DOI: 10.1093/cjres/rsag041 ISSN: 1752-1378
Circular dreams, structural realities: regional imaginaries and the struggle for alternative development pathways
Ruth Cherrington, Marta Ferri, Allen AlexanderAbstract
Regional development in polarised times requires alternatives to growth-centred models. This study explores how circular economy (CE) practices among fashion and textiles firms in the southwest of England contribute to the construction of alternative regional development pathways. Based on 40 interviews and 8 participatory workshops, we show how firm-level CE practices interact with regional imaginaries and community logics to expand opportunity spaces for alternative development, yet structural constraints hinder scaling. We propose a framework linking CE transitions to broader debates on progressive regional development, contributing to understanding of how peripheral places navigate uncertainty in times of overlapping crises.