Enabling and embedding circularity goals in housing cooperatives

Shifting towards a circular economy in the built environment is considered an important step toward fostering environmentally sustainable and socially resilient cities. Housing cooperatives, established to provide affordable and democratically governed housing, may offer structural advantages for embedding circularity - but their role in circular transitions remains underexplored. This study investigates how cooperative governance may influence the implementation of circular strategies, including circular design, product-service systems, and shared resource models, across different housing types. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with housing professionals, cooperative representatives, service providers, and policymakers, we assess the comparative institutional advantages and limitations of cooperatives in enabling circular transitions. Our findings indicate that housing cooperatives can mitigate market failures and overcome split incentives through collective ownership, long-term planning, and participatory governance. These features help facilitate lifecycle-based investments, bundled procurement, and shared infrastructure. However, cooperatives also face key challenges, including complex decision-making, limited access to finance, and regulatory barriers. This paper contributes to the understanding of alternative housing models for urban sustainability by offering insights into how cooperative-led initiatives can support circular innovation. It identifies boundary conditions for aligning stakeholder perspectives and embedding circular strategies within cooperative housing, helping to inform inclusive, community-based responses to climate and resource challenges.