Shaping Aachen’s Circular Future with Communities at the Centre What does a circular city look like in practice? In Aachen, Germany, citizens, community initiatives, but also businesses and public administration actors came together to explore this question. Through a series of community workshops, participants developed concrete ideas for making circular economy visible, practical, and locally relevant. Rather than starting with predefined solutions, the three workshops held as part of the Circular City Aachen project created space for dialogue, collaboration and the development of locally grounded ideas. Repair & Reuse The first workshop focused on repair and reuse. Participants discussed how existing reuse initiatives could become more visible and accessible, and explored ideas such as a shared marketplace for refurbished electrical devices, stronger cooperation between reuse actors, a textile hub for upcycling and clothing exchange, solar panel upcycling concepts, and new approaches to extending the lifetime of products and materials. Circular Food Systems The second workshop addressed circular food systems. Discussions highlighted opportunities to strengthen local food networks through a FoodHub concept, explore regional composting solutions and support businesses, caterers and organisations in dealing with surplus food and regulatory challenges. Participants emphasised that many resources, initiatives and expertise already exist in Aachen but are often not well connected. Fostering Dialogue The third workshop brought these community perspectives into dialogue with representatives of the City of Aachen administration. The discussion focused on governance questions and the role public administration can play in enabling circularity. Topics included visibility of existing initiatives, public procurement, coordination, communication and the conditions needed to turn promising ideas into viable pilot projects. “Across all three workshops, one message became clear: a circular city is not only about technologies or infrastructure. It also requires collaboration, shared learning and spaces where different actors can jointly shape solutions.”, notes Alexandra Kessler, who manages the project. The workshops are part of a broader effort within the Circular City Aachen project, which aims to develop a Circular City Roadmap, strengthen local networks and support the emergence of concrete pilot projects that contribute to a more circular and resilient city. Would you like to engage with us? Reach out to Alexandra Kessler.