Governing Circularity

The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE) is increasingly recognized as an essential systemic shift that is increasingly needed and is facing several challenges. Within this context, the built environment emerges as a critical sector due to its high consumption of materials and energy and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. While the City of Amsterdam is widely considered a frontrunner in the circular transition, there remains limited empirical understanding of how its policy instruments influence the implementation of CE principles in the built environment. This thesis investigates how policy instruments, implemented by the Municipality of Amsterdam, influence the circular development in its built environment. It applies a qualitative, two-phased approach: a deductive policy document analysis and an inductive analysis of interviewees. The research follows the conceptual framework, which entails, to individuate the policy instruments, Vedung’s classification into regulatory, economic, and informational, and for the circular city development consideration, Williams’ (2021) Circular City Development Framework (CCDF), which distinguishes three essential circular actions: looping, adapting, and ecological regeneration. The analysis of the Amsterdam Circular Strategy 2020–2025 reveals a strong emphasis on informational instruments that aim to build awareness, promote collaboration, and experimentation. Regulatory instruments appear to be partially used, often focusing on reuse standards and procurement procedures. Economic instruments, though present, are less developed and primarily support pilot projects. When linked to circular actions, adapting is the most consistently supported in both theory and practice, while looping receives partial support, and ecological regeneration remains significantly underrepresented. Interview findings indicate that no single policy instrument is sufficient to achieve systemic circularity. Stakeholders emphasize the need for policy mixes that combine enforcement, incentives, and capacity building. Informational instruments are valued for shaping mindsets and enabling change, but their soft nature limits their standalone impact. Regulatory instruments are viewed as necessary for scale but are hindered by procedural rigidity. Economic instruments are perceived as fragmented and insufficient to drive long-term transition. This thesis contributes new insights into the mechanisms and perceived effects of policy tools in a leading European city. It concludes that Amsterdam must move beyond experimentation and soft governance by strategically integrating policy instrument mixes, particularly by strengthening support for ecological regeneration, to achieve a genuinely systemic circular transformation in its built environment.