Contemporary Urban Design Thinking

Rob Roggema Editor

Trends
in Urban
Design
Insights for the Future Urban
Professional

Contemporary Urban Design Thinking
Series Editor
Rob Roggema, Cittaideale, Office for Adaptive Research by Design,
Wageningen, The Netherlands

This series will investigate contemporary insights in urban design theory and
practice. Urbanism has considerably changed and developed over the years and is
about to undergo a transformation moving into a new era.
In the 1990’s and early 2000’s economic driven urban design was prevalent in
many countries around the world. Moving forward it is no longer feasible to continue
to develop in the same way and new ideas for creating urbanism are urgently
required.
This series will publish titles dealing with innovative methods of urbanism
including, sustainability driven urbanism, smart urbanism, population driven
urbanism, and landscape based urban design.
The series will include books by top researchers and leaders in the fields of urban
design, city development and landscape urbanism. The books will contain the most
recent insights into urbanism and will provide actual and timely reports filling a gap
in the current literature.
The series will appeal to urbanists, landscape architects, architects, policy
makers, city/urban planners, urban designers/researchers, and to all of those
interested in a wide-ranging overview of contemporary urban design innovations in
the field.

Rob Roggema
Editor

Trends in Urban Design
Insights for the Future Urban Professional

Editor
Rob Roggema
Cittaideale, Wageningen
The Netherlands

ISSN 2522-8404	    ISSN 2522-8412 (electronic)
Contemporary Urban Design Thinking
ISBN 978-3-031-21455-4    ISBN 978-3-031-21456-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1
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Contents

1

Future Talks����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������    1
Rob Roggema and Robert Chamski

2

Oral Learning������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   21
Rob Roggema and Dominique Hes

3

Teaching the Region��������������������������������������������������������������������������������   31
Rob Roggema and Peter Bishop

4

Shaping Urgencies������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   43
Rob Roggema and Riek Bakker

5

Thinking Along����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   51
Rob Roggema and Ernest Briët

6

Beyond Pilots��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   61
Rob Roggema and Jan Fokkema

7

Thinking in Improbabilities��������������������������������������������������������������������   69
Rob Roggema and Ton Dassen

8

Waterlander����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   81
Rob Roggema and Laura Bromet

9

Design for Emergencies ��������������������������������������������������������������������������   89
Rob Roggema and Greg Keeffe

10

In Solidarity����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   97
Rob Roggema and Steven Slabbers

11

From Home���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 105
Rob Roggema

12

 the Stupid Economy!������������������������������������������������������������������������ 113
It’s
Rob Roggema and Roderick Simpson

v

vi

Contents

13

Waterman ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 125
Rob Roggema and Karel Bruin-Baerts

14

Cultivating Urgencies������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 135
Rob Roggema and Winy Maas

15

EnergyRich ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 145
Rob Roggema and Nicole van Wijk

16

Elusive City���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 153
Rob Roggema and Rolf Tjerkstra

17

Shaping Communities������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 161
Rob Roggema and Thijs Asselbergs

18

Thinking Freedom ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 171
Rob Roggema and Arie-Willem Bijl

19

Decultivating the Netherlands���������������������������������������������������������������� 181
Rob Roggema and Bas Roels

20

All Adaptive���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 191
Rob Roggema, Nienke Bouma, and Jacqueline Drent

21

 Learn from Our Mistakes���������������������������������������������������������������� 201
We
Rob Roggema and Joeri Koehof

22

Stuck���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 209
Rob Roggema and Erik Vrieling

23

The Art of Improvisation������������������������������������������������������������������������ 217
Rob Roggema and Jeroen Heester

24

Pride in Quality���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 225
Rob Roggema and Maarten Janssen

25

Growth Means Life���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 233
Rob Roggema and Maarten Smit

26


The
Future Is (Im)possible���������������������������������������������������������������������� 239
Rob Roggema and Marco Broekman

Index������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 249

About the Editors

Rob Roggema is a landscape architect, Distinguished
Professor of Regenerative Culture at Tecnológico de
Monterrey, Mexico. He is founder and principal consultant of Cittaideale, office for adaptive design and planning, and a visiting professor at Queens University
Belfast. He held several professorship positions at VHL
University (Professor of Design for Urban Agriculture
2014–2016), University of Technology Sydney
(Professor of Sustainable Urban Environments
2016–2018), Hanze University Groningen (Professor of
Spatial Transformations 2019–2021) and InHolland
University of Applied Sciences (Professor of LandscapeDriven Design, 2021–2022). Between 2010 and 2013,
he was inaugural visiting research fellow at the Victorian
Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research,
University of Melbourne. Before 2010, he worked for
the province of Groningen and municipalities such as
Almere, Breda and Rotterdam on the design of ecological and sustainable cities and landscapes. Recently, he
led the design for a nature-rich Netherlands and the climate adaptive design 2021 for the Groningen region,
initiated the FEW-nexus project ‘the Moveable Nexus’,
and designed the Edible Park in Ede, the Netherlands.
Currently, he is the lead-landscape architect of Greening
Arabia project. He is lead author of the ‘Architecture,
Urban Design and Planning’ chapter of the third assessment report of the UCCRN. Rob is currently series editor of Contemporary Urban Design Thinking (Springer),
has facilitated over 40 design charrettes worldwide, and
has presented his work at conferences and symposia all
around the world.
vii

viii

About the Editors

Robert Chamski is an architect and team leader of the
School of Construction, Civil Engineering and Spatial
Development at Inholland University of Applied
Sciences in Alkmaar and Haarlem. He sees teaching
and the curriculum as a design exercise, to offer students a creative and innovative experience in the field of
urban development.

Dominique Hes is a key thinker in sustainability,
regenerative development and placemaking in the
Melbourne and Australian research community and
society well as a respected scholar internationally. For
many years she worked at the University of Melbourne
in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning,
making them familiar teaching emerging designers to
think laterally. She has inspired many to integrate and
apply the principles of regeneration, resilience and sustainability through her teaching, research, projects and
publications. It all came together in the award winning,
cornerstone book she wrote together with Chrisna du
Plessis, Designing for Hope. After leaving academia to
create on-the-ground action, she worked at Beyond
Zero Emissions, showing how thought leadership can
influence how we live in a world that stores more carbon than it emits. Where carbon is a source of potential
and thriving, not a problem to dispose of. Additionally,
she works on restoring ecological systems through
chairing the board of Green-fleet, a not for profit that
restores ecosystems, where possible with Indigenous
custodians, through carbon sequestration investments.
A month ago, she accepted her greatest challenge, to
support the whole of the built environment of the City
of Melbourne to reach zero carbon by 2040. Practically,
Dominique has supported the development of projects
such as The Paddock, in Castlemaine, one of the first
truly regenerative neighbourhoods in Australia, shaped
with and by the community to restore nature while creating healthy places for people to live.

About the Editors

ix

Peter Bishop is one of the leading thinkers in city planning in the Greater London area and beyond. For years
he was the main advisor of the mayor of the City of
London on urban design and planning. In this period, he
set up ‘Design for London’, the Mayor’s architectural
studio with a brief to ‘think about London, understand
London and develop ideas to make it better’. One of the
major projects Peter Bishop was responsible for is the
redevelopment of the Kings Cross station and its urban
surroundings, a huge transformation process for one of
the key spaces of the city. Some of the thought perspectives regarding city making focus on the temporality of
the city, its political agenda and the process of involvement of a broad array of stakeholders in design processes. Currently, Peter Bishop is Professor of Urban
Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University
College London, and runs his own consultancy working
in the UK, Australia, Chile and the Middle East.
Riek Bakker is trained as a landscape architect in
Boskoop and learned that slow growth dominates in
nature. Now, she passionately shapes cities, regions and
the process of planning. Still, this does not depart from
her origins that much; the development of the city also
takes time and is not ‘done’ quickly. What is often
found lacking, however, is the contribution of young
people. The established system of urban development is
dominated by administrators and planners from older
generations, who, let’s be honest, do not have a lot of
future ahead of them. This could be changed by giving
the youth a place at the table in the process of designing
the new reality, to embed new incentive. Meanwhile, we
can see where Riek has changed The Netherlands forever: the Kop van Zuid has moved the center of
Rotterdam to the river Meuse and Leidsche Rijn has
become a district of Utrecht because of the diversion of
the A2 highway. Barriers are there to be breached.

x

About the Editors

Ernest Briët is not a green activist but seeks collaboration in an amiable way with supporters and sceptics to
achieve his goal. This perfectly matches the Landscape
North-Holland slogan: ‘Together, we will make NorthHolland more beautiful!’. To achieve this, Ernest is
always looking for possibilities to help other parties
solve their problems. But given the problems in the area
of climate and biodiversity, all kinds of functions in the
landscape run into issues, and nature can lend a helping
hand. For example, Landscape North-Holland (LNH)
has its own lands, supports 14,000 volunteers, and has a
commercial branch which advises and manages in service of third parties in the area of landscape and nature:
Natural Affairs. In this way not only do we increase our
own knowledge, we also spread it across the province.
Jan Fokkema has been the director of NEPROM, the
national branch association of project developers, for
years. Unlike how many imagine project developers to
be, fast men in snazzy suits on their way to yet another,
mainly financially, attractive building project, NEPROM
is always on the lookout for innovation in building. Jan
knows like no other that stagnation is regression, and he
thus constantly needs to stay a bit ahead of the curve.
This is best achieved through solid collaboration
between private and public parties and in interpreting
development projects as broadly as possible: sustainability, climate resilience and nature-inclusive building
as integral parts of area development.
Ton Dassen likes to think. The future of his country is
important to him, and he is highly aware of the complexities that come along with it, for people, animals,
cities and the living environment. Before he started
work at the Netherlands Planning for the Living
Environment Agency, he worked for the Environmental
and Nature Assessment Agency, where he explored the
future of air travel, particularly the environmental and
spatial developments around the national airport
Schiphol. At the Planning Agency, he broadened his
scope. Leading up to the scenario study Welfare and the
Living Environment, he conducted a so-called horizonscan. A broad analysis of trends and signals in which
several less-probable developments were also explored
in ‘the Sustainable City 2040’ and ‘Smart about Cities’,

About the Editors

xi

such as a significant increase in life expectancy and ‘climate engineering’. He primarily focused on urban areas
and urbanization processes. Switching between problem fields, policy and science is essential to come to
coherent thoughts and suggestions in the complex environment that is the city. With design research and visualization, he worked on a broader research repertoire of
the PBL. Now, he has returned to the rural area, where
explorations are different but the environment no less
complex. Nature, agriculture, nitrogen, water and the
intensification of the countryside are intimately connected there as well, which demands detangling and
future-oriented thinking. Ton’s analytical capacity is
useful in this, and his type A brain offers a great number
of outcomes.
Laura Bromet Her interest in the landscape eventually
drove Laura Bromet into politics. She really wanted to
study planning but ended up going with Dutch language
and literature. Through her work in the family business,
she encountered a broad range of topics, and her concern for how we deal with our natural and social environment grew. After the last elections, this brought her
into Parliament for GreenLeft (GroenLinks), where topics such as agriculture, nature and food, water, living,
and domestic affairs keep her busy. She had not initially
thought that politics could be so much fun, but it has
truly changed her perspective on life. She continues to
be committed to creating a fairer and more sustainable
country.
Greg Keeffe has been a vanguard of innovative design
concepts that create sustainable, resilient and regenerative cities. As an architect and urban designer, he aims
to use biological principles to the advantage of urban
design. These nature-based solutions offer ‘hyper-­
localized’ solutions for the food system and renewable
energy concepts. The city can then start to operate as an
organism, with all its natural functions. When these
principles are used to design the city, creative and innovative futures come within reach. This requires thinking
at different scales, which relate to the hardware, the
software, and their interface with the city. An inspiring
example in which these all come together is the
Biospheric project in Salford, Manchester. Here, the

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About the Editors

retrofit of an old industrial building enabled the installation of a food-­growing environment, where an ‘aquaponic’ system provided a highly productive outcome
for the local neighbourhood. More recently, Greg has
worked on ‘The M-NEX Project’, where his design-led
thinking reached the next level, making wider connections between food, energy and water systems at building, precinct, urban and regional scales. Greg is
Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Queens
University Belfast.
Steven Slabbers For years, Steven Slabbers was busy
with the concerns of his own consultancy in landscape
architecture, BoschSlabbers. A few years ago, he left
his firm to a new generation of designers. In return, he
gained the mental space to busy himself with the conceptual side, free from daily management issues. Not
that he is less busy now, on the contrary, the urgencies
of new tasks force themselves upon him and demand
commitment. The focus on uniting irreconcilable problems and solutions requires thinking and creativity. You
can get that with Steven!
Rod Simpson is a leading spokesperson in the Greater
Metropolitan Sydney Area for environmental urban
development. As an urban designer and architect at
simpson+wilson architects, he designed sustainable
projects across Australia. In academia he is an inspirational teacher, always intensively involved in the students thinking, lately as Associate Professor at the
Faculty of Architecture, University of New South
Wales. Rod was the inaugural Environment
Commissioner for the Greater Sydney Commission for
period of 5 years. He developed the idea of the Parkland
City, a new urban development linked to the new Sydney
Airport for about 1 million new inhabitants. The concept of a ‘Parkland City’ recognizes that in the
Anthropocene, all environments are subject to ‘design’.
In this development, regenerative design and indigenous principles come together in a future-oriented plan.
In his work, Rod combines urban design metrics and

About the Editors

xiii

‘getting the numbers right’ with in-depth understanding
of the interlinkages and complexities of current urban
design practice. Since leaving the Commission he has
become concerned that the environmental, resilience
and liveability aspects are being degraded and subordinated to standard property development and political
pressures. The tension between the urgencies of social
inequity, climate change and ecology, and the harsh
laws of a market-driven economy and landownership is
continuous food for thought.
Karel Bruin-Baerts Change is a constant, and adapting the water management system to it is a constant
source of concern for Karel Bruin-Baerts. Think about
it, there is more flooding, then it is too dry again, and
besides this, the water needs to be clean enough for
people to enjoy it. In North Holland, all these elements
meet, while the sea level simultaneously continues to
rise. This, too, is not without risk. Luckily, Karel is optimistic, and looks at what can be achieved, preferably
together with other parties, governments, businesses
and citizens. A nice challenge, that is how he sees it.
And what is better than tinkering with the system, so
that there is water where it should be, and it disappears
when we can do without.
Winy Maas When people hear the name ‘Winy Maas’
they often first think of the architect, but he is first and
foremost a landscape architect. Educated in Boskoop, it
explains his love for greenery, plants and nature in the
city. This is reflected in his projects: every plant species
found in Korea can be seen on a bridge in the heart of
Seoul; the Valley on the Zuidas in Amsterdam is draped
in plants and trees; and on top of the recently opened
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a green rooftop park
can be found. Winy combines conceptual leaps in thinking with data-driven research and an eye for detail.
Buildings have appeared in every corner of the world,
which often stand out because they deviate from the
usual. This confuses and invites opposition, but above
all: it inspires.

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About the Editors

Nicole van Wijk The question of how to keep affordable homes sustainably available for the most vulnerable people in society keeps Nicole van Wijk busy on a
daily basis. As director-manager of Woonwaard, she is
familiar with the stubbornness of the field, and it is
sometimes difficult to bring this together with the ambitious goals that are determined on a national scale.
Woonwaard’s ambitions are big, too: a switch in sustainability for 16,000 homes, and being able to simultaneously offer homes that allow people to participate in
their social context. That makes a housing corporation a
challenging place, where Nicole van Wijk has dedicated
herself to.
Rolf Tjerkstra takes a moment to think about the question of what the future brings. He likes to carefully consider his words and is at the same time very curious
about new challenges and issues. He learns every day,
and in recent years, he has been learning particularly
about climate adaptation and the energy transition. In a
role where you have a lot to do with your local inhabitants, these are golden qualities. Think about it, the people in the city are becoming more and more vocal, and
at the same time, there is no simple solution to complex
problems.

Thijs Asselbergs is what you call nicely chaotic. His
abundance of knowledge and insights roll over one
another and fight for attention in the sharing of that
knowledge. As practising architect, urban planner and
Professor of Architecture and Engineering, his work
encapsulates building, formulating policy and teaching
in how the built environment can be made reusable. The
thinking does not stop at the building itself, but there is
constant interaction throughout all scales. To invoke
Bakema: from Chair to City. He brings research and
design together and is always looking for innovations in
process and content.

About the Editors

xv

Arie-Willem Bijl is blessed with an infectious enthusiasm for the reorganization of urban development. His
biggest concern is that there is too little space for crucial
interest groups in the planning process, the people for
whom the plans are being made. In the past 20 years, he
has searched for opportunities to design this differently,
such as, for example, in the Groningen earthquake area,
former airport Twente, the centre of Rotterdam, complex problems in agriculture and nature in the
Achterhoek, and in many other places around the country. As alderman of spatial planning for the municipality
of Almere, he was the driving force behind the development strategy of the municipality, whereby the social
aspects in plans are more decisive than perceived economical or strategic interest of fellow governments.
Bas Roels It is a well-known fact: without nature,
humankind would be nowhere, but without humankind,
nature will continue to exist. From this perspective, it is
logical that nature has much to offer. Bas Roels sees the
advantages of this, for example through the value that a
natural environment has for our health, or as value for
the living environment. And if you are about to become
a father, this is even more important. Just like how a
child learns to walk with little steps at a time, so too can
nature develop. Many small concrete nature projects
form a landscape of value together. For now, and for
everyone who comes after us. Together, we can make
that switch in thinking, from people controlling nature
to a humanity who is a part of natural systems.

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About the Editors

Nienke Bouma and Jacqueline Drent are two driven
women who try to bring green and public space as close
to people as possible. Every street corner, every stone in
the pavement and every grass field is a potential source
of lifelong happiness, and that is how they like to look
at it. The resilience of all those interests, opinions and
policies is not always as simple, but the need to become
more sustainable and adaptive will eventually contribute to the well-being of all inhabitants. At Stadswerk072,
they work on these real issues every day, with their feet
in the mud, and are thus able to see the effects of their
efforts quickly.

Cees Bakhuys and Joeri Koehof Four piercing eyes
stick out of the screen. Cees Bakhuys and Joeri Koehof
are full of construction, and are constantly busy taking
the next step, on the way to improvement in their construction company. They have a strong faith in young
people, who must be given the chance to learn and discover what kind of new technologies and methods
should be applied to enable the best possible construction. They continue to look for innovation, whether it be
in terms of sustainable materials, digital technology or
improvement of work processes.

About the Editors

xvii

Erik Vrieling If you ask Erik Vrieling about the future,
he will tell you it is mainly in the present. Realizing
architectonic projects is difficult within the market margins. And within this, he sees thinking about the future
as a free-thinking exercise, without any direct translation to building projects. It is realism that wins out, and
the space for the architect within it is limited. He calls
himself a bit of a defeatist and would rather have seen
things differently. His sense of responsibility for architecture firm de Cie is an important cause of this. You
cannot manoeuvre yourself out of the market and watch
the firm shrink. Still, a small nugget of idealism hides
within, when we talk about taking the lead on our collective responsibility to make society more social and
sustainable. Despite the strong sense of realism, Erik is
working hard to give his enthusiasm a place in all his
projects. This demands navigation and sailing close to
the wind, but also leads to encouraging results.
Jeroen Heester If you want to know what a complex
issue means, Jeroen Heester is the best person to ask.
He is a man of many, if not all, talents. Educated as a
landscape architect in Boskoop, he worked on projects
such as the IJ-banks and IJburg in Amsterdam and lived
for a year in Iceland. He is also a member of the advisory board for the master’s programme area development at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht.
He combines all this experience in service of Alkmaar,
as a development manager. He has come to the conclusion that burning conceptual ambitions can sometimes
get in the way of achieving the goal: creating an attractive and liveable environment, and that the modern age
demands a different path to this same goal. These days,
more is needed for that than the conceptually superior
plan, namely an understanding for the governmental
decision-making in which participational processes
play a bigger and bigger role. The times have changed
considerably, and educational programmes shall work
hard on adapting to this. The possibility that participation might be the key to a better world is important.
Who would have thought?

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About the Editors

Maarten Janssen After wandering around (semi) governments and consultancies, Maarten Janssen has found
his calling in the development of projects that prove
their value to society. Maarten is an urban planner and
blessed with an unstoppable optimism when it comes to
the city and living, and sees sustainable development as
an intrinsic quality in this.

Maarten Smit face looks happy. He is always on the
lookout for novelties and likes surprises. This is how he
ended up at Kernbouw because he knows stuff about
product development but was curious about building.
Now, he cannot help but look for new roads within the
building process. He believes that this is the only way
anyone can survive on the long term as a business, but
also as a human. For him, life begins only when the
familiar has been left behind.

Marco Broekman Thinking in design and research
brings out the best in him. Marco Broekman is theory
and practice in one. If his designing research is just as
expressive as the expression on his striking face, that is
very promising. Marco likes to take on a clear position
in the assignments he works on. This provides clarity
but can also invites resistance. If you do that with open
eyes, nothing is wrong. After all, if the problem is
unknown, unclear and uncertain, taking on a clear
standpoint is even more fun.

Chapter 1

Future Talks
Rob Roggema and Robert Chamski

Abstract One thing is certain about the future. It has never happened before. Often,
(recent) history is extended to the future. This unwittingly results in a mismatch,
because path-dependency from the past then determines how we respond to new
contexts. For current problems that we have allowed to be created in the past, we
often choose an approach that is derived from the methods that caused the problem
in the first place. For new problems and uncertainties, which will, by definition,
make up this new future, we need to develop new approaches that are not yet commonplace. This especially goes for the ways in which we design, develop, and build
our society, the built environment, and the landscape. After all, this is where all our
problems and developments come together, have the greatest impact on human and
natural life, and we can shape the improvement of the resilience of urban-landscape
systems. And we possess the capacity to adapt and create an environment that is
attractive and healthy. That future, by the way, is not there for us. Our children, too,
already live in a world that is for a large part determined by the past and the established policy. That super tanker of agreements, habits, and decisions can only be
changed bit by bit. In our current thinking, we will thus need to consider generations
that come long after us, and that we will never even meet. This cathedral-thinking
((Krznaric R, The good ancestor. WH Allen, London, 2020)) is not commonplace
yet, but will need to take up a much more prominent place in our thinking. We will
need to look to the future together! Being a good ancestor is about more than just
solving the climate and biodiversity problem. Gus Speth from the World Resource
Institute formulates it in this way:
I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse
and climate change. I thought with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy;
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
R. Chamski
Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_1

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and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation – and we scientists
don’t know how to do that.

1.1 Introduction
To gain more insight into which changes, urgent issues, and potential futures can
exist, and to determine the implications of this on how we can act on them as designers, developers, and builders of the city and landscape, we conducted intensive conversations with 25 people who shared their insights with us generously. We selected
these individuals, because we expected that they would have an open perspective
and expert knowledge on the topic. We were not disappointed! Our expectations
were constantly exceeded in these conversations that more often than not went overtime due to the intensity, curiosity, and eye-openers. Here, we attempt to formulate
a common thread in these conversations that may help to give direction to the content of Landscape-driven Design.

1.2 The Situation Is Dire, But Is This Felt?
On the 14 December 2021, Erdal Balci wrote “this century will become the century
of the salvation of the climate” in the Volkskrant, in a column with a rather confusing title: our cheers for Max Verstappen is a form of cultural resistance (Balci,
2021). Perhaps he should have written that this century should become the salvation
of the climate, because the urgency is certainly emphasised by many, but there has
been much too little concrete action that “will save the climate.” This has severe
consequences:
• The damage due to natural disasters continues to increase (Swiss Re, 2021); in
the last year, the damage was 24% higher than the year before (221 billion euro,
worldwide, of which less than half is/can be insured). An example: the floods in
Limburg, Germany, and Belgium cost insurance companies 13 billion euro.
• The Delta commissioner has indicated that a large part of current housing locations finds themselves in high-risk areas, and it is being questioned whether they
should be built there at all, and if so, with far-reaching adaptations (Booister
et al., 2021). This leads to the question of whether the new homes that are planned
can actually be realised.
An ice sheet at the foot of the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica (Fig. 1.1) could
break into hundreds of pieces within five years. The glacier will then rapidly slide
towards the ocean, meaning the global sea level could rise abruptly (Pettit et al.,
2021; McFall-Johnsen, 2021; Weisberger, 2021; Bakker, 2021). If that ice sheet
melts, it would mean a sea level rise of half a meter. If that occurs within 3–5 years,
as is expected, it will take a while before the sea level has risen to this point, but the

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Fig. 1.1 Thwaites glacier, the doomsday-glacier, is about to crumble

process will be irreversible. Besides climate change, other processes also play an
important role in the changing of our living environment. Often, these are physical
ones, such as land subsidence, salinisation of groundwater, etc. At the same time,
the social scape also changes. The creative class (Florida, 2002) has proven after a
rapid rise not to be the solution for democratic urbanity (Florida, 2018). Fast disruptive social changes are not only limited to cities and make their appearance in rural
areas more and more often. Domestic and international migration have not yet
gained a place in our awareness of reality. The demographic developments at a
regional scale and their impact on the spatial and social domains and on economic
stability and growth are rarely truly incorporated into realistic future scenarios.
Warning about this, announcing it, let alone making plans that anticipate for it, it
often seems to be ignored. The work of Johan van Veen illustrates this; in the
decades before the 1953 flood, he was already warning of the impending disaster,
based on scientific research that demonstrated the fact that the land was in danger of
being flooded. His advice was downplayed, and he was even thwarted (Van der
Ham, 2020). Up until the 1 February 1953, 3 days after he proposed his plans for the
delta works to the then minister of Traffic and Water Management, Algera. We can
learn from this and need to take even uncomfortable messages seriously. We must
make plans that are inconceivable, but both progressive and necessary.
The situation is dire, and the speed with which changes are taking place is only
increasing. The next 100 years will see us go through as many changes as took place
in the past 1000 (Rotmans & Verheijden, 2021). This implies that processes of
change will go 10 times as fast on average. Are we prepared for this? Can we keep
up? It seems that we will definitely not be able to manage it in the same way we
approached problems in the past. We will need to allow ourselves a new perspective
on three fronts:

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• Developing conceptual long-term visions for an unpredictable and unplannable
future: accelerated sea level rise and land subsidence, greater amounts of precipitation at sudden intervals, acute heat, but also increased ad-hoc policy, and the
instant response to problems and remorselessness on social media, all demand an
opposing force, that can take the longer term into consideration and is not only
focused on solving problems, but also on thinking about the long term, and the
carefully considered and clear definition of the issue.
• In the way we make plans: time gave us the opportunity to organise planning
processes in such a way that we can build agreement about the final vision, and
that this would subsequently be executed. Because changes are happening faster
and faster, this is becoming more and more difficult. Insights change, new problems suddenly appear, and the population has become more and more informed
and manages to express itself more and more clearly. We will thus need to plan
adaptively, determine direction based on the true urgencies, and focus on the
broad lines without wanting to capture all the details completely. Those can be
worked out in time, so that they can be applied to whatever questions and desires
are present at that time.
• In learning: offering and transferring knowledge is not going fast enough anymore. Besides, new knowledge is easier to get via YouTube than in the classroom. This demands a huge switch in the way we teach to one which is more
based on sparking interest and curiosity, rather than memorising and regurgitating existing (and sometimes dated) knowledge and skills. Teaching will need to
join in the demand for real-time knowledge, and just-in-time solutions, and
exploratory learning from a range of sources.
That speed of change thus brings problems with it because the urgencies are
great, but it also provides opportunities. The transition to a new ‘mental model’ is
rapidly approaching. To complete a transition, innovators and early adopters
(together around 14–20%) need to embrace the set of values that are part of the new
paradigm. According to Dominique Hes (see Chap. 2), that group is currently
around 15%, and we are thus on the verge of a new switch. It is for this reason that
unrest (chaos) is so great at the moment (Fig. 1.2). The 80% that has not yet been
able (or wanted) to embrace the transition is still hindering it and clinging to the old
paradigm. It is high time that we learn to embrace the chaos that is part of these
kinds of transitions (Rotmans & Verheijden, 2021).
This does require us to anticipate the new paradigm, and thus adopt a new way
of thinking. Where we have gotten used to individualism, consumptive abundance,
and instant gratification on the short term, the era after the transition will be dominated by a new balance and interdependence of the natural system, the landscape.
Thinking and acting on the long term, with the desire to be a good ancestor in the
back of our minds (Krznaric, 2020). The degree to which we succeed in this will
strongly determine the sustainability of life on earth. The good news is that we are
not far removed from this new era, with that new set of values. For education and
research, it is thus advisable to master these new values first and as quickly as possible and allow them to be put into practice.

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Fig. 1.2 On the way to a new paradigm (Salk, 1983, 2019; Salk & Salk, 2018)

idealism

realism

Fig. 1.3 Idealism and realism often face away from each other (Roggema & Chamski, 2022a)

1.3 Idealism and Realism
Based on 25 in-depth conversations with ‘future thinkers’ from the region, the country, and the world, a striking tension can be seen. Analysis has shown that the ‘realists’ and ‘idealists’ struggle to strengthen each other (Fig. 1.3). It is more likely to
lead to an insistence on earlier standpoints, and polarisation in ‘pro- and opponents’.
The realists centre humans in their thinking and let nature in when possible.
Thinking is dominated by financial and economic laws and the desire for robustness
and resilience in the system. Thus, the need for a slow pace and slow change is created. Based on technological knowledge and current standards and norms, realists

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endeavour to make the certainties as big as possible, and to find support for this in
political, policy, and participation processes.
Idealists, on the other hand, see humans as part of the natural system. This system is under pressure due to climate change and the loss of biodiversity. The desire
for landscape sustainability requires transitions in the ways we cultivate food and
generate energy. By doing that in a way that increases resilience, we will be better
able to deal with a range of uncertainties. The threat of the loss of the natural system, our living environment, requires speed of action.
The use of unclear and undefinable container-concepts by both points of view
leads to an increase in confusion and lack of understanding. Where at an abstract
level, uniformity of ambitions, realism, and ideology appear to easily agree, in execution of plans confusion of terms often still occurs with regards to shared goals and
in particular the ‘offers’ that must be made to achieve them.
There is much to be said in support of both perspectives. People have a need for
the security of their existence and the maintenance of the current living circumstances, while their survival simultaneously depends on the degree to which the
natural system continues to provide these circumstances, particularly when the
uncertainty of the future increases. Because of this, it is important to unite both
perspectives (Fig. 1.4), and no longer allow them to face away from each other,
which would only increase polarisation. The knowledge gained by thinking in terms
of robust systems will thus need to be incorporated into the idealistic perspective:
the resilience of the natural system benefits from a solid financial foundation that
forms the basis for political decision-making and policy. On the other hand, the
thinking in terms of the future, and incorporating the consequences of our actions in
the present for the coming generations, will need to play a bigger role in

Fig. 1.4 Integration, looking for cohesion, and the connection and reciprocal reinforcement of
idealistic and realistic perspectives (Roggema & Chamski, 2022a)

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determining financial-economic policy frameworks, by allowing for more creative
and design-oriented thinking.
In that way, both perspectives are no longer viewed as sectoral problems and
solutions but are brought in cohesion with one another by first defining the issue in
an integral manner. In a regional studio, the designing creativity and process-­
oriented environmental awareness are then connected. The integral search process
is served best with a designing researching approach that does not assume a desired
result, but makes an adaptive issue, process, and vision possible.
This means we must focus on
• Connecting realism and idealism
• Redefining and making concrete a collective and comprehensible language
• Providing a (spatial) answer to current and future urgencies (design for emergencies): biodiversity, climate, food, health, living (making connections through time)
• Conducting designing research into concrete local cases and spatial studies at a
larger scale (and making connections between different spatial scales)
• Devoting more attention to designing creativity and the development of awareness for the process and the participants involved
• Executing design research in a regional studio

1.4 Results
The conversations brought forward a multitude of insights, suggestions, and new
possibilities. Firstly, urgent issues were named that we will be dealing with increasingly within the next 5–10 years (and after). Besides this, a range of approaches,
methods, and processes were suggested to work on these urgent issues in a good
way. We will need to teach the new ‘design professional’ a (partly new) palette of
competences and skills. A multitude of suggestions were made for this as well.
Lastly, concrete project ideas were proposed for how a thing or two in North-­
Holland could be approached.

1.4.1 Urgent Issues and Themes
We are on the verge of a new worldview, which will be holistic, relational, and oriented towards the long term. We find ourselves in a period of chaos, innovations,
experiments, and looking for new potentials. There are two opposing perspectives.
On the one side, there is the paradigm of realists that is focused on technology, regulations, thinking in linear processes, and looking for resilience and robust systems.
On the other side, there is the paradigm of idealists that supports an organic development, believes in the non-linearity of processes, and is focused on increasing
resilience. It is clear that we need to escape from ‘existing’ policy and that we can

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learn a lot from nature, especially when we end up in a situation in which changes
are unpredictable, can happen unexpectedly, and can take extreme forms. In the next
100 years, we will deal with more changes than we have experienced in the past
1000, a tenfold acceleration. That urgency is not always felt by everyone, and
increasing awareness is thus desperately needed. It is even more important to see
risks as opportunities. The necessity here to see problems in connection with each
other is clear. It is impossible to solve every problem separately, especially because
the spatial consequences of the increased complexity in our landscape and cities, the
intergenerational effects of our actions, and the involvement and interests of increasingly greater number of people and organisations are interconnected in sometimes
incomprehensible ways. Because of this, it is time for an integral new story that
views changes in cohesion and will lead to a new landscape. Finally, we need to
realise that idealism also needs to gain a place in the reality of economic thinking.
The Modern Monetary Theory (Kelton, 2020), in which the addition of money in
the system does not lead to increased debts (see Chap. 12), can provide a way out
for alternative economic ways of thinking, that make long-term investments much
more attractive.
The following themes will need to be addressed:
1. Climate and sustainability: loss of biodiversity, accelerated climate change, climate adaptation, transformation of the water management system, land subsidence and the peat landscape, nitrogen.
2. Social cohesion: depolarisation, a society with more resistance and opinions and
dealing with dissatisfaction, transition from a society of self-confidence to one
of mutual distrust and fear, quality of life, social media leading to new forms of
influence and power, equality and fair urban development, division of wealth and
well-being, citizens’ assemblies and new forms of democracy, ageing.
3. Circularity: transformations in the food system, nature-inclusive agriculture,
urban agriculture, the energy transition, decreasing Carbon-emissions, reuse of
materials, wood, and prefab.
4. Economy: exploring the concept of ‘degrowth’ and the impact for urban planning (Savini, 2021; Kallis et al., 2020), thinking about alternative economic
models, for example Modern Monetary Theory (Kelton, 2020), with which we
can bridge the current financial-economic reality and political oppositions and
interests, how can we finance the circularity of sustainable building materials,
what does the economic landscape look like, where and why particular sites and
the possibilities that technology offers (greater spatial degrees of freedom), and
the affordability of the housing supply.
5. Urbanisation: necessity and advantages of green urban development, nature as
inextricable part of the city, impact of the climate future on possibilities to build
(everywhere), if 85% of planned housing construction is currently not suitable
due to climate risks without far-reaching adaptations to the type of building and
construction, the potential consequences of an unpredictable movement of people from climate-risk areas and the existing urban systems not being as stable
(and secure) as initially thought. An increasing amount of pressure is thus c­ reated

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on space and land will become scarce, cities will (need to) become more and
more dense and combine functions even more. A problem with liveability in
rural areas might occur, it is a myth that everyone would want to live there.
6. Contextual and situational thinking and design: not all developments start with a
clean sheet. In every place and for every problem, there is already a location,
situation, or context. Understanding and being able to analyse this environment
will lead to a different perspective on our own environment and contribute to our
ability to design a more meaningful and effective solution.

1.4.2 Processes, Methods, and Approaches
The conversations resulted in several insights with regards to the approaches and
methods that should be applied in the future to be successful in the projected quickly
changing context.
1.4.2.1 Design Studio ‘Apocalypse Now’
A future is being sketched in which climate change and the loss of biodiversity is
occurring at a much faster rate than we envisioned in the past and than what we are
considering in the present. Emergency situations can occur, extreme changes such
as precipitation, floods, storms, drought, and heat. These phenomena will potentially show themselves unexpectedly. It could lead to apocalyptic situations. Though
we do not know (for certain) if and what could happen, it is clear that we need
unorthodox solutions and visions. Moreover, we will need to make plans that
embrace the changes and that are able to deal with a rigorously different future that
has never taken place before. The design solutions will thus need to be effective
(more than efficient) and go beyond an idea alone. The power of education is to
bring these further and submit them to a crash-test as ‘Proof of Concept’.
Incorporating this designing attitude is possible by asking the ‘what if’ question in
each design problem. What if suddenly, disruptive changes take place – a heavy
storm, a sea level that rises by a meter, or long-lasting precipitation that results in
fast-flowing water? How would the design behave in this emergency situation
and endure?
It demands a fluid process, within which issues can be constantly adapted, and a
range of new insights can lead to previously un-thought of designs. During this
process, the awareness of the coming changes can be stimulated, and we can anticipate for the future. A strategy that waits until the situation is dire, and then plans and
designs, meets the need for the sparking of curiosity and thinking in uncertainties.
In a safe context such as in education, we can experiment with risks, tension, and
surprise, and creating ‘what if’ scenarios. In this way, we train innovative thinkers,
who can come up with breakthroughs that are far away from the standards, norms,
and averages (Ridderstråle & Nordström, 2004) as we know them. There is

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consideration for the unknown unknowns, thinking in scenarios that fall outside the
beaten track, exploring what the so-called black swans (Taleb, 2007) could mean,
and how intuition and improvisation can respond to complexity and non-linearity.
Designing for emergency situations requires adaptability, agility, and resilience,
speaks to the imagination, and places creativity in the heart of education. Stories
and meanings come to life, and the city and landscape can be envisioned in diversity, with an understanding for local circumstances and the changing of the seasons.
1.4.2.2 Teaching the Region
In a regional studio, research and education can focus on the design research of the
region as a whole, rather than in terms of separate subjects. By taking the region as
the object of the research, separate topics are viewed in cohesion, an integral spatial
scale is created, and outcomes can be collected and analysed over a longer period,
and the results captured in a restructured way. The method of Research by Design is
highly suitable for this, comprehending several steps:
1. Analytic research: collecting data and visualisation
2. (Re)defining the issue: formulating the issue first is more important than finding
solutions
3. Finding and exploring the spatial (design) intervention, and the power and limits of this
4. Designing, drawing, modelling, and reviewing of design solutions
5. Evaluating and eventually re-running the iterative process
The region is seen as an organism, that can change, is alive, and can constantly
adapt to changing circumstances. In the regional studio, a place is created for free
thinking, in the search for the optimal resilience of the region. The outcomes will
make the value of this approach visible that will be seen as an accepted part of regular planning, policymaking, and decision-making, because it shows the value of
asking the question of what the adaptability of the plan will be in the future.
1.4.2.3 Landscape-Driven Design
By taking the landscape context as a starting point for thinking and design, the
expertise and understanding of natural, ecological, water, and soil systems is incorporated into the planning of urban, human, and built environments. Social-ecological
resilience is thus naturally built into the core of urban development, through which
a greater sustainability and adaptability can be achieved. To start with the landscape
(Landscape First) means that landscape architects and the design of urban regions
get a more prominent place in the development of the region.
This is implicitly the basis for nature-inclusive and climate-resilient spatial
development because nature and resilience become the foundation of integral
design. For example, natural deltas, building with nature, and climate buffers form

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the basis for housing, working, and urban life. Nature directs urban patterns rather
than the city dictating where and how nature is allowed to exist. By giving the government the task to begin the development of nature (and set up an exploitation for
this) urbanity can become ecological and rewilding can take place in the bioregion.
Redeveloping the land starts with the ecological and water systems that shape the
land as a form of reversed engineering. Only when the ecological and water systems
have been designed as a framework for the integral plan synergy can then be created
with housing construction and other urban functions (exploitation by market
parties).
1.4.2.4 National Area-Development
The issues are extensive and connected to each other. If we pull them apart into
separate policy fields, with separate working groups and decisions in separate ministerial siloes, solutions will also continue to exist separate from each other. This
does not bring us any closer to a cohesive future, let alone enabling value to be created for the quality of life, support, or business. If a coherent attractive vision is
developed in which the problems in the areas of climate, biodiversity, nitrogen,
food, and housing can be connected to each other, a tempting perspective can be
created for the whole of the Netherlands. By starting a process of national area-­
development, the Netherlands can be reimagined and the tension between the time
needed for urbanisation processes and the necessity of acting quickly for urgent
(climate) problems can be solved. We should give young people the lead in this
national development process, in a national design studio in which virtual collaboration takes place on the connection of the long term and the large scale. Concepts
and processes are connected, public and private interests, communication and participation, and water, ecology, and soil with economic land value. With a holistic
perspective, understanding, awareness, and enthusiasm is created.
1.4.2.5 Through Scales, Times, and Dimensions
Just as we will view different topics in cohesion, we will also need to connect different spatial scales, the time horizons, and dimensions with each other.
The scale levels of the building, the neighbourhood, the city, and the region are
part of the same system and influence each other reciprocally.
Thinking about longer time periods provides insight into being a good ancestor.
Cathedral thinking means that we should not immediately see the results of the
projects we are working on, but that we do them for the generations after us, whom
we will never meet, but who will be able to reap the rewards of our efforts. In this
way, long-term connections can be made in the areas of raw material use, reuse, and
regenerative urban and landscape development. Water, food, building, energy,
nature, and living can thus be aligned with each other. It also means that we need to
think much more in temporariness or temporary use of the landscape, where parts

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can be returned temporarily to nature and buildings are built modularly so that they
can easily be taken apart and the parts are easily reused.
With the help of the layered approach, multiple dimensions of the spatial system,
including the underground, can be visualised. In the area of raw materials, dimensions of fluidity in urban design should be given a place: minimising the use of raw
materials, looking for synergy between the various parts (energy, water, food, materials), the connection and multiplicity of use (living, office, mobility) and the connection of ownership and profit through the mixing of public and private interests.
1.4.2.6 Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions
Contrary to many western societies, who have taught themselves a rational way of
thinking since the renaissance, indigenous peoples often make use of a broader
range of ways of learning and understanding the environment around them. They
use art, stories, poetry, music, and rituals as ways to pass on, increase, learn, and use
knowledge in their (sustainable) interaction with their living environment. This
leads to a unique relationship with the land they live on, together with all other
‘inhabitants’ – animals, plants, rocks, earth.
Now that we realise that our rational knowledge is not the only way we can deal
with climate change, the security and beauty of the landscape and the health of ecosystems and our own lives, we will also need to learn to use these other knowledge
systems more. We can learn a lot from indigenous peoples, and begin to look for the
stories, habits, and histories in the region.
A new mentality makes use of creativity, intuition, and imagination to no longer
be a parasite to our environment, and deplete it, but to find ways to give back and to
contribute to the quality of that environment. We can do this by becoming aware of
different forms of oral learning, as indigenous peoples have been doing for centuries. In this way, we can create regenerative sustainability (Reed, 2007), and give
back to earth, more than we take from it. We thus create a new sense of trust, in each
other and in the natural system and the land (‘Country’). We cannot be afraid and
must allow ourselves access to this oral way of thinking, looking for stories that fit
our history and culture. Thinking in complexities and hyperlocal characteristics also
shows a departure from our focus on rationality, globalisation, and a deep faith in
technology. It shifts to a relational perspective, organic and with great self-­organising
capacity (Table 1.1).
1.4.2.7 Socially Driven Urban Development
Society, the inhabitant of the land, becomes the designer of its own environment.
The government, as organiser, financier, or provider of knowledge, and the builders,
as executers, have the task to make that environment a possibility. The spatial instrumentation should be used here, also to push back future climate apartheid. Urban
development will need to begin with society itself, which will then also need to take

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Table 1.1 Shift from a mechanical to an organic worldview
From: Mechanical
Problem solving
Contract
Linear
‘Singlicity’
Controlling the water system
A certain world with patches of uncertainty
Homogeneity, regulatory, globalised

To: Organic
Organic self-organisation and emergence
Complexity
Non-linear
Multiplicity
Dynamic water system shapes the landscape
An uncertain world with patches of certainty
Localised expertise, methods, and culture

up the role of commissioner for the execution. This means reconsidering roles and
responsibilities. This provides insight into a revaluation of the municipal position in
the development process, as shepherd of the process and by formulating ambitious goals.
1.4.2.8 Economic Mechanisms
The economic laws seem to be a given, and because of this it is even more important
that we manage to make them work in a way that benefits a sustainable society.
Instead of the focus on profit, we should make a switch to a focus on the increase of
value. This also means that the financial world will need to make a switch in thinking and begin to think about how financing can help in making society more sustainable and what profit can be made there – for example, by connecting the advantages
for social well-being and health because of living in a natural environment with the
costs of healthcare. Or by allowing the minister of Public Health to contribute to
thinking about a healthy design of cities and landscapes. Or by integrating sustainability, design, regulations, building, and financing into a cohesive finance-­
visualisation model. It would require a lot of ingenuity in coming up with new
forms of area exploitation.
1.4.2.9 Materials and Raw Materials
Producing raw materials, reusing, and recycling (building) materials and water and
energy flows determines to a great degree how circular urban landscapes will
become. If the chain can be lengthened through local raw material production in the
regional landscape of bio-based materials, the reuse of materials that are made
available due to deconstructed buildings or the construction of forest for the future
production of wood, these are paths towards a more circular building process, that
has a smaller impact on the use of natural sources.
If we can visualise what an alternative chain means for the speed of the building
process, the realisation of (large) numbers of homes, the advantages for the biodiversity and the reduction of carbon-emissions, it will become clear what benefits

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can be achieved if we first reduce demand, then reuse what can be reused, and
finally reuse waste materials.
Besides this, we can also gain from making existing buildings more suitable for
new use, so that we do not have to build as many new ones, so that there really is no
need for newbuild. Through the reuse of space, we can build less for more people in,
on balance, less space. We can do this by building dismantlable and modular buildings, refilling space with other functions and reconstructions so that homes can be
realised more quickly, cheaper, more attractively, and more adaptively. The same
goes for public space, where in existing space new places can be found for new
demands, such as extra cables and pipes, for example.

1.4.3 Competences and Skills
The urgent problems and transformations demand a reconsideration of our way of
thinking, competences and skills, and roles as urban professionals (Table 1.2). The
professional of the future will need to be able to think outside the beaten track and
develop visionary plans and concepts. Besides this, a high degree of environmental
awareness is necessary to be able to deal with the complexities and polarisations in
current society and politics. Finally, there is a need for up-to-date knowledge on
aspects that will determine success in times of great uncertainties: climate knowledge, modern monetary theory, and resilient and regenerative systems thinking.

1.5 Application in the Region North-Holland
In the conversations, many concrete suggestions were made for the special characteristics of the North-Holland region, and potential research projects that could be
conducted.
Jewels of North-Holland
• Landscape connections between the creeks landscape and the polders, from the
dunes to the IJsselmeer and the polders, from the Beemster to the coast, from the
IJsselmeer to the inner dune edge.
• The Amsterdam Wetlands, where ecology, climate mitigation, and capturing carbon and reducing emissions from the peat landscape is accompanied by the
development of an attractive landscape.
• One of the most attractive coasts in all of Europe.
• The North-Holland inner dune edge.
• The coastline of the Ijsselmeer.
• The void north of the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA).
• Making visible the ecological issue in the region (dune, inner dune edge, water
supply, salinisation, agriculture, drinking water) as a water park.

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Table 1.2 Desired and necessary competences, skills, and roles of future urban professionals
Visionary
view

Process
sensitivity

Actual
knowledge

Way of thinking
Oral learning
Long-term thinking
Multiple scale
Intergenerational
Out of the box
Intuitive thinking
Adaptivity, survivability,
preservability
Frugal and bright future
Connecting spatial
patterns with technical
attributes
City/landscape as an
organism
Inter- and
cross-disciplinary
Building communities
Social cohesion, citizen
engagement
Transparent and
debatable design
process

Specialist generalist
Place expertise in
broader context
Resilience and
regeneration; socio-­
ecological systems
De-cultivation of the
landscape
Degrowth
Financial systems for
sustainability

Competences/skills
Design skills
Dare to innovate
Anticipate fast changes
and surprise
Ability to improvise
Creativity
Take initiative
Embrace complexity
Conceptual analytical
Visualisation

Roles
Poetic designer,
beautification idealist
Futurist
Design team builder, bring
multiple disciplines
together

Collaborative problem
solving
Teamwork and trust
Network building
Agility
Feeling for society
Reflective empathy
Negotiation
Comprehend the policy
process and decision
making
Understand/convince
opposing powers and
polarisation
Climate literacy
Economic mechanisms
Value creation
Urban systems logistics
Curiosity
Data interpretation

Professional citizen,
connect professional
practice with citizens
Participation artist
Take a leadership role
Organiser of community
support for decisions
Designer of the process
Builder of social capital
and enhance learning
capacity
Creator of environment for
self-determination
Sharp and friendly advisor
Curator of the city
Presenting complex
information in attractive
and easy understandable
way

• The water availability in a water-addicted province. The endless source, which
the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer always were, will become more and more
uncertain. North-Holland is a bathtub that is extra vulnerable to climate change.
The use of fresh and clean water for the cultivation of flower bulbs in salty soil
should really be reconsidered.
• We need an alternative agricultural vision that fits the cultural history and the
ecological landscape.

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R. Roggema and R. Chamski

Landscape-Driven Design
• Begin a national area-development, with young people at the helm supported by
‘friends with a network’ who can organise a safe working environment.
• Upscaling experiments onto the regional scale level. Think beyond pilot projects.
Organise a political manifestation about a bizarre North-Holland Now, in which
the central question is what to do if North-Holland is confronted with an apocalyptic situation.
• Make a regional plan for the coastal delta, in which cultural history, salinisation,
the peripheral economy, the specific housing problem, climate impact, the agricultural transition, land subsidence, water shortages, and surpluses are connected
with one another. The delta as a living organism that gives space to natural processes and building with nature.
• Design a future-resistant inner dune edge, and integrate issues of nature, nitrogen, water supply, recreation, landscape.
• Hydration of the peat landscape, elevating groundwater, the natural landscape
dynamic, small-scale self-sufficient water units, fighting land subsidence, reducing carbon-emissions, creating a water supply, creating a water source in the
landscape, fighting foundational problems. A landscape that takes the place of
the permafrost landscape.
• Designing large terps and a landscape with double dikes in which nature and living are united.
Thematic Design Projects
• Calculating and drawing up the future water system, amounts, qualities (pollution, salinisation) and use (drinking water, recreation, agriculture, ecology). The
capacity of the water system is limited and cannot process all the rainwater that
can fall suddenly. Pumping more does not solve this problem, and we thus need
temporary storage, for example, in the ground.
• The future of agriculture: higher-quality products, locally produced and economically viable, which also improve biodiversity and health.
• Accelerated realisation of homes in the northern MRA-region: with ambitious
quality criteria, inner-city development, and reuse of existing buildings. Making
use of the nondescript urban fringes, by making them attractive for living-­
working combinations. Distinguish yourself from what the Amsterdam region
has to offer.
• An alternative vision on the large-scale logistics and data centres.
• Design and recalculate provincial roads and round-abouts to a humbler size,
suited to the landscape.
Raw Materials and Materials
• A regional raw materials landscape in a new climate. Here, we can stay ahead of
the demand for bio-based materials that will be needed in 2050 and can already
be cultivated in the landscape, given the landscape-ecological possibilities.
• Collaborative research of technology and theory by connecting university knowledge with practical expertise in building and construction. Researching technical
innovations in building modules and components, by collecting the knowledge

1

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17

from local construction companies and subsequently calculating the benefits
with regards to carbon capture, ecology, and water, energy, and material use for
the entire provincial housing problem (or the national one).
Economy and Sustainability
• Conduct an experiment on the integration of regulations, building technology
and construction, design, sustainability, and finance. Bring local governments,
builders and constructors, urban planners and architects, banks and financial
institutes, environmental experts, and a housing corporation together for one
newbuild or renovation project.
• Connect the benefits for the citizen to the necessity of transitions, for example
through free energy and food for people living in the transformation landscape.
Education
• Start a design-led urban planning and landscape programme.
• Develop an intensive design studio for current and urgent problems and challenges (of around 3 weeks).
• Develop evening modules for groups in the participation process.
Facilities and Process
• Update the urgent problems and challenges on a (bi)annual basis and establish
this systematically.
• Management of knowledge (e.g. climate adaptation and building) together with
developers.
• Strengthen the bonds with industry and business.
• Buy a large design table as a place to discuss, draw, and design together and
collaborate.

1.6 Designing a Regional Studio
A regional studio is a platform where students, teachers, and researchers can conduct designing research into the spatial future of the region. Independent research
(‘without client’) as well as concrete cases and project research based on the needs
of regional partners. It is a concrete place bubbling over with new ideas on how to
deal with the complex issues that will require our attention soon. Where the urgencies and necessities are taken as a basis for the design, development, and building of
a sustainable and liveable society.
The goal of the regional studio is
•
•
•
•
•

Exploring the solving capacity of designing for ‘emergency situations’
Insight into spatial perspectives through conducting designing research
Designing counterproposals
Simulating real-life planning and design processes
Transdisciplinary collaboration with partners from the region (and outside of it)

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R. Roggema and R. Chamski

• Providing a platform for exchange, debate, and development of knowledge
through symposia, presentations, design workshops, and mini conferences
• Building a database of multiannual spatial adaptations and design solutions in
the region
In the regional studio, we enjoy a collaborative relationship with several founding partners (municipalities, construction companies, NGOs, the province, and
other academic institutions (WO-MBO), and look forward to new partnerships. In
the regional studio:
• We do multiannual research on concrete regional cases.
• We develop the theory of designing research (structured approach, application in
every project), and anchor this in our educational programmes.
• Will map the landscape and the region:
–– Past: history of the region
–– Present: current changes and issues
–– Future: expectations and changes
• We provide graduate spots and space for project teams.
• We undertake research projects with external parties and regional partners.
• We work with a sounding board and/or guiding group to connect idealism and
realism.

1.7 Methodology
In the regional studio, we apply the methodology of Research by Design (Roggema,
2016; Keeffe, 2021; Van den Boomen et al., 2017).
Research by Design (Fig. 1.5) is iterative and constantly moving between diverging and exploring options and possibilities and converging to (re)define the issue;

Exploring
multiple
aspects

Designing
scenarios
Conclude
and direct

Define
the brief

start

diverge

converge

diverge

Fig. 1.5 The research by design process (Roggema & Chamski, 2022b)

converge

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19

between designing potential solutions (diverging), and bringing together and synthesising integral plans for the future (converging).

References
Bakker, M. (2021). Cruciale ijsplaat staat op barsten. De Volkskrant, 16 December 2021. https://
www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-­achtergrond/cruciale-­ijsplaat-­op-­antarctica-­kan-­binnen-­5-­jaar-­
versplinteren-­mogelijk-­grote-­gevolgen-­voor-­zeespiegel~b8eafbc8/. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Balci, E. (2021). Ons gejuich voor Max Verstappen is een vorm van cultureel verzet. De
Volkskrant, 14 December 2021. https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-­opinie/ons-­gejuich-­
voor-­max-­verstappen-­is-­een-­vorm-­van-­cultureel-­verzet~bc7fd5f5/?utm_source=link&utm_
medium=app&utm_campaign=shared%20content&utm_content=free.
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January 2022.
Booister, N., Hekman, A., Swinkels, R., Wienhoven, M., Hek, M., Nillesen, A. L., Ter Horst,
W., & Van Alphen, J. (2021). Het effect van klimaatverandering op de woningbouwopgave.
Bouwstenendocument. Staf Deltacommissaris.
Florida, R. L. (2002). The rise of the creative class: And how it's transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. Basic Books.
Florida, R. L. (2018). The new urban crisis: How our cities are increasing inequality, deepening
segregation, and failing the middle class—And what we can do about it (352 pp). Basic Books.
Kallis, G., Paulson, S., D’Alisa, G., & Demaria, F. (2020). The case for degrowth. Politi Press.
Keeffe, G. (2021). Sink or swim. Sea level rise and the future of the American City. MSAAD’22.
Cornell University.
Kelton, S. (2020). The deficit myth: Modern monetary theory and the birth of the people’s economy. PublicAffairs.
Krznaric, R. (2020). The good ancestor. WH Allen.
McFall-Johnsen, M. (2021). Ice shelf at Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ won’t last 5 years, scientists warn. Business Insider, 15 December 2021. https://www.sciencealert.com/thwaites-­
glacier-­s-­protective-­ice-­shelf-­will-­shatter-­in-­the-­next-­five-­years-­says-­scientists. Accessed 12
January 2022.
Pettit, E. C., Wild, C., Alley, K., Muto, A., Truffer, M., Bevan, S.L., Bassis, J. N., Crawford, A.,
Scambos, T. A., & Benn, D. (2021). Collapse of Thwaites eastern ice shelf by intersecting fractures. Presented at AGU fall meeting, New Orleans, LA, 13–17 December 2021. https://agu.
confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/978762. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Reed, B. (2007). Shifting from ‘sustainability’ to regeneration. Building Research & Information,
35(6), 674–680. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210701475753
Ridderstråle, J., & Nordström, K. (2004). Karaoke capitalism: Managing for mankind.
Prentice Hall.
Roggema, R. (2016). Research by design: Proposition for a methodological approach. Urban
Science, 1(1), 2–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci1010002
Roggema, R., & Chamski, R. (2022a). The new urban profession: Entering the age of uncertainty.
Urban Science, 6, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci6010010
Roggema, R., & Chamski, R. (2022b). FutureTalks. Over de Toekomst gesproken. Inholland
University of Applied Sciences.
Rotmans, J., & Verheijden, M. (2021). Omarm de Chaos. De Geus.
Salk, J. (1983). Anatomy of reality: Merging of intuition and reason. Columbia University Press.
Salk, J. (2019). Planetary health: A new perspective. Challenges, 10(7), 1–7.
Salk, J., & Salk, J. (2018). A new reality: Human evolution for a sustainable future. City Point Press.
Savini, F. (2021). Towards an urban degrowth: Habitability, finity and polycentric autonomism.
Environment and Planning A, 53(5), 1076–1095. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X20981391

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Swiss Re. (2021). Global insured catastrophe losses rise to USD 112 billion in 2021, the fourth
highest on record, Swiss Re Institute estimates. https://www.swissre.com/media/news-­releases/
nr-­20211214-­sigma-­full-­year-­2021-­preliminary-­natcat-­loss-­estimates.html. Accessed 12
January 2022.
Taleb, N. N. (2007). The Black Swan: The impact of the highly improbable. Random House.
Van den Boomen, T., Frijters, E., Van Assen, S., & Broekman, M. (2017). Stedelijke vraagstukken,
veerkrachtige oplossingen. In Ontwerpend onderzoek voor de toekomst van stedelijke regio’s.
trancityxvaliz.
Van der Ham, W. (2020). Johan van Veen, meester van de zee. In Grondlegger van het
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Science, 14 December 2021. https://www.livescience.com/agu-­antarctica-­thwaites-­glacier-­
future. Accessed 12 January 2022.

