The construction and demolition (C&D) waste is one of the biggest forms of waste in the world and it accounts for almost 30-40% of the total solid waste. The rising demands on the natural resources, urbanization and climate change have led to the cities adopting the linear model of consuming their resources to the circular construction of the cities. In this paper, the author includes a detailed overview of the global and regional practice on sustainable management and valorization of C&D waste, particularly in terms of urban infrastructure. It examines new models that combine recycling, industrial symbiosis, and life cycle assessment to bring about circularity in construction. The methodology of the study is a synthesis of the results of the empirical case studies and systematic literature reviews that were performed in 2018-2025. Findings reveal that successful segregation, implementation of controls and collaborating with stakeholders are key facilitators to material recovery and reuse. Energy recovery processes, re-use aggregates and geopolymer technologies are highly promising to decrease the embodied carbon and dependency on landfills. The analysis also indicates geographical voids especially in developing countries where informal sectors prevail in waste streams. Finally, sustainable C&D waste management makes materials more efficient, minimizes emissions of greenhouse gases, and increases the resilience of urban infrastructure, thus achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) 11 and 12.