Which city is committed to the doughnut economics model?

The city of Amsterdam adapted the theory of doughnut economics for its post-pandemic recovery in April 2020. Kate Raworth, the inventor of doughnut economics, downscaled the model to provide the city with a “city portrait” that illustrates Amsterdam’s social shortfalls and ecological overshoots.

The housing crisis is one of the major focuses for the city. 20% of residents are unable to meet their basic needs due to expensive rent. This comes not only from rising house prices but also from the shortage of social housing.

The obvious solution is to build more affordable houses. At the same time, Amsterdam also plans to ensure this won’t accelerate the city’s use of raw materials and carbon emissions. Buildings will get a “materials passport” that shows the composition of reusable materials so that demolition companies have a better idea of which materials to keep. The city also plans to regulate construction materials to be recyclable and bio-based to have less of an environmental impact. To go completely circular by 2050, Amsterdam is working on going one step further and replacing capitalism with an inclusive, thriving approach.