Keynote Panel explores Place-based Circular Society Innovations
The Institute of Place Management is pleased to share details of an upcoming keynote panel, Place-based Circular Society Innovations, co-hosted by the ESRC Place-based Circular Society Innovations project and the MMU Sustainability Hub.
- Thursday, 23 October 2025
- 17:00 - 19:00 (BST)
- Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
- Register via Eventbrite
Circular economy transitions are often discussed in terms of technology and efficiency - but this event asks a more human question: what about the people and places that make them work?
The panel will explore how circular projects and organisations are fundamentally social in nature - embedded in communities, driven by relationships, and shaped by local values. Speakers will share real-world examples of how circular practices can create more inclusive, resilient, and regenerative local economies.
Speakers include:
- Jane Deane, Project Manager, Cracking Good Food
- Numan Azmi, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Creative Design and Manufacture UK
- Brian Pendlebury, Founder, Cera Cycloan
From food waste redistribution to creative reuse and sustainable manufacturing, these speakers demonstrate how circular society principles can strengthen communities and improve wellbeing.
The discussion will highlight how embedding social dimensions in circular transitions not only supports environmental goals but also builds social justice, inclusion, and economic resilience.
This event forms part of MMU’s ongoing research into Place-based Circular Society Innovations, connecting academic insight with practical initiatives across the UK.
Attendees will have the chance to network with researchers, practitioners, and community innovators committed to building a more sustainable and equitable future.
Why this matters for place management
Place management is about how places work - socially, economically, and environmentally. The circular society agenda takes that further by asking how places can regenerate resources, relationships, and opportunities, not just consume them.
For IPM members and practitioners, this panel is especially relevant because it:
- Shows the social side of circularity: Success depends on strong community networks and local partnerships - exactly the systems place managers help to build.
- Connects circular economy with local economic resilience: These examples show how circular initiatives can create local jobs, retain wealth, and reduce waste, directly supporting local growth and sustainability strategies.
- Links to policy and funding opportunities: Circular society thinking is central to the UK’s net zero, levelling up, and devolution agendas, offering new routes for funding and collaboration.
- Reinforces IPM’s professional values: The event reflects IPM’s commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and evidence-based place management, bridging research and practice.
In short, circular society thinking gives place managers a new, integrated lens for tackling environmental, social, and economic challenges - and for making places more resilient, connected, and liveable.
About the author
Formed in 2006, the Institute of Place Management is the international professional body that supports people committed to developing, managing and making places better.