Circular and metabolic perspectives in urban contexts. Integrated flows analysis for an ecological transition

Recent European directives, including the “European Circular Economy Package” (2020), the “Farm to Fork” Strategy (2020), and the “Fit for 55” package (2022), focus attention on the issues of circular economy, security and sustainability of food production and reduction of emissions from anthropogenic activities. From this perspective, the study of urban metabolism is a useful approach to make local systems more resilient. In this regard, the intention is to emphasise the embedded commitment of territorial and urban planning to consider the current systemic components related to the flows that cross urban, peri-urban and rural territories, fostering the development of sustainable and circular supply chains capable of supporting an ecological, energetic and climatic transition. Therefore, this paper explores a methodology for the spatial analysis of urban contexts that take into account the main flows (water, energy, agri-food, and waste) that circulate and influence the transformation of the territory. In particular, thanks to the experience of the drafting process of the Territorial Plan of the Metropolitan Area (PTAV) of the Province of Rimini, it was possible to identify some methodological aspects useful for a trend shift towards effective actions aimed at the sustainable and circular management of local resources.