Arup Global Research Challenge - The Opportunities of a City-wide Circular Economy
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of Earth and Environment
Abstract
This project will develop a rich, city-specific case study of the data and governance structures required for a circular economy at city scale. Using a real city, and exploring the wealth of existing data, provides practical analysis. We will then use that case to consider how the data and decision making processes required to support a circular economy can be analysed and developed in other types of cities.
Working closely with co-Sponsor Arup and Leeds city Council, the project also involves data stakeholders including Veolia, the Open Data Institute and Yorkshire Water.
Working closely with co-Sponsor Arup and Leeds city Council, the project also involves data stakeholders including Veolia, the Open Data Institute and Yorkshire Water.
Planned Impact
This project offers four distinct areas of research value: It will
a) Identify knowledge gaps that need to be filled if the vision of a circular economy at city scale is to be realised; knowledge gaps that could form the next wave of research and collaboration in this field;
b) Identify the advisory and technical services required by different city actors (public and private) ;
c) Outline a transferable method of analysis and data requirements for city-scale circular economy investigations - a consulting proposition in its own right;
d) Provide the opportunity for non-competitive collaboration between a range of key commercial actors:Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Water, Veolia and provide an opportunity for discussions with other UK core cities.
a) Identify knowledge gaps that need to be filled if the vision of a circular economy at city scale is to be realised; knowledge gaps that could form the next wave of research and collaboration in this field;
b) Identify the advisory and technical services required by different city actors (public and private) ;
c) Outline a transferable method of analysis and data requirements for city-scale circular economy investigations - a consulting proposition in its own right;
d) Provide the opportunity for non-competitive collaboration between a range of key commercial actors:Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Water, Veolia and provide an opportunity for discussions with other UK core cities.
Publications
| Description | There remains a gap between the technical and technology focus on developing a circular economy, and the capacity within the systems that shape resource use to transform from linear to circular resource flows. This project demonstrated the difficulty of applying spatial analysis to resource flows, and the differing spatial systems considered by key actors (city council, resource network operators, regulators, resource users). |
| Exploitation Route | Testing the framework we developed through implementing it i.e. a city lab experiment across disciplines and resource managers and users, working with policy makers. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Construction,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Retail,Transport |
| URL | http://research.arup.com/projects/exploring-the-data-and-governance-required-to-enable-the-city-scale-circular-economy/ |
| Description | Co-funder Arup have used the outputs from this award to describe their developing offer on advisory services related to the circular economy. Spatially focussed circular economy proposals have arisen with the City of Leeds, and with Yorrk/North Yorks Local Entgerprise Partnership and research outputs from this project have been used to develop those proposals. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Construction,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Collaborative projects generated directly from IAA Low Carbon activities in Leeds |
| Organisation | Leeds City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | At the end of Q1 2015 (i.e. half way through 12 month 0.5fte secondment) 27 distinct collaborative project opportunities had been identified generating new research insights and making a contribution to the development of a low carbon economy and low carbon lifestyles in Leeds. Each project has a named lead from the University and from the City Council. They range from MSc internships, through the PhD studentships and research funding applications to creating new city-partnerships to tackle low carbon challenges. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The IAA project funded an inbound secondment from the partner for 0.5fte and this has been critical to making the connections between researchers and practitioners. In addition to the secondment, the partner has contributed access to data, and staff time from more than 10 different senior staff members to develop practical project ideas. |
| Impact | Principle disciplines in involved include social sciences geography engineering (mechanical, chemical) history. The 27 project ideas have so far produced 2 MSc Internships 1 application for RC-funded PhD studentship (unsuccessful) 1 PhD project in bioenergy 2 submitted funding proposals (British Academy and InnovateUK) 3 active project development boards exploring EU furnding (ERDF and H2020) |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Arup skills network webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | An hour long webinar to the "environmental skills network" in consultancy firm Arup, broadcast from Leeds. At least 6 UK offices participated. Purpose was partly to feed back the learning from the funded research, partly to develop plans to build on the research outputs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Chadwick Group presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Short presentation to regional sustainability business leaders network (meeting was in Leeds) to highlight research outcomes and stimulate discussion about implementing the circular economy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Contribution to York/North Yorks LEP circular economy project and policy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Provided research outputs and shared learning at Local Enterprise Partnership "Green Economy Panel" meeting which aims to find the way forward for current "resource efficiency" activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Veolia presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presented NERC/Arup funded circular economy project at national gathering organised by Veolia to support their circular economy ambitions and position their investment in Leeds within that activity. 30 business people, local authority policymakers and waste managers attended. Led to further discussions about Veolia's research needs in this area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |