This paper explores how 15 Canadian local governments of various sizes and contexts are transitioning to a circular economy by analysing their roadmap currently in development. It provides qualitative insights into how physical, socioeconomic and institutional factors are influencing the content of roadmaps, along with their similarities and differences. Drawing from the literature on the geography of transitions, we show that while local physical and socioeconomic attributes typically shape the roadmaps by determining likely activities, their actual trajectory varies based on the roadmap instigators and the broader institutional contexts in which they operate. The findings suggest the importance of local governments supporting the roadmap instigators while also recognising that circular economy transition pathways can capitalise on policies and programs not only locally but beyond local boundaries.
{"title":"Exploring circular economy transition pathways: a roadmap analysis of 15 Canadian local governments","authors":"Juste Rajaonson, Chedrak Chembessi","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae015","url":null,"abstract":"This paper explores how 15 Canadian local governments of various sizes and contexts are transitioning to a circular economy by analysing their roadmap currently in development. It provides qualitative insights into how physical, socioeconomic and institutional factors are influencing the content of roadmaps, along with their similarities and differences. Drawing from the literature on the geography of transitions, we show that while local physical and socioeconomic attributes typically shape the roadmaps by determining likely activities, their actual trajectory varies based on the roadmap instigators and the broader institutional contexts in which they operate. The findings suggest the importance of local governments supporting the roadmap instigators while also recognising that circular economy transition pathways can capitalise on policies and programs not only locally but beyond local boundaries.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141182333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In the article, we critically confront the idea of waste-to-resource at the heart of the circular economy. We discuss some of the blind spots and shortcomings of three circular economy principles: designing out waste, emulating natural systems and decoupling economic growth from resource use. We suggest that their limitations are intimately connected to a scalar reasoning ruled by strict, disjunctive categories. Instead, we advance a flat, relational, trans-scalar approach and propose that the potential of a sustained circular economy promise requires a novel scalar imagination attentive to its multiple co-constituted spatialities, social relations and fluid materials.
{"title":"The limits of waste as a resource: a critique and a proposition towards a new scalar imagination for the circular economy model","authors":"Stylianos Zavos, Olli Pyyhtinen","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae013","url":null,"abstract":"In the article, we critically confront the idea of waste-to-resource at the heart of the circular economy. We discuss some of the blind spots and shortcomings of three circular economy principles: designing out waste, emulating natural systems and decoupling economic growth from resource use. We suggest that their limitations are intimately connected to a scalar reasoning ruled by strict, disjunctive categories. Instead, we advance a flat, relational, trans-scalar approach and propose that the potential of a sustained circular economy promise requires a novel scalar imagination attentive to its multiple co-constituted spatialities, social relations and fluid materials.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"153 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140903308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study explores diverse circular economies and methods of multispecies ethnography in Vorselaar, Belgium and Røros, Norway, to identify care-full justice in small-scale places and to challenge traditional anthropocentric and capitalocentric models. This study unearths circular site stories in Vorselaar’s community-driven sustainability practices and Røros’s integration of cultural heritage in its sustainability approach, highlighting the need for a broader, care-centric perspective in circular economy discourse. The results demonstrate the universality and adaptability of diverse circular economies in fostering narratives of multispecies justice and the need for emphasising multispecies justice and bioregionalism to foster biodiversity, human wellbeing and their need for belonging and ecological citizenship.
{"title":"The weed, asbestos pipe and disposable tree: unmuting multispecies Flemish and Norwegian circular site stories for diverse circular economies","authors":"Wendy Wuyts","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae009","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores diverse circular economies and methods of multispecies ethnography in Vorselaar, Belgium and Røros, Norway, to identify care-full justice in small-scale places and to challenge traditional anthropocentric and capitalocentric models. This study unearths circular site stories in Vorselaar’s community-driven sustainability practices and Røros’s integration of cultural heritage in its sustainability approach, highlighting the need for a broader, care-centric perspective in circular economy discourse. The results demonstrate the universality and adaptability of diverse circular economies in fostering narratives of multispecies justice and the need for emphasising multispecies justice and bioregionalism to foster biodiversity, human wellbeing and their need for belonging and ecological citizenship.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140895770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This comment critiques the idea of geographic regions being “left behind.” It argues that the term frames the regions in question as passive experiencers of natural phenomena, in turn obfuscating the structural forces that have shaped those regions and local populations’ efforts to pursue better living conditions. The comment draws on three examples from the rural United States to illustrate how the designation of being “left behind” serves to mask subjugation and struggle.
{"title":"What does it mean to be ‘left behind?’","authors":"Ann M Eisenberg","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae008","url":null,"abstract":"This comment critiques the idea of geographic regions being “left behind.” It argues that the term frames the regions in question as passive experiencers of natural phenomena, in turn obfuscating the structural forces that have shaped those regions and local populations’ efforts to pursue better living conditions. The comment draws on three examples from the rural United States to illustrate how the designation of being “left behind” serves to mask subjugation and struggle.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140820022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper investigates whether, and what kind of, regional knowledge has a stimulating effect on circular economy (CE) innovation by companies. We thus add to the literature on regional knowledge spillovers, which has rarely focussed explicitly on the CE. For the empirical study, we create econometric regressions based on a representative dataset with extensive information on the CE activities of about 1400 Swiss firms. The results confirm that regional knowledge is important for the implementation of CE innovations. However, geographical distance and the quality of the knowledge must be taken into account, that is, companies primarily learn from the best.
