ABSTRACT
Promising theories and practices for social innovation, sustainable consumption, and societal transformations are already emerging in Europe (IPCC 2014). Examples include Sweden’s SymbioCity approach, as well as the Netherlands’ transition management approach, which has become the backbone of the European Environment Agency’s quest to realise the circular economy (EEA 2016). I have become familiar with both approaches, which have been tried in Japan within the past decade. Sweden’s SymbioCity urban innovation initiative made Stockholm the first green capital of the European Union in 2007. The flagship project for the circular economy was Hammarby Sjostad, where a former brownfield area was transformed into an attractive district of 11,000 apartments and 10,000 workplaces. The Hammarby model has set a new world standard for future sustainable housing development, with its integrated planning approach. The innovation consisted of a system-based approach to architecture and planning of energy efficient housing; automatic underground waste collection systems; solar-powered hot water and electricity; biogas from household sewage water and waste; collection and filtration of runoff water; and super-efficient buildings, triple glazed windows, green roofs and so on (Government Offices of Sweden n.d.).
