ecosystems all over the world** Charles Charrier-Tremblay has two co-advisors Roxane Maranger and Jean-François Lapierre***Roxane offers some scientific nuance: All drinking water that comes from surface water needs to be treated at some level, even if it is really clean. The difference is the degree of treatment which is what made this decision so incredibly brilliant!****Roxane is creating a Lab, called RéseauLab, which mixes ecoservice science with codesign methods to work with stakeholders for social-ecological innovation. It is currently being tested in a relationship with a local municipality to protect their ground and surface water. Working closely with stakeholders, research from graduate students provides both the understanding of the threats as well as the solutions as to which areas need more protection in order to maintain water quality into the future.Further readingThe historic 1997 New York City Watershed Memorandum of AgreementA 2011 article in State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University providing and update on all 3 NYC watersheds: Maintaining the Superiority of NYC’s Drinking WaterRecent 2018 article in New York Times providing an update on further efforts to protect New York’s watersheds that supply unfiltered water: A Billion Dollar Investment in New York’s WaterInformation on the Art of Hosting training There is No Planet B and other Art of Hosting trainings that take place around the world.Information on the University of Montreal Biology Field Station (in French)__________________________________________Announcement: We will be organizing another social innovator-scientist gathering at the Field station outside Montreal in July 2019. Stay tuned!

Rather than building a water treatment plant, New York ensured the quality of water in the streams and rivers of its watershed in the Catskill Mountains and in so doing avoided the need to build an expensive water filtration system in the city. This meant buying up natural lands and protecting them from development, funding septic system upgrades and infrastructure repairs in the watershed communities and offering financial incentives for farmers to shift to non polluting agricultural practices.

Invest in ecosystem services for longer term positive impacts on water supply

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Scalability

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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

Reduce Energy Consumption

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Producing building materials and finished and semi-finished building products for construction

Construction Materials and Products

Integrating circular economy thinking into employee evaluations that are tied to professional compensation

Financial incentives tied to circular economy

Encourage workplace training

Tax breaks

Prioritize solutions that use the power of functioning ecosystems as infrastructure to provide natural services to benefit society and the environment; consider nature-based replacements for grey infrastructure.

Promote solutions inspired and supported by nature

The built environment, including housing, commercial buildings, and the necessary infrastructure for mobility, is essential for our livelihoods, but:
- the extraction of minerals used to produce construction materials is responsible for a quarter of global land use change,
- approximately 40% of global GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings’ construction, use and demolition, and
- construction and demolition processes drive nearly one-third of all material consumption. 

Making the built environment more circular must prioritise a heavy reduction in material use—while also closing the loop on materials and bringing secondary and renewable material choices to the fore. Our four key solutions for the built environment are:
- Make the most of what already exists: Make the most of existing materials by reusing, repurposing, upgrading and renovating following circular approaches. Where new builds are needed, use secondary materials and be as efficient as possible with urban planning solutions that follow circular design principles so that buildings can be reused, repurposed, and easily disassembled in the future.
- Be as energy efficient as possible: From the design phase, utilise circular strategies to create material- and energy efficient buildings. Couple these designs with a rollout of clean energy solutions, and prioritise energy-efficient appliances and retrofitting. 
- Utilise secondary materials: Maximise the high-value reuse of buildings and components where possible. Ideally, enable the utilisation of construction and demolition outputs and ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled to avoid the need for virgin materials, such as sand and gravel.
- Prioritise circular materials and approaches: Transition to using renewable wood, timber or cross-laminated timber instead of steel and concrete, or move to other locally available materials. Utilise mainstream modular construction and prioritise lightweight frames and structures to reduce cement and steel use, as well as green roofs where possible.



🏢 Built Environment

  Published: 13 May 2016Seoul dismantled an old highway and revived a stream, the city, and local spirit, through the creation of the Seoul Greenway.
OverviewThe Cheonggyecheon stream revitalization project in downtown Seoul is a triumph of urban renewal. The heart of the city is now a green waterfront park complemented with improved public transport, giving citizens with a better way of life. Prior to restoration, Cheonggyecheon was a dilapidated roadway and expressway with more than 168,000 cars passing every single day. But instead of investing millions of dollars to upgrade this congestion-inducing and pollution-producing behemoth, the city government—in a landmark decision—opted to demolish it. Then Mayor Lee Myung-bak, who eventually became the President of the Republic of Korea, led the project. Said to have contributed to his political win, the restoration turned Seoul into a global metropolis with a mind for sustainability.  Project snapshotJuly 2003: Highway demolitionSeptember 2004: ConstructionMay 2005: LandscapingJune 2005: First water supply started; test phase startedSeptember 2005: Test phase finalizedOctober 2005: Grand opening$380 million (estimated $446 million in 2012) :Government- and partner-funded FinancingSeoul Metropolitan Government, and a few partnersPlanning and designSeoul Metropolitan GovernmentCheo nggyecheon Restoration CentreSeoAhn Total LandscapeExecuting agencySeoul Metropolitan GovernmentOthersSeoul Development Institute, Cheonggyecheon Restoration Citizens CommitteeContextCheonggyecheon was once a landmark stream steeped in history. Cutting across Seoul, Cheonggyecheon—which translates to clear valley stream—became a victim of urbanization towards the middle of the 20th century. The riverside was lined with shanties and sanitation became an issue. To resolve this, the river was covered with concrete and turned into a 6 km roadway around the late 1950s. By 1971, Cheonggyecheon had a 5.8 km 6-lane elevated highway to accommodate the increasing vehicular traffic in the capital.

