Development of a circularity design methodology for urban factories based on systemic thinking and stakeholders engagement

To provide factories with a sustainable model to manufacture inside urban areas, the concept of urban factories has been proposed as a solution that utilizes proximity throughout the value chain. To leverage this proximity, and re-conceptualize the highly available urban waste, circular strategies have been deployed. This has allowed urban factories to contribute to a sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12). To develop a circularity design methodology for urban factories, a design thinking approach has been used in 5 steps in which (1) a need has been formalized from a systematic literature review, (2) a prototype has been proposed using the principles of systemic design, (3) workshops have been organized with key users to test the proposal, (4) feedbacks have been collected, and (5) the proposal has been improved accordingly through an iteration to the second step. The cycle has been repeated 4 times in 4 different workshops, which has resulted in the development of the latest version of the circularity design methodology presented in this paper. The proposed methodology is structured in 3 phases. First, the exploratory phase in which sustainability objectives are formalized and the scope of action is identified accordingly using an impact assessment method. Second, the formative phase in which new sustainable business models are designed using circular strategies and local stakeholder's engagement practices. Finally, the evaluative phase in which the designed models are evaluated. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, a case study on an arcade machines urban factory has been presented in this paper. In total, 8 circular models have been designed to mitigate the climate change and resources damages associated with the life cycle of the arcade machines. The proposed circularity design methodology could be adapted for other structures to improve their sustainability and other dimensions linked to their activities.