Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Gundula Proksch, Christoph Strouse & Catherine de Almeida
Circular economy and circular city organizations and frameworks have gotten much attention and created awareness about transforming our economy and cities from linear extractive to circular and regenerative. Declarations and pledges at the metropolitan city scale, targeting policies and supported by prominent backers, still need to generate tangible pathways to adaptation to these critical transformations. The Just Circular Communities Collaborative (JC3) takes the opposite approach and attempts a neighborhood-scale, bottom-up implementation of circular strategies. The project aims to co-develop community-envisioned and managed infrastructure systems as circular economy cooperatives that reuse resources, regenerate ecosystems, prevent systemic displacement and economic stagnation, and build resilience in frontline neighborhoods. The transdisciplinary team, comprised of community partners, faculty, and students, received seed funding from two competitive university grants for framework co-development and capacity building to solidify existing partnerships and build a broad coalition of community and municipal stakeholders. JC3 aims to create a network of partners supporting a regenerative economy while developing an innovative architecture and built environment pedagogy to involve students directly in community-engaged projects, prioritizing frontline communities as part of a Just Transition. This paper introduces JC3’s approach and activities related to an interdisciplinary built environment studio, community engagement, and co-creating a framework for community project development. The strong culture of community activism and support in the two Seattle neighborhoods, Georgetown and South Park, at the core of this project, well-attended community workshops, and the positive reception of the work produced by students indicate significant interest in a community-driven circular and regenerative economy. The university-affiliated partners are excited to support and co-create this innovative transformation with community partners and potentially witness an effective implementation strategy for circular city principles.
https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.113.76
Volume Editors
Sara Jensen Carr & Rubén García Rubio
ISBN
978-1-944214-48-7
