CIRCULAR CITIES SUMMIT 1.0

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Updated on August 25, 2023

CIRCULAR CITIES SUMMIT 1.0

Join Dr. Manfred Koehler, President of WGIN, at the Circular Cities Summit 1.0 on 14 – 15 November 2023, aiming to facilitate a global conversation amongst leaders and practitioners on the circular economy and sustainable urban solutions, with a focus on innovative approaches and best practices.

REGISTER HERE

14 – 15 November 2023
Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Singapore

Summit Programme:

DAY 1 — Conference

9:00 am – 6:00 pm | EARLY BIRD: SGD 200 (Limited to FIRST 200 Registrants only)
Regular Price: SGD 300 | Business Package: SGD 450 (Conference + Cocktail)
Exclusive C-Suites Networking Cocktail Night
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Fee: SGD 180

DAY 2 — Technical Tour

8:00 am – 12:30 pm | Fee: SGD 100
Explore Singapore | ABS & ArchXpo 2023
12:30 pm – 6:00 pm

View the full summit programme here.

Call to Rethink

The inaugural Circular Cities Summit 1.0 themed “Game-Changing Innovations for Future Cities” would focus on exploring innovative solutions and strategies for achieving sustainability and circularity in the built environment. The pursuit of circular cities is seen as a crucial step towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

What is a Circular City?

A circular city is a city designed to function in a circular economy, which is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In a circular city, resources are used and managed in a way that is sustainable and regenerative, and waste is minimized through reuse, recycling, and other forms of resource recovery.

Circular cities are designed with a focus on sustainability and resilience, and they typically incorporate elements such as green spaces, public transportation, renewable energy sources, and smart technology to optimize resource use and reduce waste. Circular city planning also takes into account the social and economic needs of the community, with a focus on creating a livable and equitable urban environment for all residents.

Summit Discussion Topics

Circular design principles and strategies for buildings and landscapes
Emerging technologies and innovative solutions for sustainable construction and maintenance
Circular material use and resource efficiency in buildings and landscapes
Sustainable building practices, including low carbon and energy-efficient design
Circular economy approaches for managing waste and resources in the built environment
Urban planning and design for circular cities and communities
Case studies of successful circular and sustainable building and landscape projects
Sustainable engineering approaches and more.

Speaker Highlights

Dechen Tsering
REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND REPRESENTATIVE OF UNEP ASIA AND THE PACIFIC OFFICE
Guan Yisong
HEAD OF ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, CHINA
Dr. Julian Kirchherr
PARTNER, MCKINSEY & COMPANY
Sasa Bozic
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT, SOPHIA ACADEMY FOUNDER, AUTHOR
Dr. Manfred Koehler
PRESIDENT, WORLD GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK (WGIN)
…and many more. View the full list of speakers here.

More about the summit

The Summit aims to facilitate a global conversation amongst leaders and practitioners on the circular economy and sustainable urban solutions, with a focus on innovative approaches and best practices.
Power-packed with keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive sessions, innovation launches, exclusive display, networking opportunities and more.
Excellent platform for participants to exchange ideas and collaborate on future initiatives.
800 – 1000 delegates expected with post streaming that will reach more than 30,000-50,000 audience worldwide via different media platforms.

More information: www.circularcitiessummit.com
Register here

View the event brochure.
View the event poster.

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LATEST POSTS

Green roofs for urban rainwater and stormwater management

The new paper by WGIN’s EU Chapter “Green Roofs for Urban Rainwater and Stormwater Management”, explores how green roofs can contribute to more climate-resilient cities. The paper highlights their role in managing rainfall, reducing pressure on urban drainage systems, and delivering wider benefits for biodiversity, urban cooling and well-being. Published ahead of the European Commission’s forthcoming Climate Resilience Framework, the paper underscores the importance of integrating green infrastructure and nature-based solutions into urban planning and climate adaptation strategies. Download the paper here.

Green roof research measures performance, but not yet people

New study maps 25 years of green roof literature and finds affordability and social equity nearly invisible. Submitted by WGIN members Ferre Maes and Bert Belmans In a study published in City and Environment Interactions, WGIN members Ferre Maes and Bert Belmans, together with Roméo Delcroix (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), analysed more than 3,500 green roof articles published between 2000 and 2025. They tracked how often 13 performance dimensions appear in titles, abstracts and keywords. The results show a clear imbalance. Stormwater management appears in 37% of publications, urban heat island mitigation in 19% and building energy in 18%. Affordability (1.7%) and social equity (3.2%) are among the least visible topics in the field, and have remained marginal for 25 years. The study does not show that green roof implementation is inequitable; it shows that the published evidence cannot yet answer this question. Research on parks, urban greening and green stormwater infrastructure engages with affordability and equity far more often, which shows this gap can be closed. There is no reason green roof research can’t do the same. A call to action WGIN’s mission is to advocate and promote the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning, globally. But planning decides who benefits, and evidence on who benefits is largely missing. If we want cities, funders and residents to trust green roofs as a public good, we need to be open about what we know and what we don’t. That openness is also an opportunity: evidence on affordability and equity is what opens the door to public funding, social housing and neighbourhoods green roofs have yet to reach. We call on our community to: Count people, not just performance. In research papers, project reports and case studies alike, report cost, access and who benefits alongside technical results. In publications, name affordability and equity explicitly in titles and abstracts so the work can be found. Plan for equity from the start. Build these questions into green roof strategies, subsidies, projects and research calls, before roofs are built. Make costs transparent. Manufacturers, installers and researchers alike can share life-cycle cost data, from installation and maintenance to lifespan and savings, in a consistent and anonymised format, so support schemes can reach beyond those who can already afford a green roof. Neighbouring fields already study performance and people together. The green roof community can too! Read the full paper here: 10.1016/j.cacint.2026.100476 (open access)

WGIN Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme – Call for National Associations Partners

In April 2026, WGIN launched the Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme. This initiative aims to establish an internationally recognised professional training programme focused on green roof design, installation practices, maintenance, and long-term performance. The online training is designed to deliver a set of universal quality best practices rooted in knowledge rather than technical skills. The programme’s intent is to accelerate the development of national and regional green roof markets by providing online training and accreditation. The Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme is now looking for two national associations to design national training modules and examination questions based on the core curriculum developed under this project. The application process is open until 7 September. Selected national associations will be contacted by 21 September. For more information, see the call for interest. To apply for the call of interest, visit this link.

CIRCULAR CITIES SUMMIT 1.0