Brussels and Paris: the application of the metabolic approach

Urban metabolism and material flow analysis have become widely recognised tools in the academic world and are employed to monitor and assess resource use, understand its environmental impact, and propose appropriate policies accordingly. Industrial ecology and spatial metabolism are considered two of the actions that can be used to trigger the transition from the current linear economic development model to a circular one, i.e. one capable of (re)generating the material and energy resources society needs to thrive, ensuring an acceptable and equitable standard of living for all. This contribution will describe the application of the metabolic analysis for the case studies of Brussels-Capital Region and the city of Paris.