{"title":"Learning from the best: how regional knowledge stimulates circular economy transition at company level","authors":"Rahel Meili, Tobias Stucki, Ingrid Kissling-Näf","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae011","url":null,"abstract":"This paper investigates whether, and what kind of, regional knowledge has a stimulating effect on circular economy (CE) innovation by companies. We thus add to the literature on regional knowledge spillovers, which has rarely focussed explicitly on the CE. For the empirical study, we create econometric regressions based on a representative dataset with extensive information on the CE activities of about 1400 Swiss firms. The results confirm that regional knowledge is important for the implementation of CE innovations. However, geographical distance and the quality of the knowledge must be taken into account, that is, companies primarily learn from the best.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140820042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article explores the territorialisation of the circular economy (CE) and analyses how the geographical and organised proximities of stakeholders facilitate the mobilisation of local resources for CE projects. It focuses on two local CE initiatives in Quebec (Canada) and France, for which 70 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results highlight the importance of tangible and intangible territorial resources and demonstrate that geographical and organised proximities are crucial to the success of these initiatives. The relational dynamic between local players, stimulated by a sense of belonging and shared values, encourages commitment to CE. Thus, our study showcases the territorialisation of CE and emphasises the conditions enabling such activities to take root locally. This study has significant political implications and suggests the crucial role that local authorities must play in the deployment of CE projects.
{"title":"Towards a territorialisation of the circular economy: the proximity of stakeholders and resources matters","authors":"Chedrak Chembessi, Sébastien Bourdin, André Torre","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae007","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the territorialisation of the circular economy (CE) and analyses how the geographical and organised proximities of stakeholders facilitate the mobilisation of local resources for CE projects. It focuses on two local CE initiatives in Quebec (Canada) and France, for which 70 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results highlight the importance of tangible and intangible territorial resources and demonstrate that geographical and organised proximities are crucial to the success of these initiatives. The relational dynamic between local players, stimulated by a sense of belonging and shared values, encourages commitment to CE. Thus, our study showcases the territorialisation of CE and emphasises the conditions enabling such activities to take root locally. This study has significant political implications and suggests the crucial role that local authorities must play in the deployment of CE projects.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"107 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140096823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carolin Ioramashvili, Maryann Feldman, Frederick Guy, Simona Iammarino
Small businesses within the digital sector are spread across the USA. However, a significant number of promising small businesses concentrate in major technology hubs, either initially or through relocation. This phenomenon can be attributed to the influential role played by localized markets for financing and acquisition, which is, in turn, driven by the dominant market positions held by major digital platforms. Our research demonstrates a clear pattern of localized acquisition markets, particularly in sectors frequently targeted by the seven largest American digital giants—Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), Oracle, and Adobe, collectively known as ‘Big Tech’. This localization trend has become more pronounced between 2000 and 2020. Our analysis indicates that the gravitational pull of these acquisition markets poses challenges to local initiatives aimed at fostering digital businesses. These efforts would be more successful if measures were taken to limit the market influence of digital platforms.
{"title":"Gathering round Big Tech: How the market for acquisitions concentrates the digital sector","authors":"Carolin Ioramashvili, Maryann Feldman, Frederick Guy, Simona Iammarino","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae003","url":null,"abstract":"Small businesses within the digital sector are spread across the USA. However, a significant number of promising small businesses concentrate in major technology hubs, either initially or through relocation. This phenomenon can be attributed to the influential role played by localized markets for financing and acquisition, which is, in turn, driven by the dominant market positions held by major digital platforms. Our research demonstrates a clear pattern of localized acquisition markets, particularly in sectors frequently targeted by the seven largest American digital giants—Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), Oracle, and Adobe, collectively known as ‘Big Tech’. This localization trend has become more pronounced between 2000 and 2020. Our analysis indicates that the gravitational pull of these acquisition markets poses challenges to local initiatives aimed at fostering digital businesses. These efforts would be more successful if measures were taken to limit the market influence of digital platforms.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pedro Fierro, Ignacio Aravena-Gonzalez, Patricio Aroca, Francisco Rowe
Political discontent, frequently mirrored in voting patterns, extends beyond ballot votes. By focusing on Valparaiso, Chile, we introduce a more comprehensive measure, external political efficacy (EPE), capturing a sense of abandonment and gauging public sentiment towards the political system’s responsiveness to their needs. Our analysis addresses individual and area-level factors underpinning individual variations in EPE. The evidence suggests that long-term territorial socio-economic disadvantage, rather than low-paid employment, is significantly related to individual discontent, highlighting lowered beliefs in system responsiveness.
