How water circularity can help to reduce and regulate water waste in urban districts

Abstract Global water consumption has increased sixfold in the past 100 years and is growing at about 1% per year due to population growth, economic development, and changing consumption patterns; therefore, climate change, combined with urbanization and population growth, is causing water availability problems in cities around the world. Rethinking circular cities that put water at the centre of their priorities and that manage it cyclically and keep it within the urban environment as much as possible to maximize its value must become the fundamental goal. However, to date, cities are not even close to maximizing the use of water that reaches their buildings. As a result, two main issues have emerged as crucial in the international debate: the scarcity of water resources due to its wastefulness and overuse, and extreme weather events, such as heavy rains alternating with periods of prolonged drought, a consequence of global warming. In response to these issues, this research aims to investigate the potential of a design approach that takes into account the two phenomena of water excess and shortage, integrating water from the earliest decision-making stages of building design. Starting from the definition of architectural strategies, replicable solutions are defined and evaluated against specific KPIs to develop a resilient and climate-neutral architectural and urban design model.