Urban Renovation: An Opportunity for Economic Development, Environmental Improvement, and Social Redemption

Abstract

This study finds its origin within the framework of the EU-cofunded UIA-OpenAgri project, fostering the creation of small and medium enterprises in the agrifood sector, through the lens of circular economy, while also promoting the urban regeneration of a degraded peri-urban area and social inclusion of disadvantaged people. The project is led by the Comune di Milano and involves 16 partners. The ABC Department participates mainly by contributing to energy and environmental evaluations and also by supporting with tools and indicators. The first part concerned the preliminary analysis of the energy uses and potential renewable supply in the area. Within this framework, a preliminary design was included of the building energy retrofit of Cascina Nosedo, an ancient farmhouse. Other parts focus on the assessments of the food chains involved in the agricultural lands which are involved in the project.

Value optimisation for the agri‐food sector: A circular economy approach

“…The sustainable transformation of the agri‐food sector and the adoption of CE principles are crucial steps in undertaking a transformation consistent with the objectives set by the European Commission within the new action plan. According to Gravagnuolo et al (2019), Caputo et al (2020) and Paiho et al (2020), the main point of making communities and cities more circular is because ‘a shift to a sustainable food system can bring environmental, health and social benefits, offer economic gains, and ensure that the recovery from the crisis puts us onto a sustainable path’ (European Commission, 2020).…”

The circular potential of a Bio-District: indicators for waste management

“…However, it is vital to act on a systemic level, using tools that can consider the different stages that characterise the complex food system (Notarnicola et al, 2012;Ingrao et al, 2019). Applying the CE and its principles can be the key to transforming society and making production systems and communities more circular (Gravagnuolo et al, 2019;Caputo et al, 2020;Paiho et al, 2020). Indeed, the definition of CE proposed by Kirchherr et al (2017) emphasises the concept of endof-life and the importance of intervening in waste management for spatial dimensions, which can be macro, meso, or micro.…”

“…Applying the CE and its principles can be the key to transforming society and making production systems and communities more circular (Gravagnuolo et al. , 2019; Caputo et al. , 2020; Paiho et al.…”