Inaugural Circular Cities Enabler Showcase 2024
The Inaugural Circular Cities Enabler Showcase, orchestrated by the Circular Ci/es
Network, marks a pivotal prelude to the official launch of the Circular Ci/es Enabler Award
in 2025. The Circular Cities Enabler Award, drawing from the founda/onal principles
established by the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC)1, aims to recognise built
environment professionals—including architects, engineers, city and urban planners, and
landscape architects—along with other key industry stakeholders, to integrate circular
economy principles into their projects and prac/ces. This ini/a/ve underscores the crucial
mantra, “What we design maNers,” by highligh/ng the impact of thoughOul, sustainable
design on urban environments.
This showcase is a unique collabora/on involving founding organiza/ons such as the
Interna/onal Federa/on of Landscape Architects (IFLA), Interna/onal Society of City and
Regional Planners (ISOCARP), World Federa/on of Engineering Organiza/ons (WFEO),
Interna/onal Union of Architects (UIA), Interna/onal Associa/on of Hor/cultural
Producers (AIPH), Interna/onal Society of Urban Health (ISUH), Society of Sustainability
and Green Materials (SSGM), and World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN). Each
organisa/on will nominate up to three exemplary projectsfrom their non-profit affiliates,
including those that have previously been honored with their top design awards, to adapt
and adhere to the submission guidelines.
Background:
The Circular Cities Enabler Showcase, inspired by the founda/onal principles established
by the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) and the Ellen MacArthur Founda/on,
aims to recognise and incen/vize built environment professionals—including architects,
engineers, planners, and landscape architects—along with other key industry
stakeholders like developers, solu/ons providers, builders and more, to integrate
circular economy principles into their projects and prac/ces. This ini/a/ve underscores
1 The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative serves as a worldwide platform committed to aiding
cities around the globe in evolving into more intelligent and sustainable environments. This initiative is
spearheaded by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), with additional
backing from 14 other UN agencies and programs. The U4SSC’s mission includes the creation of strategic
guidance and analytical instruments designed to support cities in the adoption and realization of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
www.circular-cities-network.org (o3icial website of CCN to be launched in June) 2
the crucial mantra, “How we design maNers,” by highligh/ng the impact of thoughOul,
sustainable design on urban environments.
BRIEF GUIDE AND AWARENESS:
City Assets and Products:
• Defini/on: City assets include physical and digital infrastructure, buildings, public
spaces, and u/li/es that support urban life. Products refer to materials,
components, and systems used within these assets, from construc/on materials
to energy systems.
• Circular Approach: Emphasises the design and management of assets and
products to maximize their value and u/lity over their lifecycle, promote reuse
and recycling, and reduce environmental impact.
Circular City AcCons for Design Services:
1. Design for Longevity and Flexibility:
Create adaptable buildings, sustainable landscapes, resilient system services,
sustainable public spaces and green infrastructure that can evolve over /me to meet
changing needs, reducing the demand for new materials and minimizing waste.

2. Material InnovaCon and Efficiency:
U/lise sustainable, recyclable, locally sourced and non-toxic materials in designs, aiming
for material efficiency and reduced environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of
city assets.
3. Resource OpCmisaCon:
Implement resource-saving and energy-efficient technologies in projects, designing for
renewable energy use, reusable resources and integra/ng nature-based solu/ons to
enhance urban biodiversity and resilience.
4. Waste ReducCon and Circularity:
Design for disassembly and future reuse of materials and components, facilita/ng
recycling and the circular flow of resources.
5. CollaboraCve Design Processes:
www.circular-cities-network.org (o3icial website of CCN to be launched in June) 3
Engage with stakeholders across the value chain, including material suppliers,
construc/on firms, and waste management companies, to develop integrated, circular
solu/ons.
6. InnovaCve Business Models:
Explore new business models that support service-based approaches, shared use of
assets, and the promo/on of products as services to encourage circularity.
Showcase Objec5ves:
• Promote Awareness of the Circular City ImplementaCon Framework: Within the
Guide to Circular Ci1es2 by U4SSC, the circular city implementa1on framework comprises
four key components: City Assets and Products, Circular Ac1ons, Circular City Outputs,
and Circular City Enablers.
• Promote Circular AcCons in Urban Development: Encourage the integra1on of
circular ci1es implementa1on principles in urban development to foster a transi1on
towards minimal waste, op1mized resource usage, and the rejuvena1on of natural
ecosystems. Highlight Circular Ac1ons – specific, outcome-oriented ac1ons applicable to
city assets and products, including sharing, recycling, refurbishing, re-using, replacing, and
digi1zing.
• Exhibit FoundaConal Projects: Showcase projects that exemplify the principles of
Circular City Outputs and sustainability, serving as benchmarks for future submissions to
the Circular Ci1es Enabler Award. These projects are the results of applying circular ac1on
items to city assets and products.
• Promote and Recognise Pioneers and Change-makers: Acknowledge professionals
across the built environment sectors who are bold enough to drive change and advance
the realisa1on of circular ci1es.