Chapter 2

Oral Learning
Rob Roggema and Dominique Hes

Abstract
We are at the brink of the transition to fundamental new values.
New values encompass holistic thinking, relationality, and a focus on the long term.
We need to use our creativity, intuition, and imaginative capabilities to embody the
new set of values: a different mindset.
Developing the potential to bring Indigenous oral ways and Western Literate ways
of knowing together.
Create change through many small adaptable steps, not wholesale change.

2.1 Introduction
Dominique Hes is a key thinker in sustainability, regenerative development, and
placemaking in the Melbourne and Australian research community and society as
well as a respected scholar internationally. For many years, she worked at the
University of Melbourne in the Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning,
teaching emerging designers to think laterally.
She has inspired many to integrate and apply the principles of regeneration, resilience, and sustainability through her teaching, research, projects, and publications.
It all came together in the award winning, cornerstone book she wrote together with
Chrisna du Plessis, Designing for Hope (Hes & Du Plessis, 2015). After leaving
academia to create on the ground action she worked at Beyond Zero Emissions,
showing what thought leadership means on how we can live in a world that stores
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
D. Hes
South Kingsville, VIC, Australia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_2

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R. Roggema and D. Hes

Fig. 2.1 The Paddock, Castlemain

more carbon than it emits. Where carbon is a source of potential and thriving, not a
problem to dispose of.
Additionally, she works on restoring ecological systems through Chairing the
Board of Green-fleet, a not for profit that restores ecosystems, where possible with
Indigenous custodians, through carbon sequestration investments. A month ago, she
accepted her greatest challenge, to support the whole of the built environment of the
City of Melbourne to reach zero carbon by 2040. Practically, Dominique has supported the development of projects such as The Paddock, in Castlemaine (Figs. 2.1
and 2.2), one of the first truly regenerative neighborhoods in Australia, shaped with
and by the community to restore nature while creating healthy places for people to
live (Hes, 2021a).

2.2 Learn to Love the Ocean
We are nearing a shift in mindset (Fig. 2.3). We used to say that if we want to help
people in a vulnerable situation, it is better to teach them how to fish than bring them
the fish. This still emphasizes the value in how many fish they want, need, or can
catch. Instead, what about if we teach them to love the ocean. Because if you love

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23

Fig. 2.2 The Paddock, Castlemain

something you will take care of it and the question pivots from what “I get, can I
extract” toward what can “we contribute.”
What does this mean when the values shift from extraction to contribution? Have
we seen this before in human development? The answer is yes, if we look at the
transition or innovation curve (Fig. 2.4), we see how over time we have continually
seen the limitations of the previous way to interacting with the world and develop
new ways, with new values. Dominique argues that we are currently seeing the limitations of our extractive values, yet we have not quite resolved what the new ones
are. It is a time of chaos, of innovation, of potential. A time where the innovators
will experiment with many new ways, there will be a lot of new theories, approached,
terms, and concepts developed until one takes hold. If you look at the innovation
curve (Salk, 1983, 2019; Salk & Salk, 2018), the innovators are the first 2–5%, the
early adopters around 12–15%. It means that for the new worldview and its values
need around 14–20% of the population to become the new approach. With an
increasing number of people, especially the young, seeing the limitations of our
extractive system, and an increasing number of people developing what contributive
system looks like, Dominique argues we are around the 15% mark. What we call
this new worldview will be something we will only know once we look back. What
will help us move through this disruptive phase more rapidly will be the ability to
create visions of what the new worldview will look like. We need to imagine a
future, have a vision that paints what this will look like, see ourselves in it.
This contributive set of values, this new world of interdependence, connection,
relationality (Yunkaporta, 2020) will be a difficult one for Western societies. The
work of Joseph Henrich (Henrich, 2020) has shown that Western people have
rewired their brains because of the literate, analytical, mechanistic ways of learning.
Our reliance on how we learn, through books, means we have a transactional
approach to knowledge. We read, we might highlight a few things, we write a few
things down, and if we are lucky, we remember a few of them. We look through
publications, papers, and books to find the quotes and ideas that support our own

24

R. Roggema and D. Hes

Fig. 2.3 Shift in mindset

thinking, seldom going on the journey with the author of the whole book. This
approach to learning began with writing, disconnecting knowledge from place. It
was popularized through Christianity and began to transform the structure of the
Western brain when it became mainstream as part of our educational process.

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25

Fig. 2.4 Transition curve (Salk, 1983)

Slowly, disconnecting us from the ability to see patterns, place-based observation,
relationality, connection of ideas to the physical reality of context.
Disconnecting knowledge from context leads to completely different decisions,
abstract concepts that do not relate to the reality of our physical world (Hes, 2021b).
Dominique argues that this leads to many of the problems we have today. Oral ways
of knowing are completely different, they are place dependent and vast amounts of
information is stored in story, art, song, and the haptic (physical) aspects of place
(Neale & Kelly, 2020). To learn, one must be completely present listening and finding the knowledge in the story. Critically, this knowledge needs to be remembered,
and passed on correctly for the community to survive. Oral ways of knowing therefore build the relational, contextual, observational parts of the brain. As we search
for the new worldview, we need to bring these two parts of the brain together, developing both sides. One is not better than the other, both are needed, like wings on a
bird, one wing being stronger than the other does not enable the bird to fly. Our
brain has both capacities: the literate side is good at breaking things apart, is analytical, reductionist, and conceptual, while the oral side of the brain is better at relationality, the understanding of whole systems and connecting.

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R. Roggema and D. Hes

2.3 Oral Teaching and Learning
What does this all mean for how we teach? Do we teach to the way we know has
limitations, or do we teach to enable our students to connect to the emerging worldview? How do we enable both a capacity to use data and excel sheets AND relate
these to reality, construct and develop narratives and stories? What is the role in
design in this context? Dominique argues it is critical. Design when truly connected
to place, to developing the potential of placed, and enabling all stakeholders to see
themselves in that place is immensely powerful in this emerging worldview (Page
& Memmott, 2021). An example of this from her practice at the University of
Melbourne where she taught students to train both sides of their brain. Teaching
Regenerating Sustainability she asked her students to relate what they learnt each
week in a reflection card. The students were encouraged to be creative; the basic
assessment was a card, but they could create anything as long as it contained those
elements. Some made cards, but others made cubes, or dioramas, or dream catchers,
or websites, or a puzzle. Each week the teaching staff gave students feedback,
coached them, and were ready to be engaged. This led to a strong connection of the
students with their designs, and a new holistic perspective.
The card required them to use their brains in seven different ways:
Analytical:
1. Show understanding of the content – references, concepts, critique.
2. Quote someone else who supports your understanding.
Grounded in place, in reality:
3. Apply understanding to a project.
4. Apply what this understanding is to their own field of expertise, their practice
(architect, planner, landscape architect, scientist, ecologist, etc.).
Oral:
5. Connect understanding to an image.
6. Pick a song that explains the content.
Together:
7. Explain why the image was used.

2.4 Zero-Carbon in 2040
When asked what this means in practice, when working on real life policies, strategies, and initiatives, Dominique said: “When aiming to become zero carbon in 2040
at my new role at the City of Melbourne” … “my sense is that we should not limit
ourselves to calculating the embodied and operational energy in Melbourne’s built
environment. It is all about creating the scaffold that allows people to develop

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27

Fig. 2.5 Laneways, Melbourne

emergent strategies to contribute, each in their own way to zero – or beyond zero carbon. Acting in service of life rather than measuring progress. The most effective
way of reaching our ambitions is to invest at least 25% of the budget in memorable
ideas, collaboration, engagement, celebration, and joyful experiences (Fig. 2.5) –
creating that loving of place (loving the ocean). I believe in enabling the process
rather than controlling it, developing capacity rather than finding the one truth.”

2.5 Time
Change and transformation that is constructive and generative needs to be a supported by slow processes. This means that making a difference happens in little
steps. Taking a first little step, gathering, and understanding the feedback, adapting
to it, adjusting, reflecting, and testing before taking the next little step. Design is an
activity and a profession, which, by nature, helps to become agile and adaptive.
Humans are very capable at following this transition process, by using their unique
capacity of creativity and intuition. We are imaginative.
We can incorporate the teaching of these skills more effectively in our education
and not take it for granted (and meanwhile focusing on taking in other kinds of

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R. Roggema and D. Hes

Fig. 2.6 Start with small things

knowledge). We must get the intent of creativity right. Therefore, major questions in
design teaching are holistic and connective:
• How do we bring ideas together emergent from place and context?
• How can we communicate them to that they resonate and build capacity?
• How do we learn to see the connections?
We have the opportunity in our design education to build the capacity to paint a
vision as effective storytellers. How do we measure (Hes, Hernandez-Santin, Beer,
& Huang, 2020) success of this new worldview, which aims at creating balance, is
oriented to the long term, and explores mutual dependency? Perhaps we could measure place, or how well placemaking satisfies the needs of communities, nature, and
the land. We need to develop the enabling capacity of our students, teach them to
seeing the seasons, empowering local communities, enrolling the community in
understanding the place, to adapt to future change, and building the enrichment of
the place. Enabling versus just making. Again, start small (Fig. 2.6), and do it in a
little-by-little step-process. The smaller the problem, project, site, the more effective it is as it enables deep engagement and listening to stakeholders and outcomes.

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29

References
Henrich, J. (2020). The WEIRDest people in the world: How the West became psychologically
peculiar and particularly prosperous. Penguin, UK.
Hes, D. (2021a). Regenerative placemaking – What could it look like in practice? Case study
the paddock. Contributive practice. Published online 1 September 2021: https://contributivepractice.wordpress.com/2021/09/01/regenerative-­placemaking-­what-­could-­it-­look-­like-­in-­
practicecase-­study-­the-­paddock/. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Hes, D. (2021b). How do we build a regenerative brain? Early musings. Contributive Practice.
Published online 1 October 2021: https://contributivepractice.wordpress.com/2021/10/01/
how-­do-­we-­build-­a-­regenerative-­brain-­early-­musings/. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Hes, D., & Du Plessis, C. (2015). Designing for hope. Pathways to regenerative sustainability.
Routledge.
Hes, D., Hernandez-Santin, C., Beer, T., & Huang, S. W. (2020). Place evaluation: Measuring what
matters by prioritizing relationships. In D. Hes & C. Hernandez-Santin (Eds.), Place-making
fundamentals for the built environment (pp. 275–303). Palgrave Macmillan.
Neale, M., & Kelly, L. (2020). Songlines: The power and promise. Thames & Hudson Australia.
Page, A., & Memmott, P. (2021). Design: Building on country. Thames & Hudson Australia.
Salk, J. (1983). Anatomy of reality: Merging of intuition and reason. Columbia University Press.
Salk, J. (2019). Planetary health: A new perspective. Challenges, 10(7), 1–7.
Salk, J., & Salk, J. (2018). A new reality: Human evolution for a sustainable future. City Point Press.
Yunkaporta, T. (2020). Sandtalk. How indigenous thinking can save the world. Text Publishing.

Chapter 3

Teaching the Region
Rob Roggema and Peter Bishop

Abstract
The city is not dead; has always adapted, reason for concentration in urban cores.
Teach a region, linking knowledge to the bigger picture.
Define the brief in collaborative process.
City region is the level at which complex problems need to be solved.
Interdisciplinary collaborative working.
Sharpen the analytical, conceptual, and reflective skills.
Major issues are climate, work patterns, social media channels, depolarize.
Being agile in an uncertain and changing context.

3.1 Introduction
Peter Bishop is one of the leading thinkers in City Planning in the Greater London
area and beyond. For years, he was the main advisor of the mayor of the City of
London on urban design and planning. In this period, he set up “Design for London”
(Bishop & Williams, 2020), the Mayor’s architectural studio with a brief to “think
about London, understand London and develop ideas to make it better.” One of the
major projects Peter Bishop was responsible for is the redevelopment of the Kings
Cross station and its urban surroundings, a huge transformation process for one of
the key spaces of the city (Bishop & Williams, 2016). Some of the thought perspectives regarding city making focus on the temporality of the city (Bishop & Williams,
2012; Fig. 3.1), its political agenda, and the process of involvement (Fig. 3.2) of a
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
P. Bishop
Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, Exeter, UK
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_3

31

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R. Roggema and P. Bishop

Fig. 3.1 Temporality: farmers market on an autobahn – stretching the possible

Fig. 3.2 Consultation on improving Whitechapel Road (Design for London)

3

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Fig. 3.3 Organizations designing one piece of open space in London – planning as brokerage

broad array of stakeholders in design processes (Fig. 3.3). Currently, Peter Bishop
is professor of Urban Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University
College London, and runs his own consultancy working in the UK, Australia, Chile,
and the Middle East.

3.2 The Urgency
The most urgent issues of our near future are
1. Climate change: we have not even started to understand what the implication
could be. We need a fundamental rethink of how the city works, its interrelationships with the countryside, and the fluid nature of the urban-rural distinction.
2. The impact of technology on the work patterns, where and how we can work. It
allows dispersed patterns to emerge, both temporal and spatial. At the same time,
there is the desire for concentrated hubs where people can meet. This is a hybrid
pattern, linking concentration and dispersal simultaneously. Not the location is
all-determining, as national boundaries tend to increasingly dissolve as companies are choosing their bases in multiple cities around the world, where the local

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context (payment levels, culture) determines the way of work; thus, people are
based everywhere.
3. The social response to (social) communication, which is derailing politics. This
means there is a new set of values, not necessarily limited to the political playing
field where power and influence plays out in a different way.
4. Social equitability, which urges us to move away from polarization.

3.3 The City Is Not Dead
How do we build the city to achieve high quality of the experience of living for
people’s increasingly fragmented lifestyles? Currently, we artificially protect the
high-level standards (mainly of western society), through limiting the migration of
labor. This is no longer achievable as many companies recruit globally and pay local
pay rates. This could mean that natural wealth, income, jobs, safe protected living is
no longer a guarantee, given the external impacts and change. The response will be
to use the city as a place for knowledge exchange and innovation between highly
qualified talented individuals. For other (non-Western societies) this is however a
positive, offering economic opportunities. Therefore, it is needed to invest in places,
as the city is the place to be for many, and will attract attention, people, and liveliness. But to keep up and meet these demands, investing in the core urban centers
stays a prerequisite. The city is not dead and has and will always adapt to new contexts in transformative times.
• To meet and learn in a face-to-face way is still very important. When meeting, be
creative together, or have lunch is a productive way of collaborative practice.
This is supporting the creative sector, which will be the core of our future economy. In this context, the center of great cities will remain the creative hubs that
will drive economic prosperity.
• It is a myth that everyone wants to live in the countryside. In the UK, this is a
socially limited place, rather conservative. The city becomes younger. It brings
you a constellation that generates ideas, is the context for socializing, for people
to find a partner, and embodies a rich flexibility of choice and experience (Bishop
et al., 2020).
This implies that intensifying the city (cores) is not a bad idea; however, this also
raises the question how to keep the not-so metropolitan cities lively. Those that cannot create a lifestyle niche will eventually fail. The cities that succeed in becoming
attractive are the ones that connect a rich academic or cultural life with attracting
new residents (Bath, York).

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35

3.4 Define the Brief
How can we address these issues in the way we plan for the city and landscape? We
need to reinvent the way of designing, looking at the scale of the city-region and
define it as an integrated region developing over a long time in an innovative way,
and then focus the investments on this future vision for the region (Fig. 3.4). Within
that context, a region should develop its specific specialism, such as communication
or transportation. This way regional transformation could be experienced as a

Fig. 3.4 The city as mechanism. Design is about deconstruction and reassembly

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R. Roggema and P. Bishop

positive change and the polarization could be broken. In considering new settlement
patterns, the first key question here is “what would this place be?” and “how do
people live here?,” more than a nitty gritty understanding of a certain technical
detail. This implies thinking beyond the professional limitations within one discipline and bringing together a team with different background to firstly define the
brief, before designing a solution.
The team could well consist of sociologists, economists, ecologists, archeologists, futurists, technologists, and designers. Together, and because they all have a
different knowledge set, they need to embrace complexity to understand the problem and define a joint design brief. This then becomes a fluid and cross-­disciplinary
search and research process for which a novel skill set must be developed (Fig. 3.5).
This requires a more creative mindset, which we should be teaching. In addition, we
need to recognize the temporal nature of our design interventions, for instance, to
contemplate the question how something would be 15 years in the future (and what
will come afterwards?). The questions need to be challenging to the students and we
need to keep them curious. This then means we permanently must expose the students to those type of thinking and create a safe environment to open them to selfcriticize. At the Bartlett, we have made interdisciplinary teaching part of the
curriculum. First year students, fresh from high school, are put together to work in
a team (planners, architects, and construction management students) and develop a
“just project.” They need to work interdisciplinary, and we would like to repeat this
practice in second and third year. We believe that eventually a combined Master,
also cross-linking to other universities, for instance, in Holland, is the way to further
explore this disciplinary exchange and growth.