For a while, this infrastructure served its purpose. Seoul became a bustling city with its largest commercial center situated in the Cheonggyecheon area. However, by 2000, the highway reached its point of obsolescence. Engineers from the Korean Society of Civil Engineering estimated that it would cost $95 million to fix.
ChallengeSafety risks due to a derelict structure
Engineers from the Korean Society of Civil Engineering found the expressway to lack structural integrity during a study in 2000. Prior to this assessment, only small cars had been allowed to pass since 1997. Carbon monoxide, methane and other gases accumulating at the sewer and drain level below the road were noted to have led to the foundation's corrosion. Repairing the infrastructure would entail a massive budget and a significant overhaul.
Increasing air and noise pollution
The Cheonggyecheon road and expressway carried over 168,000 cars on a daily basis (65,810 moving down the road and 102,747 moving up the elevated road). This volume of traffic posed health concerns for the surrounding communities. Air was severely polluted with unsafe levels of particle matter, nitrogen oxide and benzene. A health survey found that people residing and working around Cheonggyecheon were more than twice as likely to suffer respiratory diseases compared to people in other districts. In addition, noise pollution exceeded standards for commercial areas.
Community in decline, loss of competitiveness
Traffic congestion, combined with safety and health hazards, contributed to an unfavorable living environment. Development around the central business district soon ceased, population and employment decreased, and some company headquarters moved to Gangnam. This spiraled into Cheonggyecheon losing its competitiveness. The elevated highway, though providing access and connecting the city's north and south sides, had also cut through neighborhoods and over time, this segmented communities. Locals likewise deemed the old highway an eyesore.
Technical, construction, and other project concerns
Removing the highway was seen as a radical move, and not many residents embraced the idea at the onset. Locals and some transportation experts thought this could worsen traffic congestion and disorder in the city. Businesses also opposed the project, citing removal of access and consumer foot traffic. Noise and dust from construction activities would also hamper business operations. As such, how to construct soundly and speedily became an added challenge for the city government, as well as how to recycle the waste generated from the demolition. Restoring the stream with constant flowing water was also a concern given that water supply was erratic in Cheonggyecheon, save for rains during summer season.
SolutionsRemove the expressway and restore the river
The grave safety and health risks supported the rational e for dismantling the old road and elevated highway. In its place, the value of an ecofriendly, livable city was raised. Then Mayor Myung-Bak Lee proposed a paradigm shift in urban management: a Seoul that is for people and not for cars. With the revitalization project, lesser budget was also required and there would be no costly maintenance fees.

Develop a green corridor and strengthen public transport systems
Removing the expressway and the many vehicles that traverse it improved the city's air quality and noise levels. The new waterfront with its teeming biodiversity enhanced this further. The resulting serene stretch additionally contributed to reducing the urban heat island effect in Seoul. Temperatures cooled along the corridor and even wind speeds increased.
More importantly, upgrading public transportation and prioritizing its use over car dependence helped pollution subside. The city government discouraged driving private vehicles in the city center and conducted a comprehensive rationalization of its bus services. They also integrated bus and rail for more seamless travel. In addition, they invested in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to manage routes and traffic operations and to introduce a smart card system, which will enable the public to conveniently transfer and pay across different transport modes. The outcome was an increase in ridership for both buses and metro.





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Plan with community in mind
For an effective urban paradigm shift, the city government engaged stakeholders through thorough consultations. They explained the value behind restoring the Cheonggyecheon stream over investing in an expressway, citing how it will address safety problems and mobility demand; reinstate history and culture through preservation of relics and street beautification; and, reenergize businesses. In particular, the government provided financial support and subsidies to business owners, and gave a special arrangement for street vendors. They also implemented parking reforms to stimulate commercial activity.
Along with these benefits for the people, the lands caping of the Cheonggyecheon itself became an attractive element of the city, drawing not only locals but also tourists. The former roadway became a green belt combining three zones: history, urban and culture, and nature. It cemented Cheonggyecheon as a place for hig h-quality living.

Integrate sustainability into the infrastructure design
Since part of the reason for revitalizing the Cheonggyecheon is to become an environmentally friendly city, the local government ensured that both project outcome and the process behind it were respectful of people and planet. During the demolition, they used diamond wire saws and wheel saws to minimize noise and dust. They generated 872,40 0 tons of waste (concrete and asphalt) and 96% of this was re used, while all of the scrap iron was recycled. For constant water supply, they fed in and treated water from the Han River and underground water from subway stations. They also future-proofed the waterfront by constructing embankments that can endure the worst kind of flood (noted to occur every 200 years).