Par5cipants:
Who Can ParCcipate: Each founding organisa/on will nominate up to three projects from
their non-profit affiliates. It is highly recommended that these are projects that have
previously / recently received top design awards from these organisa/ons and have been
adapted to meet the showcase’s submission requirements.
2
www.circular-cities-network.org (o3icial website of CCN to be launched in June) 4
Submission Fees:
For this inaugural and pres/gious showcase, a nominal submission fee of USD 1000 is
required for each project nomina/on. This fee shall be paid by the nominated company
directly to the awards organizers who accept the nomina/on made by the founding
organisa/ons. This fee represents 50% discount off the standard fee of USD 2000, aimed
at making par/cipa/on accessible while ensuring a high standard of entries and covering
administra/ve costs associated with the showcase evalua/on and presenta/on. This fee
also covers the publicity of the winners through various interna/onal and online
plaOorms of our network and partners.
Award Recogni5on:
• Circular CiCes Enabler Showcase Award: Out of all submissions, only one project
will be selected to receive the pres/gious “Circular Ci/es Enabler Showcase Award.” This
award will recognise the project as a paragon of exemplary efforts and outstanding design
that fully embodies the principles of circular economy in urban development.
• Circular CiCes Enabler Showcase Project RecogniCon: As the criteria for
nomina/on must be projects that have already received highest recogni/on from the
founding organisa/ons, all other par/cipa/ng projects will be acknowledged as Circular
Ci/es Enabler Showcase Projects and will receive a cer/ficate of recogni/on. This ensures
that every project contribu/ng to the advancement of circular ci/es is celebrated for its
commitment to sustainable urban development.
Showcase Highlights:
• Design and Sustainability: Projects showcased will exemplify innova/ve,
sustainable designs that incorporate circular economy principles, focusing on longevity,
flexibility, material innova/on, resource op/misa/on, waste reduc/on, and collabora/ve
processes.
• ImpacVul IniCaCves: The showcase aims to highlight the tangible environmental,
social, and economic impacts of the projects, emphasizing innova/on, scalability,
replicability, and the engagement of various stakeholders in the design process.
Submission Requirements for the Showcase:
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1. Project Overview (max 500 words, up to two A4 pages): A clear and concise
descrip/on of the project, its objec/ves, and the circular economy principles it embodies.
This introductory write-up should be in PDF format.
2. Design and ImplementaCon Details:
• Design Philosophy (max 300 words): Explana/on of how the project’s design
reflects circular economy principles.
• Materials and Technologies (max 300 words): Informa/on on sustainable,
recyclable, and non-toxic materials used, as well as any innova/ve technologies or naturebased solu/ons integrated into the project. The presenta/on should include schema/c
diagrams, plans, graphs, tables, etc., and be saved as a PDF for submission.
3. Impact Assessment (max 500 words):
• Environmental Impact: Quan/ta/ve and qualita/ve measures of environmental
benefits.
• Economic Impact: Evidence of economic viability, including cost savings, revenue
genera/on, or job crea/on.
• Social Impact: Descrip/on of social benefits, such as community engagement,
health improvements, or enhanced accessibility.
4. Visuals and SupporCng DocumentaCon:
• High-quality images, diagrams, and/or videos showcasing the project. The en/re
submission, including visuals and suppor/ng documenta/on, should be in PDF format and
not exceed 60MB.
• A separate folder containing a maximum of 5 images of 300dpi, each not exceeding
10MB (these are not for judging but solely for publicity purposes), that best illustrate the
project’s objec/ves and outcomes.
5. Scalability and Replica/on Plan (max 300 words): Outline of how the project can
be scaled or replicated in other contexts.
6. Collabora/on Overview (max 300 words): Descrip/on of stakeholder engagement
strategies and collabora/ve efforts.
How to Par5cipate:
• NominaCon Process: Founding organisa/ons will nominate projects through the
Circular Ci/es Network portal, which will be specially configured for the inaugural
showcase.
• NominaCon deadline: 10 June 2024
www.circular-cities-network.org (o3icial website of CCN to be launched in June) 6
• RegistraCon and Entry Forms: Nominated projects must register their
par/cipa/on via the portal by the company responsible for the project, where they will
be guided through the adapted submission process for the showcase. The company
responsible for the project must make the full payment in order to qualify for the
showcase submission.
• Submission Deadline: 15 July 2024. Subminng companies are encouraged to
submit their entries well before the deadline to ensure compliance with the showcase
requirements and to facilitate a smooth review process.
Emphasis on Communica5on:
Submissions should clearly ar/culate the project’s alignment with circular economy
principles, emphasizing its significance in advancing urban sustainability. U/lising visual
aids and empirical data to underscore the project’s impact will enhance the submission.
Par/cipants are urged to highlight the transforma/ve poten/al of their projects,
underscoring the central theme, “How we design maNers,” as a testament to the
importance of circular principles in crea/ng resilient, sustainable urban environments.