Shopping scapes, rhizomes and social capital in the circular economy

Conventional shopping-scapes are designed to promote a linear form of consumption. Products are moved from production systems through consumer distribution nodal points. The consumption of commodities through these points is promoted as the main, if not only, legitimate activity of shopping centres.

A circular economic paradigm offers an alternative to the current model of linear consumption so that there are restorative processes to ensure products, components and materials are valued at all stages of product life (MacArthur 2013). However this model, like its contemporary linear model, overlooks the opportunities for more socially rewarding and diverse economies to consumption, that could particularly be addressed through the shopping scape.

Is the Circular Economy the radical panacea needed to truly disrupt 'business as usual' or is it 'business as usual' dressed in the 'Emperor's New Clothes'?

This paper will discuss the CE through the framework of the rhizome, the importance of social capital through alternative economic paradigms of the Gift Economy, The Commons and The Sharing Economy and how the spatial relations these afford can radically change how we enact exchange for a strong sustainable consumer paradigm.