This paper proposes an integrated framework that connects circular communities, spatial planning, and time quality assessment (TQA) to support sustainable urban development. Circular communities, comprising material suppliers, producers, service providers, and users, aim to close resource loops and strengthen socio-ecological resilience. Yet, the translation of circular principles into durable, liveable urban environments remains a key challenge. We introduce the Time–Space–Flow Integration Method, which links the temporal rhythms of daily life with material, energy, and social cycles to guide spatial planning. In this approach, time quality is redefined beyond efficiency or free time to include temporal proximity, synchronization, autonomy, continuity, and regenerative capacities. Circular communities are thus conceptualized as temporal-spatial systems, where short, medium, and long cycles of resources, services, and culture must be harmonized to optimize daily life. To operationalize this framework, we propose the Circular Community Time–Quality Index (CCTQI), which evaluates urban areas based on daily access to essentials, local closure of resource loops, temporal flexibility of spaces, and intergenerational continuity. Coupled with spatial planning principles, 15–30 minute life radius, multi-layered mixed-use nodes, local metabolism zones, polycentric structures, and temporal flexibility of space, this approach enables the design and assessment of circular communities that are both resource-efficient and experientially rich. By merging circularity with time quality metrics into Time–Circular Community Spatial Model (TCCSM), the paper argues that a sustainable society is grounded not only in circular systems but in spatial structures that protect and regenerate human time, providing planners with a measurable, actionable framework to shape inclusive, resilient, and high-quality urban life.
Marušić et al. (Thu,) studied this question.