Cities pursue different urban development principles that can contribute to urban sustainability transformations. Currently, particular attention in the USLL’s research is being given to the concepts of Smart and Circular Cities and their potential contributions and risks to sustainable urban development.
The Smart City concept primarily relies on information and communication technologies that can contribute to sustainable development (e.g., through intelligent traffic management or neighborhood apps).
The Circular City concept promotes a circular economy that decouples resource use from economic activity by maintaining products’, materials’, and nutrients’ value and utility of for as long as possible to close material loops. This approach enables more efficient resource usage and waste avoidance.