Fig. 3.5 Methodology for
small-scale local design
interventions. (Credit: Muf
architecture)

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37

3.5 To Control or Not to Control?
The regional complexity is something that relates to how we are teaching students
to deal with uncertainty. At the moment the cornerstone for any architect and engineer in planning and building practice is the contract. This implies total control over
the process, eliminating uncertainty. While the demands will soon change and we
need to learn thinking in multiple futures and solutions, without the notion of controlling the process and our minds will be influenced by many factors. This mental
shift allows us to solve broad complex issues, for which we need multidisciplinary
input from architecture, planning, energy, construction, social practice, journalism,
politics, and economists. The large consultancies have understood this need to set
up so-called cities consultancy units. Siemens and Arup, for example, have set up
internal consultancies linking 150-odd cities to their urban sustainability agenda.
Interdisciplinary skills are needed to cross-link overlapping systems (Fig. 3.6) of
the environment, risk, transport, law, IT, finance, and master planning, which all
together urge for a common language, which can speak to the financial systems on
how to create resilience. The skills set for this is, naturally, agility and the ability to
comfortably move from agenda to agenda, linked to a strong developed sense for the
community.

Fig. 3.6 Design, manage
and curate – the
overlapping skills of
successful urban design

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R. Roggema and P. Bishop

3.6 Teach a Region
Instead of teaching subjects, we then move to a new coherency level: teaching a
region. In a region one must look at the many different aspects appearing in the
broader area at urban, landscape, and regional scales, exploring spatial interventions
and their impact on the local scale. The specific subjects are then positioned within
the regional context and made functional to contribute to the overall understanding
of the political agenda of the region underneath. By increasing our understanding
across a whole range of problems, we start to become independent from a time
bound focus. We can move beyond the knowledge we currently have toward the
knowledge that is unknown and we will also not be capable of getting to know. This
way of looking deals with the uncertainties and makes the adaptability of our ideas
and solutions larger, and implementable even under sudden change. Because we
cannot know how the world looks like in 2 or 10 years from now. This approach to
“teaching the region” requires a really sharp skillset of the students. Continuing
study on one region for several years makes it possible to continuously enrich the
understanding, collecting data year after year, building on solutions of former years
by adding them year after year to the years past. This will increase the total body of
knowledge related to that region. To collect and store the results a well-structured
process is required of which data collection, defining the intervention, and designing must be part:
1. Research, analyze data, map it, extract findings, and increase understanding.
2. What to do with the data? Identify an intervention, and understand the power of
it and the limitations of that intervention.
3. Design, model, draw, and write essay on the analysis, the intervention, its limitations, and the reflective process.

3.7 Teaching by Surprise
Generally, it seems the professional urban design community seems to still live in a
world governed by long-term certainty. The reality is that the world changes and so
does the brief. Projects are likely to change, and we need to be flexible enough to
adapt (Fig. 3.7). This needs to turn our mindset. The brief for any project is therefore going to change, no matter what (Fig. 3.8). We therefore need to integrate the
surprise and the change in the course for the students. Imagine, the students seem to
be moving forward to a smooth, clear final project, but then suddenly they are
exposed to a major change, which must be integrated in their project. Which then
changes the entire brief, and the question is then how resilient their design against a
sudden changing context is. This could be well simulated though game play of the
brief, playing with sudden new contexts and hazards or surprises of any kind. The
present generation of students is agile by nature, but we still teach them the robust,
basic knowledge, which is linear in nature. We are not capitalizing on the natural

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39

Fig. 3.7 Temporary uses are a process of experimentation

capabilities of agile students; we should use that more in the way we teach, and the
way projects/subjects are shaped.

3.8 Taking Pilots to the Next Level
Many of the advanced projects seem to be in the pilot stage still. Testing major
change at a small scale, a neighborhood is showing us only little about the opportunities, risks, and changes we will have to deal with. Therefore, we need to let this
thinking happen at the regional scale. Large-scale thinking is probably visible in
Korea and Taiwan, where a strong socio-democratic movement is linked with the
awareness that change is happening and needed (Fig. 3.9).

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Fig. 3.8 Union Street, London. A lido, a garden center, a bar, and eventually a development

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41

Fig. 3.9 Design as street art

References
Bishop, P., & Williams, L. (2012). The temporary city. Routledge.
Bishop, P., & Williams, L. (2016). Planning, politics and city-making. A case study of King’s cross.
RIBA Publishing.
Bishop, P., & Williams, L. (2020). Design for London: Experiments in urban thinking. UCL Press.
https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787358942
Bishop, P., Martinez Perez, A., Roggema, R., & Williams, L. (2020). Repurposing the green belt in
the 21st century. UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787358843

Chapter 4

Shaping Urgencies
Rob Roggema and Riek Bakker

Abstract
We need to re-envision The Netherlands.
A national development project must be set up with young people at the helm.
Communication about the process, the plan, and support.
All perspectives must be right.
Consideration for the environment, the process, and the strategy of planning
development.
It is urgent, there is great necessity to do what must be done.
Consider carefully what the real task is.

4.1 Introduction
She readily admits it: Riek is “totally lost.” She was trained as a landscape architect
in Boskoop and learned that slow growth dominates in nature. Now, she passionately shapes cities, regions, and the process of planning. Still, this does not depart
from her origins that much; the development of the city also takes time and is not
“done” quickly. What is often found lacking, however, is the contribution of young
people. The established system of urban development is dominated by administrators and planners from older generations, who, let’s be honest, do not have a lot of
future ahead of them. This could be changed by giving the youth a place at the table
in the process of designing the new reality, to embed new incentive. Meanwhile, we
can see where Riek has changed The Netherlands forever: the Kop van Zuid has
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
R. Bakker
Riek Bakker Advies, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_4

43

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R. Roggema and R. Bakker

Fig. 4.1 Kop van Zuid, before the transformation. (Credit: Gemeente Rotterdam, Ds+V)

moved the center of Rotterdam to the river Meuse (Figs. 4.1 and 4.2) and Leidsche
Rijn has become a district of Utrecht because of the diversion of the A2 highway
(Bakker & Fogteloo, 2021). Barriers are there to be breached.

4.2 Urgency
Is everything coming at us? There’s a lot and it’s urgent. We are dealing with a lack
of space. We can feel this in the lack of possibilities for good and affordable living.
However, living does not stand on its own, it is embedded in an urban complex of
infrastructure, facilities, and the question “for whom do we want and are we able to
develop which particular living environments?.” Everyone seems to want to live in
the Randstad, but that is really starting to fill up. The limited amount of space puts
a strain on health and safety in this country. Moreover, we are in a hurry. Cities are
filled to the brim without making space for people to exercise, while at the same
time the climate is changing so quickly that the risk of sea level rise and land subsidence is increasing. This raises the question: how should we re-envision The
Netherlands? Besides the issue of where we live, we also must deal with many other
urgencies: agriculture needs to change, the land is subsiding, nature is under
immense pressure, the energy transition is inevitable, and we have issues

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45

Fig. 4.2 Kop van Zuid

surrounding mobility (Van Lieshout, 2020). On top of all this, our population is
aging and increasing by migration, among other factors, something that is reinforced by climate change. This palette of problems requires us to view The
Netherlands as a large-scale development project.

4.3 Understanding Connections
We are no longer used to thinking in terms of connected problems and solutions.
Everyone does their own thing without caring too much about what others are
doing. Young people, students, will need to engage more and more with reconnecting the problem and solution and realize that problems cannot be solved in an afternoon, but rather require time and stamina. Urban development, from concept, via
plan, to execution and the creation of a society; these are processes that take a long
time. This is visible, for example, in the Kop van Zuid in Rotterdam (Fig. 4.3),
which we began 30 years ago and still continues to develop (Fig. 4.4). The question
of when it will be finished is nonsensical.
The connection is not only present in these interconnected conceptual problems.
Understanding the hierarchy of subject areas is also relevant. Green, landscape, and
ecology is usually not at the top of the (power-)pyramid and it is therefore

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R. Roggema and R. Bakker

Fig. 4.3 Masterplan Kop van Zuid, Rotterdam (Credit: Gemeente Rotterdam, Ds+V)

Fig. 4.4 Kop van Zuid

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47

continually necessary to show their importance, bring them into the limelight, and
create a space for them. To do this, it is necessary to have insight into the political-­
administrative processes, which offer the context for which timing, momentum, and
window of opportunity will appear with which you can work. Lastly, the process of
participation is not just a box to tick – you will only be truly successful once you
take community involvement genuinely seriously and give it a constructive place in
planning. It is thus not a simple equation, but this demands that we develop a sense
for the right context and think strategically about how these processual and conceptual aspects can strengthen and reinforce each other.

4.4 What Is Our Task?
We must first formulate the task. Before we start thinking too quickly in terms of
solutions, we need to take the time to understand the task behind the problems. This
is best done by asking ourselves, who do I need to involve for this? What is my own
role and what kind of expertise and skills could complement this? It requires the
ability to sense our environment, and an inquisitive attitude, curiosity. In a team of
“friends of the project,” you can subsequently interrogate each other and arrive at
the core of the task ahead. This is a starting point, or better yet, starting phase, of
each project. Or rather, it should be, to be successful.

4.5 Coastal Delta
An especially interesting section of the map of the Netherlands is the Coastal delta
in North-Holland. An almost forgotten area where many different issues come
together. Big Brother Amsterdam is sometimes a bit of a burden, something that
also plays a role in the South-Holland coastal delta, and the landscape is characterized by UNESCO areas, salinification, a peripheral economic zone, and a housing
issue that is different to that of the larger cities in the Randstad Holland. Besides
this, all the issues come together here: climate, flooding and water shortage, biodiversity, agriculture. Integral thinking and finding the balance between the process
and the content is just as important here as anywhere else. Bute here, time is on your
side, and development processes are allowed to take a little bit longer than elsewhere. The area lends itself to integral development, especially now that the ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning, and the Environment (VROM in Dutch) has
essentially disappeared. Things will therefore have to be achieved in the region
itself. This requires a focus on the things we truly want to achieve and incorporating
adaptability so that the spatial system remains flexible. In this way, a region can
continually anticipate changes and combine functions.

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4.6 Climate Urgency
The tension in our current day and age lies in the fact that urban development processes need time to manifest themselves, but we do not really have this time. The
climate demands direct action, in the now, while the future remains uncertain. We
need to make major changes, but we are still stuck in a fast-racing train on a predetermined trajectory. To deviate from this is highly demanding and cannot be determined in any great detail right now. We will thus have to deal with the most urgent
things first, so that we grant ourselves the space to develop again in the next 30 years.
The question is can we still do it? Design the Netherlands? With the disappearance
of the National Plans of Spatial Planning, so too is spatial thinking at a national level
dead in the water. But we have no other option but to design the urgency
(Gebiedsontwikkeling.nu, 2020). We must do something to prevent ending up in a
nightmare scenario, in which population groups fight each other and declare war,
large-scale migration will grow, because people are looking for food, and the playing field for this is there where the most popular place is, where the chances of
survival are the greatest. If we want to stay away from that, we must come up with
something.

4.7 Designing the Urgency
Should we not organize a national development project with citizens and young
people, who form an alternative cabinet and speak out about what the future of the
Netherlands can look like and how it can become a reality? With a Minister of
Solutions, who can implement outcomes at different scales. Then we must first
work on the things that really need to happen now. Quick and dirty because they
cannot wait much longer. The climate, biodiversity, where we should live, which
infrastructure is essential. This needs to be done integrally and in broad outlines so
that we stay flexible in preparation for new changes and will be able to adapt in the
future. Communication is essential here, so that big groups can contribute to the
thinking, and help in the making of the plan. Possibly, we set up a national laboratory in which hundreds of people work together virtually. This communication must
be clear so that the process can constantly be adapted and respond to opinions and
new facts and can present the outcomes in a nice way. Perhaps we create a design
platform for the national future?

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49

4.8 To Frans
If we take up this gauntlet, and can visually and thrivingly connect the big issues,
including the pass-through to the realization of our ideas by companies, citizens,
and the government, I am certain that the EU will also have ears for it. It could
become an example to other European countries for how to put young people at the
helm, connect issues, and start a national movement. We can then take this to Frans
Timmermans’ Green Deal, by asking him what we can do to achieve his ideals. The
process is shaped by broadening our perspective, organizing the financial aspects,
and eloquently presenting a meaningful plan. It is not about the details here, and not
about the process developing exactly the way we say it should, only that it should.
The contribution this project can make to societal urgencies can open worlds and
eyes. For students and young people, it is a challenge. They need to work and
through this, gain insight into where their drive comes from, so that they can shape
their deeper desires. The result is thus plural: it allows young people to learn and
develop, it creates a positive image of the Netherlands, we communicate that it is
possible, and it inspires many others in the country. However, it is necessary that we
agree on a radio silence initially: nothing we do or come up with is allowed to come
out during the conception phase, because otherwise elements will begin to lead a
life of their own. We describe the issue in such a way that you should want to tackle
it immediately the next day. Not to solve a problem at the cost of another, but all
perspectives must be correct!

4.9 Friends of
To allow the process to retain an unofficial nature, it is reasonable that a safe environment will be created in which the plan can be made. For inspiration, keeping
unwanted influences out, and opening up the much-needed network, the “friends
of” the project are important. Wise old friends who can protect the safe environment. In this way, a different culture can exist, in which anything can happen.

References
Bakker, R., & Fogteloo, M. (2021). De ruimte van Riek. In Bouwend aan Nederland. Boom
uitgevers.
Gebiedsontwikkeling.nu. (2020). Laten we nu eens fundamentele ruimtelijke keuzes maken.
Gebiedsontwikkeling.nu, 9 September 2020. Published online: https://www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/riek-­bakkerlaten-­we-­nu-­eens-­fundamentele-­ruimtelijke-­keuzes-­maken/.
Accessed 12 January 2022.
Van Lieshout, M. (2020). Haar huis werd ‘een hellingbaan’. Stedenbouwkundige Riek Bakker
weet wat bodemdaling doet. De Volkskrant, 8 September 2020. Published online: https://www.
volkskrant.nl/nieuws-­achtergrond/haar-­huiswerd-­een-­hellingbaan-­stedenbouwkundige-­riek-­
bakkerweet-­wat-­bodemdaling-­doet~b0062893/. Accessed 12 January 2022.

Chapter 5

Thinking Along
Rob Roggema and Ernest Briët

Abstract
If you look at urgent problems, loss of biodiversity, and climate change in a cohesive way, you will come to better solutions.
The sustainability of the current water management system is under pressure and
will need to change; this requires an integral perspective.
Linking new nature-inclusive forms of agriculture to a short chain and local high-­
value produce.
Nature and city are connected, solving capacity of nature is useful for welfare and
for the value for the city-dweller.
Adapting drinking water supply to new circumstances of saltwater seepage.
Thinking in landscape connections from (IJssel)meer to dune, and creek to polder.

5.1 Introduction
Ernest Briët is not a green activist but seeks collaboration in an amiable way with
supporters and skeptics to achieve his goal. This perfectly matches the Landscape
North-Holland slogan: “Together, we will make North-Holland more beautiful!.” To
achieve this, Ernest is always looking for possibilities to help other parties solve
their problems. But given the problems in the area of climate and biodiversity, all
kinds of functions in the landscape run into issues, and nature can lend a helping
hand. For example, Landscape North-Holland (LNH) has its own lands, supports
14,000 volunteers, and has a commercial branch, which advises and manages in
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
E. Briët
Landscape North-Holland, Heiloo, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_5

51

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R. Roggema and E. Briët

service of third parties in the area of landscape and nature: Natural Affairs. In this
way, not only do we increase our own knowledge, we also spread it across the
province.

5.2 Biodiversity
One of the most important, life-saving issues is saving biodiversity. The current
landscape has been ecologically dressed down, maybe even mutilated. In many
places, there is too little biodiversity, and the landscape has become hard to recognize. We will need to join forces to make the landscape recognizable again (Fig. 5.1),
increase biodiversity, and develop a nice environment for people (Figs. 5.2 and 5.3).
Luckily, we can see that the momentum for this is growing. The minimal effort is
that we make the Nature Network Netherlands (NNN) a reality by 2027. However,
to save biodiversity, realizing the NNN is far from being enough, because outside of
it there are too many places where it is quite saddening nature-wise. One of the most
important challenges there is that agriculture switches to nature-inclusive or circular
agriculture.

Fig. 5.1 Ilperveld. (Credit: Niels H.)

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Thinking Along

Fig. 5.2 Wildrijk in backlight. (Credit: Freek Bellinga)

Fig. 5.3 Waterland Ilperveld. (Credit: Bas vd Riet)

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R. Roggema and E. Briët

5.3 Climate
Besides this, we need to address climate issues in the local landscape (Figs. 5.4 and
5.5). We are dealing with flooding and simultaneously with water shortages, the
salinization because of a stronger sea level rise that is increasing, and areas like the
Wadden are at risk of drowning. The Amstelmeer, for example, is a dead container
of water, even though the creek system originally penetrated deep into the landscape, to past Schagen. The North-Holland water system could look very different
in the future, with a decreased dependency on IJsselmeer water, the saline areas
designed in such a way that the salt can be used, and the pumping system of the
polders being changed so that peat areas can receive water once again (Smal, 2021).
This begins with the question of how much water we actually possess, throughout
the year, projected on, for example, 2050, and whether this is enough for regional
use. Only that calculation will offer insight into the urgency of the issue. The water
system is very important and is also under pressure. It is then important that the
preservation thinking does not get in the way of the need for change, such as has
been happening now because of the agriculture lobby, but also in the Regional
Public Water Authority. Because of this, it would be better to view this as a factual
issue of cubic meters and necessary space, rather than an ideological discussion.

Fig. 5.4 Land of van Geijsel. (Credit: Boudewijn Vermeulen)

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55

Fig. 5.5 Sandpolder. (Credit: Ronald van Wijk)

5.4 Drinking Water
Because of sea level rise, our drinking water supply is also coming under pressure.
The salinization, for example, calls for the PWN (Provincial Water Company North-­
Holland) to think about shifting the drinking water collection to the inner dune
edge, because the current collection areas in the dunes could potentially soon not be
usable anymore. In the dunes, we are also dealing with the nitrogen issue, for which
we need to take away the cause and should not implement end-of-pipe measures.
We have no choice but to approach these issues integrally and solve them in a
region-oriented way. These are wonderful tasks for students, because it requires and
allows thinking outside the beaten paths. How should we want to develop the inner
dune edge area as an ideal landscape, also for visitors and tourists, for example?
This is a challenging design question and provides a chance to show how you can
do solving, investigative, and predictive thinking, without being too impeded by
entrenched ways of thinking.

5.5 Agriculture
Agriculture seems to be becoming fearful of all the changes (Fig. 5.6). I can understand that, because they often have no choice but to fall into the trap of financing and
supplying businesses, which only leads to them having more problems. We will

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Fig. 5.6 Hempolder. (Credit: Ronald van Wijk)

therefore have to let go of the way it is now and look at what can happen to create a
future-proof landscape and food system. There will need to be laws as well as financial motivation to make the switch, but even more so we need to think about the
opportunities and possibilities here, for example, to enable the farmer to be a producer of high-quality products for the local market. How can we develop those short
chains and allow the consumer to be prepared to pay a little bit more for a much
better product from nearby? This question should be mapped, how farmers and
nature can make a change that is good for the environment, nature, health, and the
financial return for the farmer’s business. A complicated but challenging issue.