Numbers and facts5.4 km in length72 m at its widest22 new bridges over the stream (5 for pedestrians and 17 for vehicles) 1.14 million tons of waste generated from demolition27 months duration of project until completion Results Key statistics64,000 daily visitors23.4 million  annual visitorsDozens  of new species reintroduced, including fish and birds35% reduction in small particles air pollutionAbout 170,000 cars removed5°C in temperature reduction6% to 10% increase in bus ridership, during construction period6% to 9% increase in subway ridership, during construction periodLessons Political will is critical
A progressive project, one that radically changes the norm, is primarily a matter of political will. The idea of destroying a major artery of the city in favor of an extensive park and cultural playground faced criticism. The ability to focus on the goal and get the public onboard takes patience and massive cooperation among stakeholders.
Develop organized multimodal transport systems
The revitalization of Cheonggyecheon is largely contingent on providing people with alternative transport. The city government reorganized its bus system, classifying routes into a color-coded scheme and adding rapid bus lines. They also enhanced the subway and introduced a smart card system, together with promoting walkability along the river corridor.
Think green cities
Cities worldwide look up to Seoul for the way it promoted this turnaround. From languishing in pollution and congestion, they redeveloped their city using nature. Unearthing the Cheonggyecheon stream and making it a place where people can congregate for leisure or bask in monuments of yore has enhanced quality of life.
ResourcesRelated links
Case Study: Creating Green Spaces in Guangzhou City
Ask the ExpertLeave your question or comment in the section below:     Korea, Republic of; Environment; Transport; Urban development   The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.    

 With more than 1.6 billion square feet of rooftops in New York City, green roofs and solar panels can help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Installing a green roof or solar panel may add substantial weight to your roof. Hire skilled and licensed professionals for installation. Tax incentives are available for making these improvements.


 Green Roofs
Green roofs have vegetation that absorbs rainwater, provides insulation and combats the heat island effect, where urban environments can be warmer than surrounding areas. Tax Abatement Eligibility
A green roof's design must meet specific requirements to be eligible for property tax abatement. For example, it must have a layer of vegetation covering 50% of the rooftop. Sedum, or drought-resistant, live plants, must be spaced to cover at least 80% of this planted layer. Plus, a New York State licensed professional engineer (P.E.), New York State registered architect (R.A.), New York State licensed and registered landscape architect or horticulturist must prepare a four-year maintenance plan. Installation
A green roof will add substantial weight to a building, so property owners must hire a P.E. or R.A. to perform a structural analysis. This will determine if the existing roof and its support system can hold the added load without modification. When filing the construction permit application, the P.E. or R.A. must certify specific technical elements, submit the structural analysis, confirm that the existing roof will be able to support the green roof when saturated and possibly provide additional drawings, calculations and construction documents. Within 15 days before the last day of the compliance period (the tax year in which the abatement is taken), the P.E., R.A. or landscape architect must inspect the green roof to certify continued compliance with New York State law and the Department's implementation rule.


 Solar Panels
Solar power is a reliable, renewable source of electricity that reduces demand on New York City's electrical grid. Solar panels generate electricity, recover thermal energy for reuse and act as a roof covering. They can dramatically reduce a property owner's electric demand – and energy bills. Some property owners may also receive rebates from their utility company. Tax Abatement Programs
The Department's sustainability experts guide building owners through the construction application process to install solar panels and green roofs. They also assist with properly completing the required documents and help applicants meet key tax abatement deadlines.
Email your questions to the sustainability team at GreenRoofAndSolar@buildings.nyc.gov. For detailed information on tax abatements, visit our Sustainability section of the website. Installation
When installing these panels, property owners must hire a P.E. or R.A. to perform a structural analysis that will determine if the existing roof and its support system can hold the added load without being modified. When filing the construction permit application, the P.E. or R.A. must certify specific technical elements, submit a structural analysis of the building, confirm that the existing roof will be able to support the added equipment and possibly provide additional drawings, calculations and construction documents. An electrical work permit, filed by a Department licensed electrician, must be obtained for any electrical work. The P.E. or R.A. must also perform a final inspection of the solar panel installation to confirm that it meets the safety standards outlined in the NYC Construction Codes.

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With more than 1.6 billion square feet of rooftops in New York City, green roofs and solar panels can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, providing a rainwater buffer, purified air, lower ambient temperature and noise, higher solar panel efficiency and increased biodiversity. In particular, the sedums, herbs, grasses or host plants that are included in the a green roof promote the habitat of birds, butterflies and insects, especially in the city environment which is mainly concrete and asphalt.Under specific requirements, New York City provides property tax abatement for building owners who decide to install a green roof and solar panels on it.The Department's sustainability experts guide building owners through the construction application process to install solar panels and green roofs. They also assist with properly completing the required documents and help applicants meet key tax abatement deadlines.

New York City provides tax incentives for projects combining green roofs and solar panels

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Processing and producing food and beverages for consumption

Food and Beverage

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Several municipalities in the US (Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; Hennepin County, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; New York City; San Francisco; and Seattle) have passed organic waste bans or mandatory organics recycling laws. In Portland, Oregon, a city council ordinance will require businesses to separate and divert food waste in 2020.