Interlinking Urban Sustainability, Circular Economy and Complexity: A Systematic Literature Review

Walter Antonio Abujder Ochoa (), Angela Gabriela Torrico Arce, Alfredo Iarozinski Neto, Mayara Regina Munaro, Oriana Palma Calabokis () and Vladimir A. Ballesteros-Ballesteros
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Walter Antonio Abujder Ochoa: Carrera de Ingeniería Civil y Arquitectura, Departamento de Ingenierías y Ciencias Exactas, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CICEI), Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, C. Márquez, Esq. Parque Jorge Trigo Andia, Tupuraya, Cochabamba 0000, Bolivia
Angela Gabriela Torrico Arce: Carrera de Ingeniería Civil y Arquitectura, Departamento de Ingenierías y Ciencias Exactas, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CICEI), Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, C. Márquez, Esq. Parque Jorge Trigo Andia, Tupuraya, Cochabamba 0000, Bolivia
Alfredo Iarozinski Neto: Construction Civil Area, Construction Management and Sustainability, Graduate Program in Civil Engineering (PPGEC), Federal University of Technology of Paraná, Curitiba 81280-340, PR, Brazil
Mayara Regina Munaro: Construction Civil Area, Construction Management and Sustainability, Graduate Program in Civil Engineering (PPGEC), Federal University of Technology of Paraná, Curitiba 81280-340, PR, Brazil
Oriana Palma Calabokis: Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences, Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, Bogotá 1112211, Colombia
Vladimir A. Ballesteros-Ballesteros: Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences, Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, Bogotá 1112211, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-26

Abstract: Urban sustainability challenges demand integrated frameworks capable of addressing the dynamic, non-linear nature of cities. This study explores how the principles of the circular economy and complexity theory intersect to support systemic transformation in sustainable urban planning. Through a systematic literature review of 71 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025, we analyze conceptual, methodological, and practical articulations across multiple thematic axes, including circular governance, urban metabolism, regenerative design, adaptive planning, digital integration, and environmental justice. Bibliometric and content analyses were conducted using Scopus metadata, VOSviewer for thematic clustering, and the StArt software (Version 3.4) to structure article selection. The findings reveal that circular economy provides practical tools for resource efficiency and regeneration, while complexity theory offers an adaptive framework to navigate uncertainty, emergent behaviors, and feedback dynamics. The synthesis suggests that their integration enables a more holistic and resilient approach to urban transformation. However, gaps remain in social inclusivity, long-term assessment, and the operationalization of complexity-informed planning. This study contributes to advancing a transdisciplinary agenda for circular and adaptive urban futures, offering insights for scholars, planners, and policymakers aiming to reconfigure cities within planetary boundaries.

Keywords: circular economy; complexity theory; urban planning; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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