Manifesto The United States has long embraced an intense and dynamic relationship with consumption, embodying a culture that values progress, innovation, and individual choice. From the earliest days of its founding, the nation has championed the idea that the pursuit of happiness includes the freedom to acquire and enjoy material goods. This perspective on consumption has played a significant role in shaping American society, fostering economic growth, and fueling generations of entrepreneurs. However, the nation’s voracious appetite for goods and services, coupled with a culture of overconsumption, has led to a number of adverse effects. High levels of consumption have fueled unsustainable levels of debt, both at the individual and national level, leading to economic instability and vulnerability. The demand for cheap products has perpetuated exploitative labor practices in developing countries and established inefficient waste management practices domestically. The environmental impact of excessive consumption cannot be overlooked, with increased resource extraction, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions exacerbating climate change and threatening ecosystems. The industrial revolution established a linear economy where manufacturing and distribution costs dominate design priorities ranging from daily products to large architectural development projects. Current methods of consumption influence patterns of disposal that detach people from the waste and inefficiency our infrastructure alludes. Today world leaders across the globe are working with renown economists in efforts to create policy changes that promote systemic configuration from a linear to a circular economy. The European Union released the Circular Economy Plan, Chile has implemented their Circular Economy Roadmap, and The Netherlands ambitiously committed to become a country 100% based on circular economy by 2050.
Transitioning from a linear model to a circular one promotes sustainable resource management. By reducing reliance on finite resources and minimizing waste generation, the circular economy enables the preservation of natural resources for future generations. This paradigm shift would create additional economic benefits, as it will encourage industrial innovation and drive job creation in sectors such as recycling, re manufacturing, and renewable energy. Embracing a circular economy can enhance national resilience by reducing the country’s vulnerability to raw material price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions. Lastly, emergence of a new development typology that accounts for circular practices and facilities within the community would illustrate self-sufficient neighborhoods capable of producing and disposing their own goods & services. If the United States were to adopt circular practices it would promote environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and resilience. The thesis investigation models a closer relationship with logistical services and proposes a more accessible, connected, and self-sufficient living environment within Portland, Oregon. Lloyd District will serve as a case study as to how the integration of circular practices can guide urban mitigation, architectural development projects, and building design. The result should render a revitalized district with embedded programmatic elements that promote circular practices and ensure prosperity for the development proposal. Ultimately, the thesis is guardedly optimistic in the sense that it will take several policy changes and collective support to begin viewing urban growth as closed loop system. If we imagine every master plan or designed neighborhood implement circular strategies that produce their own energy or recycle their own water, the idea of a city or country made up of self-sufficient communal hubs begins to emerge, sponsoring circular, self-reliant districts filled with empowered community stakeholders. Thanks to Portland’s robust legacy of comprehensive land use planning and empowering neighborhood political rights, the realization of this vision might be within reach. 3