5.6 Peat
Another necessity is thinking about how to regrow peat (Fig. 5.7) with which the
emissions of climate gases from peatlands can be pushed back (Woestenburg, 2009).
In the Amsterdam Wetlands project (www.amsterdamwetlands.nl), a connection is
created in this way between the inner dune edge and the IJsselmeer, by linking all
areas that are currently owned by nature organizations. In this way, not only do we
create an ecological connection, but we also contribute to the fight against climate
change and create a beautiful natural landscape for the inhabitants of the area
(Hoekstra et al., 2018). This requires innovative thinking and collaboration in broad
partnerships, also outside of the logical “usual suspects” in our own circle.

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Fig. 5.7 Upwards with peat. (Credit: J. Stuart)

5.7 City
Thinking in terms of nature and green does not stop at the edge of the city or village,
it can also contribute much to the improvement of the living climate in living areas.
By allowing green and water systems deep into these spaces, ecological networks
are created, which can combat heat stress, for example, by urban ventilation, cooling through water features, and shade through the foliage, among other things. In
this way, we keep the city livable. The city-dweller looks for relaxation in the landscape and nature, so it is relevant how the city and the land relate. What do the
landscape and ecology contribute to the value of living and the economy? Living,
mobility, and the living environment of city and village have not been on an island
for a long time now, with the green around it as if there is a contradiction there. If
we maintain that, the energy will go toward fighting change and the result will be
that no one is happy with the direction things are going. If we invest equally as much
energy into collective solutions, everyone will eventually be happy with the end
result, and we will have achieved a positive effect.

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5.8 Energy
In the area of sustainable energy, there are very different issues going on. Here, it is
essential that facilitate the search for places for production of sustainable energy so
that they can have a positive impact on landscape and nature. Creating solar farms,
for example, will need to be a part of the strengthening of the quality of the landscape, and simultaneously increase biodiversity. This is possible, but it is necessary
that we connect all the different perspectives (space, ecology, energy) with one
another. As soon as each sector starts to work only for itself, we miss opportunities
to create quality.

5.9 Solving Capacity
On the long term, policy will have to embrace climate change, and stimulate the
thinking about this in a way that allows more seepage water, for example, to be seen
as a blessing as opposed to a burden. There needs to be more consideration of this
in our Spatial Planning, so that zones for the “harvesting” of this water will become
possible. The inner dune edge is then in a very different position, with potential to
buffer more fresh water than is now the case, while this also offers more opportunities for climate-resistant nature development. A landscape could then be created,
which is also beneficial for the water supply for farmers.

5.10 Predictive Capacity
Something we see a lot is that we are path dependent. We do what we have always
done and often end up in the same problems we have had before. If we succeed in
increasing our predicting capacity, we will be much better able to anticipate future
changes and will also be better able to deal with unexpected events and uncertainties
(Fig. 5.8). Posing the what-if question helps in this, because it forces us to come up
with solutions in the dark that work for multiple different futures. For education,
this is an opportunity to develop a profile, which, besides being focused on acquiring knowledge, also creates an important role for insight and adaptability. If we
focus on regional societal urgencies and can think in a future-oriented way, we can
contribute to the survivability, sustainability, and climate-resilience of the region.

5.11 Good Time
In short, the issues we have in front of us are complex, demand collaboration with
many parties and people who know what to do. It is a good time, because the
answers we manage to find will determine the future of our children (Fig. 5.9). And
if that is not urgent…

5

Thinking Along

Fig. 5.8 A swarm of knowts. (Credit: Gerard Bos)
Fig. 5.9 Hyacinth-forest
Wildrijk. (Credit:
Dutchphoto)

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References
Hoekstra, F., De Jong, M., Scholten, H., Steendam, O., & Verhoeven, S. (2018). Amsterdam
Wetlands. Een perspectief voor Laag-Holland in 2050. Published online: https://www.landschapnoordholland.nl/files/2018-­07/magazine%20Amsterdam%20Wetlands.pdf. Accessed 12
January 2022.
Smal, N. (2021). Watertrots. Een duurzame toekomst voor zoetwaterverslaafd Noord-Holland.
Afstudeerproject, Academie van Bouwkunst Amsterdam. Published online: https://issuu.com/
ns-­la/docs/ns_pg_20210508_watertrots. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Woestenburg, M. (2009). Waarheen met het veen. Kennis voor keuzes in het westelijk veenweidegebied. Landwerk.

Chapter 6

Beyond Pilots
Rob Roggema and Jan Fokkema

Abstract
Connecting craftsmanship and the urgency to keep innovating.
Living as the battle ground between population groups, national and international,
we will need to handle dissatisfaction and the feeling of being disadvantaged well.
The climate issue is coming toward us at high speed.
Nature into the city, the city into nature.
Sharing societal responsibilities.
Learning to reflect and developing empathetic capacities for complex development
projects.
Intimate bonds between the public and the private in area development.
Broadening the task both in terms of themes and in integrating buildings and public space.

6.1 Introduction
Jan Fokkema has been the director of NEPROM, the national branch association of
project developers, for years. Unlike how many imagine project developers to be
fast men in snazzy suits on their way to yet another, mainly financially, attractive
building project, NEPROM is always on the lookout for innovation in building. Jan
knows like no other that stagnation is regression, and we thus constantly need to
stay a bit ahead of the curve. This is best achieved through solid collaboration
between private and public parties and in doing this, interpreting development
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
J. Fokkema
NEPROM, Voorburg, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_6

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projects as broadly as possible: sustainability, climate resilience, and nature-­
inclusive building as integral parts of area development.

6.2 Craftsmanship and Urgencies
The complexity of building has increased in the past few decades. Despite this,
however, we continue to do what we have always done: linking craftsmanship with
the urgencies of the time. We discover these urgencies by conducting developmental
research: how can we respond to questions from society during the development
process, and even use them as a focus of the building project? We want to get people
thinking about things so that new developments can contribute to the next building
project. In this way, every self-respecting developer should always be on the frontline of these new developments. At the same time, this will need to stay connected
with the basic knowledge needed to develop an area or project. We first need to
know how to “do” it! In this aim, years ago, we wrote the Handbook of Project
Development (Peek & Gehner, 2018), full of concrete knowledge and practical
examples that show how we can go to work.

6.3 Red Engine
By maintaining the connection to practice, new designs almost naturally become
“food for thought.” The range of topics becomes broader and deeper, and we get
more and more specialisms. We then need people with a broad perspective, who can
scan the future of spatial development and urbanization and connect that with the
questions we have in the here and now. Investment in living areas and housing
remains necessary. It is the red engine that drives many other issues in areas such as
facilities, well-being, or sustainability. The combination of living and working will
become more and more important and this will have huge consequences for how we
want to live. We are working in different places and can live more and more in different places; this does not necessarily have to be close to our place of work, which,
after all, is also largely “at home.” This results in an almost unlimited demand.
People want to live in The Netherlands. The wealth of our country is very attractive
for a lot of people and because of this, we will continue to grow in population. For
example, we cannot do without migrant workers who make up for our increasing
aging and will therefore need to welcome them. The pressure on space will thus
only continue to increase. This has recently led to a battle of living space, an issue
of justice and division of wealth, which we will have to handle carefully. After all,
many more groups feel increasingly disadvantaged, regardless of whether this is
actually true or not. This also takes place in an international context, because the
global battleground of living space could easily end up in the heart of our society,
which brings risks with regards to our country’s stability.

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6.4 Shared Responsibility
Besides this, the climate change issue is coming at us at full speed. This further
contributes to the increasing of societal tensions. It is easy to become discouraged
due to the complexity of future issues and the political context, which, in many
instances, has its limitations. We will need to conquer the red tape of policymaking,
for example, by forging smooth collaboration between public and private parties.
This is also possible, because the societal responsibility is seen as a shared responsibility a lot more, including by the private sector. This sector has now come a step
further beyond just letting the wheels turn and sees the importance of bringing
issues together. This is also the way for developers to come closer to the people, so
that we can meddle in the design of the living environment and help increase natural
qualities and biodiversity. In this way, we think that it is important to think about
how we can bring nature into the city and bring the city into nature. How can we
generate sustainable energy and in so doing, give sustainable mobility a chance?
These are issues that make the broadening of and focus on the natural power of the
city visible and necessary. To make these connections, and integrate issues, requires
a lot of creativity. Luckily, we have the space for that, both in terms of time and in
attention from the Dutch developers and in terms of the space given by process
directors and governments. This is a growing collaboration.

6.5 Reflection
An important part of education is teaching reflective practice (Schön, 1983, 1987).
How can you see yourself as a part of your own functioning? Are you able to reflect
on your own behavior and the impact it has on others? Skills you can develop here
are for example empathy, collaboration, and negotiation skills. These are the skills
you will also need if you want to be successful in a development project. After all,
that is where you will meet yourself as a coach in the process of community management. Empathy will be very important. Processes of citizen participation are
becoming more complex, and it is even more necessary to ‘really’ understand it, to
want to get to the bottom of the comments and critiques, without taking it personally. Knowledge of the subject area can thus only become functional when you can
apply it introspectively: including what it means to you as well as others.

6.6 The Future of Project Development
Climate will become a significant factor in projects being developed. They will need
to be able to deal with heat, wet conditions, a soil that sinks or becomes salinized,
droughts; and all this while societal tensions continue to increase. Project

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development will at its core remain unchanged, and projects will continue to be
highly varied in size and impact. What we will see is a slow shift towards large-scale
projects that become more complex, with more parties at the table, and which must
be planned and executed on the long term. The broadening of topics such as nature,
climate adaptation, circularity, and other issues that manifest in the public space,
means that projects will become more and more integral and complex, and take
place in, and on, buildings and in the public space. This broad conception of project
development is thus about livability and continuing to find space for new qualities
for inhabitants. The wealth we have is under pressure, but there is still more than
enough space and money to make an effort. It is, however, time that we start thinking beyond pilot projects. The past few years, it almost seemed like there were more
pilots than regular projects. Besides the fact that this sometimes comes with needless costs, there is also the task of collecting the newly gained knowledge and making it public. In this way, we will much sooner achieve an increase in scale and
embedding of urgent issues. Together with research institutions, our own members,
and other building organizations such as AEDES and Bouwend Nederland (Building
Netherlands), we work on consolidation of the gained knowledge.

6.7 Forum and Little C
Two of the most interesting recent projects to me are the Forum-building in
Groningen and the Little C project in Rotterdam.
The Forum (Balch, 2020; Weessies, 2019) is actually the final piece of a long-­
lasting redevelopment of the entire Main Square (Grote Markt). As a building, it is
unique, and it manifests itself as a new meeting place and viewpoint of the city, but
it is simultaneously part of the redevelopment of public space, that was destroyed
during the Second World War. In those days, rebuilding needed to happen quickly,
and now we see that people have finally regained their freedom by following a long-­
term strategy that eventually caused the original traffic roundabout to disappear,
made a new historic south wall of the market possible, and, with the Forum (Fig. 6.1),
has added an extra space to the urban tissue of Groningen. A solid development with
a crucial role for the commissioning from the municipal government.
Little C (Boelsums, 2021) is a developer-driven development that manages to
realize a mini-Manhattan within Rotterdam (Fig. 6.2), with a focus on a green environment and living together in this part of the city. An integral development of the
city center in the form of an industrial enclave (Fig. 6.3). Although the density is
quite high, anonymity is hard to find, and people run into each other naturally in the
public space. A good example of urban development in which humanity is the guiding principle.

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Beyond Pilots

Fig. 6.1 The Forum, Groningen (credit: Peter Wiersema)

Fig. 6.2 Little C, Rotterdam (credit: CULD Complex Urban Landscape design)

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Fig. 6.3 Industrial enclave (credit: CULD Complex Urban Landscape design)

References
Balch, O. (2020). The new-look shopping mall that doesn’t sell stuff. The Guardian. Published
online: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/dutchmall-­groningen-­netherlands-­
forum-­urban-­hub. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Boelsums, R. (2021). Samen kaasfonduen in Little C. De Architect. Published online: https://www.
dearchitect.nl/stedenbouw/blog/2021/10/samen-­kaasfonduen-­in-­little-­c-­101267506. Accessed
12 January 2022.

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Peek, G-J., Gehner, E. (2018) Handboek Projectontwikkeling, een veelzijdig vak in een dynamische omgeving. : NEPROM. Published online:. https://www.neprom.nl/boeken/detail.asp
x?cd=0967724C-­8FF9-­47DF-­8054-­88F203AAA26C&ccd=64B96EC4-­B8B7-­4AF3-­BB3F-­
EEC338C61A8F. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner – How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and
learning in the professions. Wiley/Jossey-Bass.
Weessies, R. (2019). Forum Groningen: een gebouw dat (niet) gezien mag worden. Architectenweb.
https://architectenweb.nl/nieuws/artikel.aspx?ID=46896

Chapter 7

Thinking in Improbabilities
Rob Roggema and Ton Dassen

Abstract
Incredible tasks are ahead of us.
We cannot solve those tasks separately one by one.
Investing in end-of-pipe technologies means a divestment of capital and a regression of the quality of life in the future.
We must play into the possibilities that unexpected occurrences and extremes can
happen, much more consciously.
Which approach works now that we experience more and more clearly that the
future is uncertain and that nonlinear developments are connected?
We must focus on the so-called creative uncertainties that requires going against the
grain, experimenting, learning from one another, and innovation.

7.1 Introduction
Ton Dassen1 likes to think. The future of our country is important to him, and he is
highly aware of the complexities that come along with it. For people, animals, cities,
and the living environment.

The conversation with Ton is a free thinking exercise that does not necessarily represent the thinking of the PBL. It concerns personal insights that should not be seen as an advice or view of the
PBL. The text below is an interpretation of the conversation by the authors and is based on the
interview.
1

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
T. Dassen
Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, Utrecht, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_7

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R. Roggema and T. Dassen

Fig. 7.1 Range of strategic research

Before he started his work at the Netherlands Planning for the Living Environment
Agency, he worked for the Environmental and Nature Assessment Agency, where he
explored the future of air travel, in particular, the environmental and spatial developments around the national airport Schiphol. At the Planning Agency, he broadened his scope. Leading up to the scenario study Welfare and the Living Environment,
he conducted a so-called Horizon-scan (PBL, 2013; Fig. 7.1). A broad analysis of
trends and signals in which several less-probable developments were also explored
in “the Sustainable City 2040” (PBL, 2010) and “Smart About Cities” (Hajer &
Dassen, 2014), such as a significant increase in life expectancy and “climate engineering.” He primarily focused on urban areas and urbanization processes. Switching
between problem fields, policy, and science is essential to come to coherent thoughts
and suggestions in the complex environment that is the city. With design research
and visualization, he worked on a broader research repertoire of the PBL. Now, he
has returned to the rural area, where explorations are different but the environment
no less complex. Nature, agriculture, nitrogen, water, and the intensification of the
countryside are intimately connected there as well, which demands detangling and
future-oriented thinking. Ton’s analytical capacity is useful in this, and his type A
brain offers a great number of outcomes.

7.2 It’s Going to Get Busy
We thought the Netherlands was finished. But nothing is further from the truth. Big
issues are ahead of us. There is a lot of work to do in the city as well as the rural areas.
• A bigger and bigger part of society is struggling to find an affordable home. The
housing market does not function and the increase in households is above expectations. Many new homes will have to be built.
• The environmental pressure on nature, in particular, the acid rain in natural areas,
is far above European norms and this results in big problems for biodiversity.
• We will need to come up with around 150,000 ha of new nature.

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• Agriculture will, not only because of the nitrogen issue, but also to maintain
societal support and to come to a healthy business model, need to go through a
major transition.
• We will need to adapt to the changing climate, especially because those changes
are possibly going faster than we initially thought.
• We need a fast energy transition to become less dependent on fossil fuels and/or
other countries.
All these issues have significant spatial consequences and demand policymaking
with a lot of different parties. This results in an inextricable knot, which presents
itself in both urban and rural areas. In both areas, there are regions that suffer from
livability issues. Especially in these places, there may be opportunities, and we
should focus our investment on the daily living environment. We cannot only do so
from The Hague, but we must think in collaboration with the energy present in
society.

7.3 Systems Thinking vs. Living Environment
This requires us to build a bridge between systems thinking, which is scientific and
abstract and further from the people, and their living environment, which they experience daily. At the moment, there is a gap, which means tensions rise and an unnecessarily polarized debate is created. This is not an either-or story. It is not as simple
as only caring about that daily living environment or, conversely, only about the
greater whole. This is when things go wrong, as is shown by the climate and the
diminishing biodiversity. How to build this bridge is an important task of our time.
We will need to work to make ourselves as a society resilient toward the big changes
and we must prevent problems from becoming worse, more quickly, and we must
simultaneously achieve direct local and visible improvements in the daily living
environment. Take, for example, the farmers. They are not against nature but are
trapped in the system of a global market in which farmers must compete on prices,
technocratic regulations, financial necessities, and perceptions. The question here is
how changes at a systemic level can position farmers in such a way that improvement of natural value and the landscape goes hand in hand with the economic viability of the farmers’ business (Fig. 7.2). This sounds idealistic, perhaps even utopic,
but it is not. We can learn from other countries, for example, such as Switzerland,
where the farmer is also paid as a manager of the landscape besides his income from
agricultural produce. Here, agriculture is practiced on a smaller scale, but still viable. The farmers, and the landscape and nature both, are winners.

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Fig. 7.2 Integration of landscape, nature and farming. (Credit: Rob Roggema)

7.4 Money Is Not the Problem
People often use the costs of change as an argument. This is often not actually the
problem. We must use our means in a different way so that we can achieve our goals
on the long term, as well. The reflex is to further optimize the existing, super-­
efficient but unsustainable system. An example of this are end-of-pipe measures,
such as emission-poor stables. They demand big investments to reduce the nitrogen
emissions, but do they also offer a solution for the greenhouse gas emissions in the
agricultural sector? Will these turn out to be incredible divestments in the coming
years? if we invest in the development of an alternative system that will not only
reduce nitrogen but also greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the long term, we are
using our means in a much smarter way. In this way, we create benefits beyond
solely the farmer’s income, that also contribute to the reduction of and adaptation to
climate change and the improvement of biodiversity and makes it more attractive
and healthier for people. Right now, we are participating in many ways in the race
to-the-bottom, primarily because we insufficiently see the benefits of certain investments but also because we are blind to many external costs. We need a broader
frame of judgment than just a narrow economic one, to be able to see which extra
costs will be made to keep the entire system viable without direct advantages for the
whole of society, think, for example, of the subsidies to fossil energy, or the high
VAT on healthy food or labor. The costs and divestments make the system more
expensive for everyone in the long run, for example, because we must deal with

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enormous recovery operations. We need a different way of thinking to be able to
change the system.

