Circular Economy Lab: Co-creating circular solutions for small and medium European post-industrial cities

Cities across Europe are facing increasing pressures resulting from climate change, unsustainable supply chains, and poor urban planning. These pressures are intensifying and require decisive interventions.

Amid ongoing environmental, energy market, and supply chain shifts, the transition from consumption-based local economies to a circular economy model has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges.

These challenges are even more pronounced in small and medium-sized cities, which often lack the technical, financial, and human resources needed to implement large-scale interventions. As a result, these cities must rely on smaller, localized measures that can drive tangible behavioral change.

The project will focus on participatory decision-making and co-creation mechanisms, such as living labs, citizens' assemblies, and Jane’s Walks, to identify key challenges to the uptake of circular practices in local economies.

During the course of the project, the City of Teslić will aim to establish an urban circular hub—a local ecosystem that will educate citizens on the benefits of the circular economy, provide practical advice for everyday situations, and introduce the concept of a circular library.

In addition, the municipality will focus on incentivizing behavioral change through various approaches, including interactive workshops and different types of benefits for circular economy-oriented measures, thereby increasing the attractiveness of circular practices.

We are particularly interested in collaborating with cities of a transitional, post-industrial profile, especially small and medium-sized cities at different stages of circular economy implementation, with a particular emphasis on those with substantial experience in this transition. We are also seeking state-of-the-art examples of good practices from cities that have introduced innovative solutions in the field of circular economy.

We are seeking to partner with cities of a similar profile, particularly those ready to take on a leading role in the project consortium.