Integrating Circular Economy Principles into Strategic Urban Planning for Sustainable Built Environment Development

It is widely acknowledged that the circular economy (CE) is a valuable tool for achieving strategic urban planning and implementing the principles of sustainable development. In recent years, a notable increase in scientific studies on CE, which is vital to the environmental and socio-economic developments of the urban environment. The purpose of the research is to investigate the significance of integrating circular economy (CE) principles into strategic urban planning and sustainable development of the built environment in Southwestern Nigeria. By examining the environmental, economic, and demographic impacts of CE practices, this research addresses the knowledge gap in understanding how it can be effectively applied to enhance sustainability in urban environments, particularly within the context of a developing region like Southwestern Nigeria. The study objectives were to: (i) identify factors influencing strategic urban planning, and (ii) examine circular economy indices for enhancing the urban environment in Nigeria. The results revealed significant relationships between various predictors of environmental issues and the circular economy on the sustainable environment. Notably, strong and significant correlations were found between environmental issues induced by environmental change, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and altering natural landscapes (β = 0.411, p = 0.001), and between Circular Economy (CE) indices and a sustainable urban environment (β = 0.577, p = 0.001). This emphasises how crucial the integration of circular economy principles is in promoting a sustainable built environment through effective government policies, community engagement, and innovative approaches. The study advocates strategically incorporating these strategies into governmental decisions and development initiatives to achieve a sustainable urban environment.