7.5 Black Swans
That other story should be about those events that are improbable, but when they
happen, have an enormous impact – the so-called Black Swans (Taleb, 2007). A way
of handling this is by looking at extremes, the unknown unknowns. These are events
where we cannot know if they will happen or not. How can we still anticipate for
them? Can we design our cities and landscapes in such a way that they are resistant
to these changes that have never before been seen or predicted? Should we make use
of the thinking in possibilities to design in such a way that disorder only strengthens
it, for example, antifragility (Taleb, 2012)? If we think in this direction, we need to
explore the world that we would normally not enter so quickly. To do this, there
needs to be more space within the so-called science-policy interface for paths that
have been used even less, or not at all; alternative research methods that can make
an as-yet unexplored future and the corresponding “solutions” part of the policymaking. By allowing a greater diversity and redesigning the fora for debate and
policymaking, we can explore worlds that lie beyond the usual scenarios. This is
also necessary, because the COVID pandemic has shown that changes will come
about in a much jerkier manner than before and develop in an unpredictable way.
The same probably goes for the rising sea levels.

7.6 Scenarios Inside Out
There are various scenario methodologies (Ramirez et al., 2008). They differ significantly in intent and – more importantly – in their applicability. The differences
in intent are often little understood. This is even more true for the application.
Traditionally speaking, we often work with surprise-free scenarios. Relatively
robust trends are captured using models and those models are used to extend the
trend to the future. To be able to explore a playing field of possible futures, we
(often) look for two trends that are key in how society will develop in a broader
sense. When we do this, it is usually about demographic or economic trends, a more
sociocultural trend like the degree of international cooperation, globalization, or a
more ecological trend such as the tempo of climate change. Going into the future,
these trends are obviously surrounded by so-called cognitive uncertainty. Even the
best scientists cannot use their knowledge about demographics or the economy to
explain (historical) developments 100%. By using the margins of error of 5% and
95%, for both trends “high” and “low” variants are created. By cross-referencing
the trends, 4 quadrants appear (Fig. 7.3): 4 surprise-free scenarios that together
make up the playing field for the debate and policymaking. These so-called

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Fig. 7.3 Four quadrants (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

policy-­poor scenarios have been used for a long time in the Netherlands for costbenefit analyses on predetermined investments that will only yield a return after a
while, such as in infrastructure, dikes, and other works.
Now, it appears that trends thought to be relatively robust are perhaps less predictable than we thought, which creates a discussion about this method and especially about its application. A concrete example: the demand for mobility was for a
long time quite predictable when looking at demographic development and economic growth. With the rise of digitalization, other modes of transport (e.g., electric
car and self-driving car) and recently an acceleration in working from home due to
the COVID pandemic, the uncertainty in these predictions increases.
Extending trends using models also has another problem. Namely, it does not
leave any space for value-laden ideas about what is going on and – more importantly – how to deal with them. Besides cognitive uncertainty, normative uncertainty
plays an important role in the exploration of the future. We can provide space for
normative uncertainty by looking at the diverse discourse in society. Take, for example, the tensions between agriculture and nature. There are (totally) different ideas
about this, depending on how narrowly or broadly this tension is viewed. Is it purely
about the environmental pressure of agriculture? Or is it also about agriculture’s
capacity to create revenue, the farmer’s income, the fact that agriculture in the

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Netherlands can produce efficiently and that all kinds of raw materials from all over
the world are needed for this? How do we view the competition with the self-­
sufficient farmer in a developing country? What is the role of animal welfare? And
not to mention, the potential contribution of agriculture to not only the global food
issue but also to climate change and adaptation, health, and landscape. It is not just
about whether there is one scientific truth; that truth is so complex that the discussion about what is important and what is less so or not at all is heavy with inevitably
strong value-laden components. This can get a place in scenarios by analyzing the
most important discourses and translating them in a number of dimensions on which
opinions differ (strongly). These dimensions can subsequently be used to come to
normative scenarios; value-laden stories about what is going on, what the future can
look like and what is necessary for that to happen. Without recognizing and acknowledging that value-laden-ness, every scenario exercise will lead to ‘solutions’ that
have neither support nor feasibility. Normative scenarios are therefore an issue in
value-laden questions, where it is also important that the acknowledgement and
cooperation of various societal actors is relevant to come to realistic solutions.
Normative scenarios can be supported by model calculations, but numbers are not
the most important anchor points here. It is about the narrative with which we can
debate and decide on “the problem” and “the solutions.” The involvement of the
problem and the possible solution(s) is important.
Another aspect in the development of the scenarios is the explicit consideration
of uncertainty, unexpected events, and shocks. Focus on so-called black swans has
been called for for a long time (e.g., Taleb, 2007) but in Dutch practice of future
exploration for policy, there is relatively little consideration. For example, the most
well-known exploration for policy, the scenario study Welfare and Living
Environment by the planning agencies (2006 and 2015) is a surprise-free exploration, because it was intended for decisions around big investments. With wicked
problems (Rittel & Webber, 1973), such as the financial-economic crisis, the potential consequences of climate change becoming clearer, and the recent COVID crisis,
politics is looking for policy that is more resilient – “adaptive” – to such events. The
question is, how do we do that? We can call this creative uncertainty. Freely exploring, we could reason on what is necessary to be able to deal with uncertainties, in
which visionary thinking, inventions, and innovations have a place. The surprises
we could not see before they happened can only be found by conducting designing
research and giving the creative lateral thinkers the freedom to explore this space. It
should be clear that this space is endlessly larger than not only the surprise-free, but
also the normative scenarios imply (Fig. 7.4).
In this world, historical trends are relatively less important, because they are in
the way of the dynamics and diversity and prefer to follow the beaten paths (path-­
dependency). Here, new solutions are created from all those wild events, and by
giving them meaning, others can be surprised by those innovations. This way of
future exploration must also be well-understood and applied. The goal here is not
necessarily to use the new solutions to create a new reality, but to get to thinking
outside the beaten paths and to inspire debate about what is possible. In this way,
there is space for a broader palette of solutions. The risk for tunnel vision thus

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Fig. 7.4 Design-led exploration outside normative scenarios (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

decreases and the potential for win-win solutions increases. When thinking about
improbabilities, every form of exploration of the future, whether that be surprise-­
free, normative, and creative, is important. Especially when the world is dealing
with big uncertainties, can change quickly, and has a great deal of unpredictability,
we should extend trends where possible, decide normatively what we want, and be
creative in exploring new paths. In cohesion, we can thus create a coherent and
integral future perspective that can solve multiple problems simultaneously.
Against this background of growing unclarity (Fig. 7.5), in first instance it seems
like just a remedy: predicting the future, and that is what we usually tend to do. We
try to come up with a regular curve that describes the future (Fig. 7.6).
In a less complex world, with few uncertainties, this is a tried-and-true method.
But when the changes are nonlinear and an abrupt switch can suddenly occur,
because improbabilities appear that could not be expected, we will need to find a
future-resistant answer based on bits and pieces that seem separate from each other,
can each change again, and are not necessarily logically connected (Fig. 7.7).
Then we end up in the universe of adaptive design, developing a spatial vision
that we can easily adapt over time, but which continues to shape our development
and give direction (Fig. 7.8). We then need a guideline that gives us direction – often

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.

Fig. 7.5 A quickly changing background (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

.

Fig. 7.6 Predicting the future (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

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R. Roggema and T. Dassen

.

Fig. 7.7 Disconnection and non-linearity (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

Fig. 7.8 Exploring the future to identify the right measures to be taken now (Roggema &
Chamski, 2022)

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79

the biggest problem that we have which seems unsolvable. In our time, this is biodiversity and climate change, which we can give a leading role and can use as inspiration in our exploration of the future.

References
PBL. (2010). De Duurzame Stad 2040. PBL. Published online: https://www.pbl.nl/verslag-­
symposium-­duurzame-­stad-­in-­samenhang-­bekeken. Accessed 12 January 2022.
PBL. (2013). Welvaart en Leefomgeving – Horizonscan. Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving.
Hajer, M., & Dassen, T. (2014). Smart about Cities – Visualising the Challenge for 21st Century
Urbanism. Nai010 Publishers.
Taleb, N. N. (2007). Black Swans: The impact of the highly improbable. Random House.
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder. Random House.
Ramirez, R., Selsky, J. E., & Van der Heijden, K. (2008). Business planning for turbulent times:
New methods for applying scenarios. Routledge/Earthscan.
Rittel, H. W., & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences,
4(2), 155–169. Published online: http://www.ask-­force.org/web/Discourse/Rittel-­Dilemmas-­
General-­Theory-­Planning-­1973.pdf. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Roggema, R., & Chamski, R. (2022). FutureTalks. Over de Toekomst gesproken. Inholland
University of Applied Sciences.

Chapter 8

Waterlander
Rob Roggema and Laura Bromet

Abstract
We will need to think in terms of beckoning perspectives, more than in terms of
solving separate problems.
There is a lack of a cohesive story for the future of the Netherlands.
Biodiversity, sea level rise, and our food system are the most urgent problems.
We need unorthodox solutions to provide a new perspective for people who are
confronted with the threats of flooding, loss of nature, and agricultural damage.
Without a catastrophe needing to happen, we should rigorously go after different
futures and make the urgency of this clear.
In the past, the Netherlands was different than it is now. This will be the same in
the future.
We should ask each student to write a memo with a proposal for how we can achieve
a sober and sunny future.

8.1 Introduction
Her interest in the landscape eventually drove Laura into politics. She really wanted
to study planning but ended up going with Dutch language and literature. Through
her work in the family business, she encountered a broad range of topics, and her
concern for how we deal with our natural and social environment grew. After the
last elections, this brought her into Parliament for GreenLeft (GroenLinks), where
topics such as agriculture, nature and food, water, living, and domestic affairs keep
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
L. Bromet
GroenLinks, Monnickendam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_8

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her busy. She had not initially thought that politics could be so much fun, but it has
truly changed her perspective on life. She continues to be committed to creating a
fairer and more sustainable country.

8.2 Temptation
We are at the brink of a new age, in which the design of the country will change
significantly. Because of this, it is frustrating that we will probably be doing the
same thing we have been doing for the next 4 years, again. This does not address the
very real issues that will determine our future. Take, for example, the peat landscape: that is where the big issues lie, where action is undertaken at a local and
provincial level, but there is a lack of vision at a national level. Even though those
areas are of national importance and thus deserve action. We are suffering from a
poverty of ideas at the national scale, and there is a lack of a story of what the future
can look like. We should be able to sketch an image of the future that is tempting
enough for people to see how we can build a better world. At the same time, the
changes are so great that they cannot be achieved without a fight. What is necessary
is for us not to get stuck in solving problems, but that we present a beckoning perspective. We do that in Parliament by writing memos so that that necessary future is
put on the agenda.

8.3 Letting Nature Do the Work
The most important, determinative issue we need to work on is biodiversity. Instead
of carefully managed nature, we should give nature the space to decide for itself
how it wants to develop. If you think that one plant has thousands of seeds that can
each lead to new life, the recovery process can be very rapid. In the current conversation about nature, there are a lot of groundskeepers who have become (too) dependent on regular financial flows, and therefore out of necessity hold on to the
protection and management of the nature that is already there (Fig. 8.1). It becomes
more like gardening than thinking about the strength of the entire natural system.
Besides this, there should be more focus on offering wild nature better chances in
our environment. If we limit ourselves to the current perception of what is possible,
very quickly it seems like wild nature is not feasible in the Netherlands; and if we
think like this, it never will be. However, if we let go of the idea that all nature is
man-made and man-managed, there are many development opportunities for wild
nature at a small and large scale. Nature always turns out to be more powerful than
humans, and for the development of true nature, us humans need to learn to let go
and let nature do the work. It’s easier and cheaper besides.

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Fig. 8.1 A natural landscape

8.4 Sea Level
Curiously, our country dangles at the bottom of a multitude of European lists when
it comes to renewable energy, climate change, and sustainability, despite the fact
that we are also the country that for a large part lies below sea level. Already – and
if we are to believe the latest IPCC (IPCC, 2021) and KNMI (KNMI, 2021) predictions, as well as recent news about the so-called doomsday glacier on Antarctica
(Pettit et al., 2021), the amount of land below sea level will only grow. We will need
to realize how fast the impact of a rising sea level can be. But in the Netherlands, we
are apparently only able to act in reaction to a catastrophe. Only after the 1953 flood
did the Delta-plan gain enough support. Before the disaster, Johan van Veen, who
gave several warnings of a flood and was already designing the Delta-plan, was
hindered, and not taken seriously (Van der Ham, 2020). It is also surprising. I,
myself was in Limburg last summer, when the flooding took place. The first day,
you think the gravel on the street and the little mudflows are probably there every
year, and even the second day, when the “droogdal,” the dry valley, had become a
churning river, you barely realize what is going on. When on the third day, the bike
path had disappeared, and on the fourth day SWAT entered the region, you begin to
realize that you have become part of a disaster in slow-motion. Once I finally
returned to my familiar Waterland (Fig. 8.2), where everything was peaceful, I suddenly had a very different perspective on my own environment. Here, too, some

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Fig. 8.2 Waterland, North-Holland. (Credit: Laura Bromet)

dikes had been disapproved, and there might be danger around the corner. You never
really know how safe you are. What Limburg did make clear is that we, and this
goes for the entire country, are not well-prepared and something like this could happen anytime, anywhere.

8.5 Snowball Effect
Adaptation does not happen from one day to the next, and changes are often not
even visible. But still, processes get started and people suddenly feel like they need
to act, when panic breaks out. And then things can go very quickly. If the idea gains
traction that the lower areas of the country are no longer safe, people will start to
move to places that are more secure. Because of this, an economic exodus can occur
that cannot be stopped. A snowball effect is thus created, which can lead to a tidal
wave of people retreating from the low-lying regions of the Netherlands. We thus
need different kinds of solutions that often butt heads with current practice. In
Marken, we worked on a plan (Fig. 8.3) for housing above a potential flood level, on
stilts (Moes, 2021). This would mean that people in these homes would be able to
survive for at least a week if a flood were to take place. Of course, this was so innovative that there was resistance from the established practice, and the plan’s

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Fig. 8.3 Yards on Marken. (Credit: Noord-Hollands dagblad)

ambitions were scaled back, but it does show what is possible and necessary if we
truly think about what future-oriented building really means. The resistance comes
from the stubborn financial-economic reality of today and is fed by (political) contradictions in interest. We will thus need to quickly conquer those to make true
innovation possible. In the end, that could save lives, and prevents people from
needing to leave their homeland. I therefore call for more creativity in coming up
with future-resilient solutions and more inventiveness in designing the land exploitation so that these examples can be developed and implemented on a large scale in
the Netherlands.

8.6 Win-Win
There are quite a few farmers in the Netherlands who want to retire or who do not
have a successor for their business. There is also a nice task for the government in
this. Because what is more logical than the municipality getting priority in buying
those farms, and turning the land into nature, circular agriculture or other functions
that benefit society? At first glance, that appears simple and financially-­economically
viable, but the cultural war cannot be underestimated. Because changes are happening so quickly for people in rural areas, that they are almost impossible to keep track
of. They struggle to know what they truly want, and there is a sense of being overwhelmed with “that kind of people,” the import in the village. This can lead to a

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feeling that is also often found in disadvantaged neighborhoods in cities when gentrification takes place, where people are quick to oppose change and become angry
and petulant. The sun will only shine for them again if we find a new economic
model that allows them to see the benefits of newcomers. For example, when those
new richer people buy your products or need you to look after their kids. These can
be very small things that have big consequences, and that can bring people together
again. That new economy is different and unique in every place, and it is thus important to find a specific economic win-win and support it so that social bonds can
grow again.

8.7 Blissful Sobriety
It appears that people are happier in a society where the monetary system plays only
a minimal role (Miñarro et al., 2021). In short, without the pressure of money, people are happier. In our welfare society, this is quite a struggle. Because that welfare
is only growing, and in the end, it will be unstoppable. The question is how we can
turn this around, and if there are good ways to make degrowth possible, so that a
bigger and bigger group can see the benefits of that. Sobriety would implicitly mean
that people are blissful, the way walking through the Alps, sleeping in a mountain
hut, and sharing your experiences with people can make one happy. This is all possible without cars, planes, overconsumption, or exuberance, which will start to get
boring pretty quickly anyway. But how do we begin? How do we take that first
small, big step to austerity, in which it is no longer normal to eat meat every day,
heat all the rooms in your house despite using only a few, own a car, and consume
everything available? That nice glass of wine you drink for a special occasion tastes
a lot better if you haven’t already drunk half a bottle a day the whole week. This
applies to a lot of things. You gain from the experience if it is special and does not
occur all the time or has become a habit.

8.8 It Will Not Always Be Like This
We will need to make our younger generation more aware of how special it is that
everything is available in abundance, and that we do not always have to make use of
that. Besides that, the realization of the existence of threats to that life of abundance
is not always present everywhere, and we will need to gain more insight about this
and learn about it (Fig. 8.4). Our country will not always be the same, and will not
only become more, better, and richer. This does not mean that your life cannot gain
quality, on the contrary. I think we need to ask our students to come up with creative
solutions to spatial problems of biodiversity, sea level rise, and our food system, and
to integrate those in an inventive way. This requires a lot of insight, but also daring
to visualize exactly those futures that are unexpected yet attractive.

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Fig. 8.4 Dutch landscape

References
IPCC. (2021). Summary for policymakers. In: Climate change 2021: The physical science basis.
Contribution of working Group I to the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan,
S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy,
J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. YelekçI, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. :
Cambridge University Press.. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_
AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf
KNMI. (2021). Klimaatsignaal ‘21. Hoe het klimaat in Nederland snel verandert (p. 72).
KNMI.
Published
online:
https://cdn.knmi.nl/knmi/asc/klimaatsignaal21/KNMI_
Klimaatsignaal21.pdf. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Miñarro, S., Reyes-García, V., Aswani, S., Selim, S., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., & Galbraith,
E. D. (2021). Happy without money: Minimally monetized societies can exhibit high subjective Well-being. PLoS One, 16(1), e0244569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244569
Moes, J. (2021). ‘Luxe woningen, maar ook ‘tiny houses’ op twee nieuwe werven op Marken:
‘We bouwen voor alle doelgroepen’. Noordhollands Dagblad. Published online: 8
December 2021. https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/cnt/dmf20211207_44353185?utm_
source=google&utm_medium=organic. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Pettit, E. C., Wild, C., Alley, K., Muto, A., Truffer, M., Bevan, S. L., Bassis, J. N., Crawford,
A., Scambos, T. A., Benn, D. (2021). Collapse of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf by intersecting fractures. Presented at AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 13–17 December 2021.
Published online: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/978762. Accessed
12 January 2022.
Van der Ham, W. (2020). Johan van Veen, meester van de zee. Grondlegger van het Deltaplan. Boom.

Chapter 9

Design for Emergencies
Rob Roggema and Greg Keeffe

Abstract
We are in a century of emergency.
Engineering is creating efficient, design effective solutions.
Research by design approach is needed to act in a time of emergency.
We must learn from nature.
Risk is an opportunity.
Climate literacy is a key skill, which can be used to simulate crash-testing the solution in an extreme future context.
We should work with what-if questions.
Teach the challenge of acting as a human being, imagining how we want the future
to look, and then designing the processes to deliver this.

