A Systemic Thinking Community Model To Transform Industrial Parks Towards Circularity

This paper discusses an important aspect related to the transformation of industrial parks towards sustainability and circular economy. Specifically, it tackles the governance aspects required for effective urban-industrial symbiosis, connecting businesses and communities to share resources and reduce waste. To set up and effectively manage a governance system, we propose a so called systemic thinking community model (STCM) to leverage synergies for urban-industrial symbiosis in industrial parks, extending the benefits beyond the park tenants to the surrounding communities. STCM focuses on an extensive mapping of stakeholders, and on building trust and knowledge sharing among businesses and communities. Stakeholders would map resources, monitor progress, and continuously engage with each other. This approach would overcome challenges like information barriers and lead to more sustainable industrial parks.