A critical review on definitions of circular economy in the built environment

Currently, the circular economy (CE) concept is receiving encouraging attention
among scholars and practitioners as a convenient solution to moving away from the linear economy concept without neglecting the goals of sustainable development. However, adaption of circular economy concept in the built environment is challenging due to its nature. In addition, the built environment plays a crucial part in this transition since it consumes a lot of resources, which results in massive waste, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental effects, and also exerts great pressure on natural resources. Although several studies reviewed the term circular economy, there is still a lack of conceptual clarity and missing an accepted definition of circular economy. Hence, this study aims to propose a definition of circular economy from the built environment perspective. A systematic literature review was carried out using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) as the analysis tool, a total of 24 papers were analysed. Rasmussen‟s Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) framework was used to analyse the summarised eleven definitions. The study has proposed a definition for circular economy in the built environment where CE is viewed in terms of the key questions of where, why, what, and how towards providing a clear and comprehensive understanding of the CE concept.