{"title":"Geographies of discontent: measuring and understanding the feeling of abandonment in the Chilean region of Valparaiso (2019–2021)","authors":"Pedro Fierro, Ignacio Aravena-Gonzalez, Patricio Aroca, Francisco Rowe","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae004","url":null,"abstract":"Political discontent, frequently mirrored in voting patterns, extends beyond ballot votes. By focusing on Valparaiso, Chile, we introduce a more comprehensive measure, external political efficacy (EPE), capturing a sense of abandonment and gauging public sentiment towards the political system’s responsiveness to their needs. Our analysis addresses individual and area-level factors underpinning individual variations in EPE. The evidence suggests that long-term territorial socio-economic disadvantage, rather than low-paid employment, is significantly related to individual discontent, highlighting lowered beliefs in system responsiveness.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pauline Deutz, Andrew E G Jonas, Aodhan Newsholme, Małgorzata Pusz, Heather A Rogers, Julia Affolderbach, Rupert J Baumgartner, Tomás B Ramos
This paper examines the role of place in the local development of a circular economy and the potential for consequent social redistribution. Based on a case study of public, private and third-sector approaches to a circular economy in Hull, an industrial city in the northeast of England, it offers a critical analysis of the geographic distribution of socio-economic benefits from local circular economy developments. Policy goals of inclusivity (or a ‘just transition’) are not accomplished. However, attachment to place provides opportunities to bridge sectoral and jurisdictional boundaries and potentially generate more socially inclusive territorial-distributional outcomes.
{"title":"The role of place in the development of a circular economy: a critical analysis of potential for social redistribution in Hull, UK","authors":"Pauline Deutz, Andrew E G Jonas, Aodhan Newsholme, Małgorzata Pusz, Heather A Rogers, Julia Affolderbach, Rupert J Baumgartner, Tomás B Ramos","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae002","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines the role of place in the local development of a circular economy and the potential for consequent social redistribution. Based on a case study of public, private and third-sector approaches to a circular economy in Hull, an industrial city in the northeast of England, it offers a critical analysis of the geographic distribution of socio-economic benefits from local circular economy developments. Policy goals of inclusivity (or a ‘just transition’) are not accomplished. However, attachment to place provides opportunities to bridge sectoral and jurisdictional boundaries and potentially generate more socially inclusive territorial-distributional outcomes.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pawel Dobrzanski, Sebastian Bobowski, Karenjit Clare
In the 21st century, there have already been a series of economic downturns, particularly the Subprime Crisis 2007–2009 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. All those events triggered changes in productivity, economic performance and structure. The main objective of this study is to identify the regions left behind in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and to analyse the structural and productivity changes taking place within them. In our analysis, we aim to verify the research hypothesis that all left-behind regions in CEE have similar economic structures with a high share of agriculture. The research period covers the years from 2010 until 2020 using data from the Eurostat database. In the first phase of our analysis, we analysed employment, Gross Value Added (GVA) and productivity data for 11 CEE countries. Then, we analysed the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics at level 3 (NUTS3) regions, and Poland, which is a NUTS2 region. Left-behind regions are defined as those with low productivity and low growth rates. We provide a detailed analysis of the best and worst performing regions in terms of productivity for each country using productivity data and shift-share decomposition of productivity growth rate. Left-behind regions for each CEE country have been identified, and these are BG333, BG342, CZ080, EE004, HR023, HU332, LT027, LV005, PL72, RO216, RO312, SI032, SI035, SI038 and SK032. In our analysis, our hypothesis analysing the relationship between agriculture share in total employment and the productivity level of the region was not confirmed.
{"title":"Left-behind places in central and eastern Europe—labour productivity aspect","authors":"Pawel Dobrzanski, Sebastian Bobowski, Karenjit Clare","doi":"10.1093/cjres/rsae001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsae001","url":null,"abstract":"In the 21st century, there have already been a series of economic downturns, particularly the Subprime Crisis 2007–2009 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. All those events triggered changes in productivity, economic performance and structure. The main objective of this study is to identify the regions left behind in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and to analyse the structural and productivity changes taking place within them. In our analysis, we aim to verify the research hypothesis that all left-behind regions in CEE have similar economic structures with a high share of agriculture. The research period covers the years from 2010 until 2020 using data from the Eurostat database. In the first phase of our analysis, we analysed employment, Gross Value Added (GVA) and productivity data for 11 CEE countries. Then, we analysed the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics at level 3 (NUTS3) regions, and Poland, which is a NUTS2 region. Left-behind regions are defined as those with low productivity and low growth rates. We provide a detailed analysis of the best and worst performing regions in terms of productivity for each country using productivity data and shift-share decomposition of productivity growth rate. Left-behind regions for each CEE country have been identified, and these are BG333, BG342, CZ080, EE004, HR023, HU332, LT027, LV005, PL72, RO216, RO312, SI032, SI035, SI038 and SK032. In our analysis, our hypothesis analysing the relationship between agriculture share in total employment and the productivity level of the region was not confirmed.","PeriodicalId":47897,"journal":{"name":"Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society","volume":"390 1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139568363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}