ABSTRACT
Over the last 30 years, a wide range of tools have emerged to better manage the ecological sustainability of urban areas and their associated food production, distribution, and waste management systems. This chapter argues for using materials flow analysis (MFA) in the context of shifting from a linear to a circular economy as the best tool for improving urban sustainability. MFA offers a planning and management tool that not only maps the stocks and flows of materials and energy through anthropocentric systems; it links these flows to the natural systems in which they are embedded. Natural systems are conceptualised in terms of the ecosystem services that nature provides, the carrying capacity of regional landscapes, and the biodiversity that regulates them. In mapping flows from various data sources, MFA makes inconsistencies, gaps, and overlaps transparent and provides a rigorous basis for urban planning and design. Because it is based on input/output data, MFA makes reliable sustainability auditing possible.
