Melbourne has overtaken Groningen to take the crown of the World’s Most Thriving City for 2030, taking out the honours in the categories of health, community, economic opportunity, place and planet, and learning. Drawing inspiration from initiatives implemented in other major cities around the world, Melbourne has placed technology at the heart of its aim to achieve a truly circular economy; creating the conditions for Melbournians, and the city they love, to thrive.
Lord Mayor, Kate Paterson, cites Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Ghent as major inspirations for the announcement today.
“We’re proud and humbled by what Melbourne has achieved,” says Paterson. “But it’s been a real team effort. We couldn’t have done it without the backing of our C40 sister cities around the world, or without the unconditional support of my fellow Melbournians who saw the potential for our city to thrive under a circular economy.”
The concept of a circular economy which, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is a system that keeps existing products and materials in use while designing waste and pollution out, had been discussed in fairly limited economic circles since the 1970s. However, the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which left millions of people unemployed and almost as many homeless, and the increasingly rapid deterioration of the environment, prompted discussions about the circular economy to go mainstream. Advances in technology, which supported the development of new Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) platforms, provided the necessary tools for cities around the world to start achieving their vision of a circular economy.
In Melbourne, a taskforce of scientists, entrepreneurs, philosophers, academics and ordinary citizens, was created to help guide the city on its path to change. Taskforce chair, Raylene O’Hare, says that members of the taskforce were unanimous in the belief that PaaS platforms had a major role to play, as they provide a cheap and effective way to redistribute underutilised resources or to give existing resources a second life.
“In the first years of the Coronavirus era, hotel occupancy rates had dropped to less than 15%, while levels of homelessness were the highest Melbourne had ever seen.”
“In the first years of the Coronavirus era, hotel occupancy rates had dropped to less than 15%, while levels of homelessness were the highest Melbourne had ever seen. We were aware that Los Angeles had experienced similar conditions during the pandemic, and that technology had helped the city allocate vacant accommodation to those in need. Experts from Los Angeles County provided us with invaluable insights, which we drew on to create a platform that connects social services providers with hotels and other property owners who have beds available,” says O’Hare.
Many other aspects of city life have benefitted from Paterson’s vision, with resources being used, reused or reimagined in all sorts of different ways. Car sales have dropped as car sharing rates soar; construction waste is finding new life as technology connects builders with individuals and organisations with construction waste that would have gone directly to landfill before the Coronavirus struck; and urban farms which rely on the kitchen scraps of the city’s residents are popping up on rooftops across the CBD. These initiatives not only reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes, they also improve the quality of life for Melbournians who can now access a range of life-enhancing services that were previously inaccessible due to time, money or other resource restrictions.
The shift from an economy focused on growth to a thriving circular economy has not diluted the spirit of the city. If anything, it has intensified the pride and passion that Melbournians feel for their home. When questioned about the future of the city, Paterson’s optimism is palpable.
“Melbourne is proof that a circular economy can create the conditions for a city to thrive, with a fairer and more sustainable way of living for everyone. We are ready to work with any other city to help make that a reality for everyone around the world.”
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