Exploring the Role of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) in Advancing Circular City Principles - A Survey of Stakeholder Perspectives

Step into the year 2035, where cities have become circular or let’s say it like this: they have become engines of value creation—waste is designed out, and every built asset contributes to a thriving, resource-efficient urban ecosystem. Across these circular cities, residential developments set new standards: constructed 100% modularly, every building element is serially produced, fully demountable, and engineered for reuse or recycling at the end of its service life. For industry leaders, this isn’t just a vision, it’s a scalable business case.

Why? Because modular integrated construction (MiC) fundamentally reshapes the way we design, deliver, and manage buildings. Standardized processes and digital workflows drive higher productivity, minimize delays, and deliver predictable quality at every stage. Materials, once immobilized in outdated structures, remain assets—retaining value and enabling new revenue streams from refurbishment, resale, or material recovery.

For developers and investors, the result is lower lifecycle costs and resilience against resource volatility. Municipalities and operators benefit from greater speed, flexibility, and reduced urban disruption—meeting stakeholder expectations and regulatory targets for sustainability. End users experience better living environments, adaptable housing, and transparency in environmental performance.

In this context, MiC is not only a tool for innovation but a competitive advantage—enabling the industry to meet circular city objectives, respond to market shifts, and unlock profitable growth.

This article explores the findings of a targeted stakeholder survey, translating circular principles into actionable strategies for decision-makers in modular construction.

This survey forms a key part of a PhD thesis which investigates innovative and sustainable business models for modular building systems. Between January and July 2025, responses were collected from stakeholders mainly across Europe, the Americas, and Australia/New Zealand. The respondent pool included building contractors, project developers, architects, civil engineers, industry associations, and academics. The structured questionnaire comprised 14 core topics with in-depth sub-questions, aimed at capturing practical insights from various professional perspectives. Selected survey questions and their results will be presented and discussed in the following sections of this article.

Regarding the types of organizations represented by the participants, approximately 27% were affiliated with city and/or municipal construction departments. Participants from universities and research institutes constituted over 25%, while the third largest group, comprising 24%, was from modular construction companies. A smaller proportion of participants were associated with design offices, business entities, and social housing associations, among others.

Regarding the geographical distribution of participants, North America accounted for approximately 35%, followed by South America at nearly 30%, and Europe at approximately 27%. Additional participants originated from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

In response to the inquiry, "How would you define the concept of a Circular City in the context of modular construction technologies?", approximately 39% of respondents identified it as a city employing advanced recycling technologies to manage construction and demolition waste. Over one-quarter of the participants described it as a city that integrates Modular Integrated Construction (MIC) and other innovative technologies to enhance resource efficiency and minimize waste. Additionally, more than 20% characterized it as a city that adopts sustainable construction practices, such as energy-efficient designs and the use of renewable materials. Respondents also highlighted that the approach to construction in these cities focuses on maximizing the reuse and repurposing of building materials, actively working to minimize environmental impact and foster resource-efficient urban development.

The subsequent question, following the one mentioned above, was: "Based on your understanding of a Circular City, how would you prioritize the following construction principles to achieve the target, using a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)?" The responses were assessed in the diagram below.