Nature-based solutions and circularity in cities

Atanasova, Nataša (author), Istenič, Darja (author)

Cities worldwide are facing a number of serious challenges including population growth, resource depletion, climate change, and degradation of ecosystems. To cope with these challenges, the transformation of our cities into sustainable systems using a holistic approach is required. The pathway to this urban transition is adopting the concept of circular economy for resource management. In this way, resources are kept and reused within the city. Nature-based solutions can be implemented for these tasks, and besides the circularity, they can provide additional benefits for the urbanites and the urban environment in general. This paper describes which urban challenges related to circularity can be addressed through nature-based solutions. This systematic review was developed within the COST Action CA17133 Circular City that investigates how nature-based solutions can be used to progress the circular economy in the urban built environment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: circular economy, circular cities, nature-based solutions, urban circularity challenges, water-food-materials-energy management, circularity assessment
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 319–332
• Numbering: Vol. 1, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-127153
• UDC: 502/504:72
• ISSN on article: 2730-5988
• DOI: 10.1007/s43615-021-00024-1
• COBISS.SI-ID: 57776131
• Publication date in RUL: 20.05.2021

ATANASOVA, Nataša and ISTENIČ, Darja, 2021, Nature-based solutions and circularity in cities. Circular economy and sustainability [online]. 2021. Vol. 1, no. 1. [Accessed 15 August 2025]. DOI 10.1007/s43615-021-00024-1. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=127153

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Circular economy and sustainability
• Shortened title: Circ. econ. sustain.
• Publisher: Springer, Springer Nature
• ISSN: 2730-5988
• COBISS.SI-ID: 58198275

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Projects

• Funder: COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology
• Project number: CA17133
• Acronym: Circular City