Urban Factories – Identification of Measures for Resource-Efficient Integration of Production Systems in Cities

Cities are a hotspot for resource consumption. This is induced, among other activities, by housing, transportation, trade, the production of goods and the use of products and services. Industrial production and urban factories are an essential part of a city’s economy although they are commonly associated with negative impacts, e.g. on the environment or traffic infrastructure. Through positive integration of existing production systems into the urban surrounding, the negative impacts of these urban factories can be lowered or eliminated, and even positive impacts can be achieved. In order to reach a higher degree of integration of different utilizations in urban areas, new methods and conceptual approaches are required to identify suitable measures and actions for urban located companies, city authorities and further stakeholders. For this purpose, an approach has been developed that is founded on research on urban areas and production systems.