9.1 Introduction
Greg Keeffe (http://www.technoscape.org.uk/) has been a vanguard of innovative
design concepts that create sustainable, resilient, and regenerative cities. As an
architect and urban designer, he aims to use biological principles to the advantage
of urban design. These nature-based solutions offer “hyperlocalized” solutions for
the food system (Roggema & Keeffe, 2014) and renewable energy concepts. The
city can then start to operate as an organism, with all its natural functions (Van den
Dobbelsteen et al., 2012). When these principles are used to design the city, creative
and innovative futures come within reach. This requires thinking at different scales
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
G. Keeffe
Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_9

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R. Roggema and G. Keeffe

Fig. 9.1 The Biospheric project, Salford, Manchester, UK (Greg Keeffe, Tilly Hall, Andy Jenkins,
Queens University Belfast)

that relate to the hardware, the software, and their interface with the city. An inspiring example in which this all comes together is the Biospheric project in Salford,
Manchester (Fig. 9.1). Here, the retrofit of an old industrial building enabled the
installation of a food growing environment, where an “aquaponic” system provided
a highly productive outcome for the local neighborhood. More recently, Greg has
worked on “The M-NEX Project,” where his design-led thinking reached the next
level, making wider connections between food, energy, and water systems at building, precinct, urban, and regional scales. Greg is a Professor of Architecture and
Urbanism at Queens University Belfast, and currently enjoying a sabbatical at
Cornell University in the USA.

9.2 “In Times of Emergency, Let Nature Rule”
We live in weird times. This century is a century of crisis, and we must prepare for
emergencies. Following decades of slow change, we are now entering a period in
which the current emergency calls for urgent action. There is no time left to contemplate or consider, to do further research or wait for political consensus. Most of the
current solutions aim at a transition; however, they are too small to make a real

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difference. The scale of thinking is often not large enough for the types of changes
we will face, hence what solutions we really need. To encapsulate the future mindset
in projects, processes, and policies, a research-by-design method is essential. Where
engineering has proven to be extremely successful at creating efficient solutions,
design is equipped to do what is really needed at this stage: developing effective
solutions. Here we can learn a lot from nature as it engineers only the most effective
solution to a problem, as it is constantly exploring solutions by thinking divergently
and holistically, and nature is “by nature” multidisciplinary. We should move toward
a view of the city that sees nature more as indistinguishable from that urban environment, where nature is ubiquitous. In short, we need to put landscape and ecology
first, second and last in the design of our (urban) environment (see Table 9.1). As a
result, nature would be at the heart of all urban design. Our perspectives as urban
designers on the relationship between the city and nature should no longer be confined to seeing the city as only having, “contrast, contact, or a contract” with nature
(Sijmons, 2019), as useful as that description has been. We should now build on
Table 9.1 Perspectives on the relation between the city and nature (after: Sijmons, 2019 (contrast,
contact, and contract), and Keeffe/Roggema – contingent)
Image of
nature
Formal
interaction

Functional
interaction

Physical
interaction

Vision of
the city

Contrast
Wilderness

Contact
Accessible nature

City and nature
have sharp
boundaries,
protected areas
Bring the city to
nature
“satellites” and
“garden cities”

City and nature
intertwine

Insert nature into
the city “green
wedges” and
“parks”

Contract
Ecosystem
services
City and nature
take each other’s
form

Go for a complete
mix, “reweaving
the urban tapestry”
and “Broadacre
City”
City and nature
City and nature
City and nature
are each other’s come to each
take on each
jungle
other’s rescue
other’s form
Places to get lost Regulated leisure Produce food on
in nature
your own garden
lot
City and nature
City and nature
City and nature
keep their
exchange
take on each
distance
information
other’s
construction
Natural
Natural expression Expression of city
expression of the of the city
and agriculture
city, “non-­
“well-tempered”
“new hybrids” in
human” outside environment
and outside the
outside
city
From “Cabanes” Green-Blue
From “Subtopia”
to “Metropolis” infrastructure to
to “Metabolic
“Lobe City”
City”

Contingent
Indistinguishable
Nature guides the city

Landscape and
ecology first, second
and last in designing
the city
City utilizing and
mimicking natural
processes
Live and work within
natural boundaries
City connecting to its
hyperlocal bioregion

Ecological processes
and rewilding of
urban space

From “Nature-Based
City” to the City as
“Garden of Eden”

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R. Roggema and G. Keeffe

Sijmons analysis and extend it to fit the current climate emergency by seeing nature
as, “contingent,” on urban design: nature will thus become indistinguishable from
the city; guiding the city and its design; with its natural processes mimicked by the
city; its boundaries limiting the city; a rewilded Bioregion; a Garden of Eden
(Table 9.1).

9.3 Blurring Disciplines
In education, the disciplines are blurring, and students need to be skilled to adapt in
a rapidly changing work environment. Only 30 years ago, the only way to design
was by drawing on paper, while currently, they have a range of techniques and
means to work with: grasshopper, Revit, GIS, BIM, you name it. This implies that
it becomes more and more important to be highly skillful to manage the information, rather than collect as much data as possible. This raises the question of how
much we really need to know to make a “just” decision. We often demand and
search for more data, but we could argue this would not necessarily make better
decisions. Related to climate change, science is clear, and we can use the currently
available knowledge to determine the right way forward. As input for our designs,
we do not need more than this, in fact yet more data might only complicate our
thinking, cloud our judgment, and compromise our ability to decide.

9.4 Learning from Landscape
We need to make sure that we teach how to design for continual adaptation, because
in 60 years’ time the site and physical context will be completely different. We may
no longer have frost, and might not need heating anymore, so our buildings need to
be constructed for probable future cooling needs. Instead of designing for the current parameters we need to rethink this and start designing for mutability: i.e. a
change in that parameter. We need to learn to adapt to landscape change, and need
to start to think of new processes, both in sequence and concurrency. So how can we
design buildings that operate as a landscape? How can we visualize the change over
time and imagine how the building can be agile and adjust to the changes in climate
without the need to rebuild it? This needs to make continuous adaptation possible
and be pleasant and comfortable when the European climate has changed from
becoming typically hot and dry in summer in 2050 to being more tropical, hot, and
wet, in 2080. Like nature, our constructed environment should therefore include
multiple systems that can replace each other when this might be needed or advantageous (Roggema et al., 2021a). Using the body, or the functioning of organisms in
general, can help in finding this multiplicity (Van den Dobbelsteen et al., 2012). If

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you are concerned with building the future, no matter if you are a building engineer,
a civil engineer, an architect, and building manager, planner or urban designer, the
future is to see yourself as the custodian of what you build. You should manage the
building through its entire life, and to make sure the occupants stay happy and feel
themselves responsible for the quality of the environment they live in. This long-­
term process-based thinking reflects the adaptive capacity of the building, the precinct, and the urban region, all simultaneously. For example, we might ask “Is it
adaptive to continue to keep the soil dry in the ‘polder’ when it subsides and, as a
result, will further sink?” … Probably, so stopping pumping the water out of the
polder will increase its adaptivity.

9.5 Climate Literacy
The future workforce, our current students, has a unique opportunity to bring climate literacy into the offices, companies, and consultancies. When they can simulate what-if scenarios of extreme conditions that might be reality in the future, the
systems and buildings and cities can undergo a virtual crash-test, and hence can
anticipate shocks that are yet apparent and some we don’t know will ever take place.
But thus, we can build the resilience into the solution by design. This allows adaptation when the paradigm shifts to a new spatial and economic context, in which climate factors, adaptivity of building, and retrofitting the city become mainstream.
Already now 30% of the jobs in Manchester relate to the maintenance of buildings.
It seems to make more sense to prepare for the change than repairing it afterward.
Through digital prototyping, we can use the computing capacity to crash-test our
design proposals for long-term uncertainties, through multiple scales, in multiple
abstractions and multiple time horizons. Again, it will teach us when we know
enough, without having to know all the detail. Through extrapolation, we can then
imagine future scenarios appropriate to the 2050–2080 timeframe and beyond.
Indeed, a further and important gain from these imagined scenarios will also be that
we can creatively design government policy in relation to adaptive land use, asking
the question which policy leads to which (desired) behavior?

9.6 Teach the Challenge
The challenge lies in intertwining technique and mathematics with building with
nature in a creative designerly arena. ARUP has recently found that 80% of its current office roles are likely to disappear in the next decade. All of these tasks are
related to competencies that can be automated, for example, checks and controls,
calculations, and procedures. The ones that remain are in design, everything that

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requires creativity and how to deal with people. In education, the focus should
therefore lie on competences that are least easy to measure: managing innovation,
communication collaboration, and design research. The major question is then to be
an urban designer (alias the “policeman”), architect (alias the “drawing person”), or
engineer (alias “calculator”) that acts “as a human being.” He or she should be concerned with answering what we want the future to look like, instead of what is
allowed (policeman/urban planner), what is on the drawing (the architectural draftsman), or how feasible, strong, or viable it is (the engineering calculator). The university is the place to experiment with this, investing to integrate creativity in the
technical disciplines. For instance, the civil engineer is paramount, and we need
their creative skills to develop a pattern language, to think in spatial terms, and see
how the green and blue infrastructures of the landscape speak as patterns, as metabolic processes of flows that can be manipulated and made more resilient. We therefore need to invest in teaching this “pattern language” to civil engineering, so that
everyone can understand the thinking in layers and how the system of patterns is
connected and are interdependent, eventually leading to the pattern we see in the
city and the landscape. A risk is to be seen as an opportunity, not as a threat. We
should invest in turning the risk to our advantage. Being the third leg of sustainability (besides the environmental and social legs), the economy should be further
developed to understand the economic value of certain landscapes and how to make
them profitable. For instance, the current polder has almost no economic value anymore, but when we turn it into a peat bog, which sequesters carbon, it suddenly
becomes a profitable proposition, which also is good for biodiversity and mitigating
climate change. This then can act as the “permafrost replacement landscape.”

9.7 Manchester Man
To change alone is changeless (Varley-Banks, 1991). The opportunities in the
upcoming century are endless, as change will be fast and holistic. We need creative
people that are capable of intervening and designing a future perspective for troubled times (Bakker & Fogteloo, 2021). That see the risks as a challenge to create a
better, more inventive future. As a designer it is important to know who you are,
what the context of the history you are in, and how you fit into the long traditions
and transform these to the future, with respect to the traditional knowledge. For how
the Dutch created their land learn from Nederland als Kunstwerk (Louwen, 1995).
We live in a time of emergency, so every project should be about (the) emergency,
so no-one can ask in 20 years from now ‘why didn’t you make a difference when it
was still possible’?

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9.8 Groningen and Shenzhen
Some of the most innovative projects are the Moeder Zernike project (Roggema,
2021; Roggema et al., 2021a) in Groningen (Fig. 9.2) that starts from the landscape,
understands the land and the city as an organism and allows for the multifunctionalities of the land to co-link patterns to a dynamized whole, including an increase in
biodiversity, coastal protection, innovative food system and dealing with climate
impacts (https://vimeo.com/511691468/7c1b0539c1).
Shenzhen in the 1980s was planned as a new city and in 2000, it became the city
with the worst building stock in all of China (O’Donnell & Bach, 2021). Not hindered by heritage burdens the people started to recreate the city as a Tropical city, a
Water city, and a Green city. The planning goes on and on, the next 20-year plan
tops the current 20-year plan, and the city therefore reinvented itself by creating an
economy of city modification (Fig. 9.3). This allows for a continuous adaptation,
containing the agility to make the difference whenever, whatever needed.

Fig. 9.2 Moeder Zernike, Groningen, the Netherlands (Roggema et al., 2021b)

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Fig. 9.3 Shenzhen, China

References
Bakker, R., & Fogteloo, M. (2021). De ruimte van Riek. Bouwend aan Nederland. Boom uitgevers.
Greg Keeffe’s blog: http://www.technoscape.org.uk/
https://vimeo.com/511691468/7c1b0539c1
Louwen, T. (1995). Nederland als Kunstwerk. NAi Uitgevers.
O’Donnell, M. A., & Bach, J. (2021). Reclaiming the new, remaking the local: Shenzhen at 40.
China Perspectives, 2021/2 p. 71–75. Published online: https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.11848. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Roggema, R. (2021). From Nature-based to Nature-driven: Landscape first for the design of
Moeder Zernike. Sustainability, 13(4), 2368. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042368. Special
Issue: Greening cities shaping cities: Pinpointing nature-based solutions in cities between
shared governance and citizen participation.
Roggema, R., & Keeffe, G. (Eds.). (2014). Why we need small cows: Ways to design for urban
agriculture (330 pp.). VHL Publishing.
Roggema, R., Tillie, N., Keeffe, G., & Yan, W. (2021a). Nature-based deployment strategies for
multiple paces of change: The case of Oimachi, Japan. Urban Planning, 6(2), 143–161. Special
issue: Planning for rapid change in cities. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v6i2.3779
Roggema, R., Tillie, N., & Hollanders, M. (2021b). Designing the adaptive landscape: Leapfrogging
stacked vulnerabilities. Land, 2021(10), 158. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10020158
Sijmons, D. (2019). Contrast, contact, contract; pathways to pacify urbanization and natural processes. In R. Roggema (Ed.), Nature driven urbanism, contemporary urban design thinking
(Vol. 2, pp. 9–42). Springer.
Van den Dobbelsteen, A., Keeffe, G., Tillie, N., & Roggema, R. (2012). Cities as organisms.
In R. Roggema (Ed.), Swarming landscapes: The art of designing for climate adaptation
(pp. 195–206). Springer.
Varley Banks, I. (1991). The manchester man. EJ Morten Publishers. (first published 1
January 1876).

Chapter 10

In Solidarity
Rob Roggema and Steven Slabbers

Abstract
We need to solve urgent issues in solidarity.
More will change in the next 100 years than in the past 1000.
We need to decide first how little energy and water we want to use, and only then
look at the availability.
Do not be afraid of the new landscape, add new layers.
We will need to call upon the sense of urgency for necessary transitions.
Come up with the kind of society we want to live in and how that is best for the
coming generations: a good ancestor.
Thinking outside of sectoral boxes, but in terms of area deputies, officials, and
teachers.
Development-oriented thinking, develop a new story that can permanently adapt to
changes.
Consider the least expected solution the most.

10.1 Introduction
For years, Steven Slabbers was busy with the concerns of his own consultancy in
landscape architecture, BoschSlabbers. A few years ago, he left his firm to a new
generation of designers. In return, he gained the mental space to busy himself with
the conceptual side, free from daily management issues. Not that he is less busy
now; on the contrary, the urgencies of new tasks force themselves upon him and
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
S. Slabbers
Landscape Architect (retired), The Hague, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_10

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demand commitment. The focus on uniting irreconcilable problems and solutions
requires thinking and creativity. You can get that with Steven!

10.2 Embrace the New Landscape
Of course, we know the urgent issues. If you were woken up in the middle of the
night, you would be able to name them almost immediately: the energy transition,
the agriculture transition, climate, land subsidence, biodiversity, and housing. The
most important issue of all, though, can sometimes be forgotten about: to bring all
separate issues to cohesive solutions. This is necessary not only because there is
simply too little space in our country to solve every problem separately, but it also
leads to a substantial reduction in costs and a greater value: an interesting and attractive environment. Our country will change more in the coming 100 years than it has
in the past 1000 (Rotmans & Verheijden, 2021). It is thus increasing in speed tenfold, and we will need all our creativity and thinking power not to be overwhelmed
by this rate of change, but to become a country with a plan again (Kuiper
Compagnons, 2021). We cannot continue muddling through. Making slight changes
every now and then, thinking it will all be okay, and we will get there like this.
Change is much more intense than we can predict, and fear of that future is a poor
basis for decision-making.
Rather than shying away from change, we will need to embrace it and be curious
about that new landscape. We can keep papering over the cracks and try to slow
down the loss of quality a little, but we can also cheerfully look at what kind of new
qualities this future brings us as a society. We live in a fascinating time in which we
have the privilege of adding a new layer to the landscape, with which we can turn
the tide and get out of that downward spiral in our thinking, to go in a new direction.
From fear of trouble to joy in the new. Research how those new issues and new
technological possibilities can lead to landscapes that are endlessly more interesting
to live, work, and stay in, and are ecologically more resilient.

10.3 Shrugging
To do this, we need to call upon our sense of urgency and increase awareness of
what is happening. What goes wrong in the energy transition, for example, is that
the problem we are dealing with is not being directly felt. There is no connection
between the problem and our daily lives. That we are dependent on the energy supply to charge our phones and be able to surf the Internet. And that we need to
develop a different kind of energy supply for that. There is far too little awareness
about this. Newspapers are filled with the loss of biodiversity and that this will cost
our country billions. And still, people shrug and continue as if nothing is wrong.
Meanwhile, the national Delta commissioner (Booister et al., 2021) stated that 85%

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of our intended building locations are not suitable or prepared for climate change,
and it is far from certain that they will be able to be built without creating new problems (Fig. 10.1). We will thus need to redesign our decision-making process and
communicate much better and more honest with the population that we cannot just
do everything we want.

10.4 Availability
In North-Holland, we look at water from four different perspectives: the land needs
to be protected against floods, small-scale flooding must be prevented, the water-­
quality must be high, and there must be sufficient water available for general functions (Slabbers & Reinink, 2021). As a water-addicted province, we are used to
having an unlimited storage available: the IJsselmeer. This also means that we did
not have to make any choices when it came to using freshwater for one or another
purpose. After all, there is more than enough to be able to cultivate bulbs in salty
soil, and to hydrate peat fields. Because the drainage via our large rivers is becoming more and more dependent on precipitation and less on meltwater from the Alps,
the fickleness of the supply of freshwater strongly increases. Because of this, soon
we will not be able to depend on the IJsselmeer as an unlimited source any longer.
We are not used to having to make those choices at a provincial level. In a political
sense, every decision is procrastinated at least 4 years, until the next election. And
the same goes for every choice anyone must make. Eventually, we will be faced
with faits accomplis that cannot be undone, and we will be in a tough spot.

10.5 To the Optician for a Vision?
To make choices, we will need to know where we want to go. If the destination is
unknown, we also cannot know how and where to go. This is a disability when it
comes to decision-making. We therefore need a vision – one we cannot get at the
optician. In terms of water, it is important that we can critically discuss its availability, and if we want the peat lands to be hydrated, we need to focus on how water
is used (Fig. 10.2); what do we use it for and what do we not use it for (anymore)?
We see the same thing happening in regional energy strategies. The conversation
there is about the way energy is generated, though without talking about why and
what for the energy is used. Here, too, the discussion will need to focus on use. This
is a social issue, and those are difficult for politicians because citizens seem to have
an opinion on things suddenly.

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Fig. 10.1 Suitability of a climate impacted landscape for new housing (Booister et al., 2021)

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Fig. 10.2 Impression open wetland. (Source: PON Telos and Studio Marco Vermeulen)

10.6 Good Ancestor
The discussion on use is a social issue and cannot avoid also being about reducing
growth – degrowth (Mastini, 2017). We will need to ask ourselves if we are prepared
to do what is best for the coming generations. Do we want to be good ancestors
(Krznaric, 2021) as the Netherlands Ltd.? It all depends on how we want to see the
world. Are we prophets (who predict new systems and formulate action perspectives: Preserve!) or wizards (who know how to deal with unknown and unexpected
developments, who can even summon them using imagination: Innovate!)? in the
end, we cannot do without the wizard, and will need to find ways to keep innovating
(Mann, 2018). This is also where every type of planning development starts: with
the question, what kind of society do I want to live in? And to visualize that society,
like the study “The Circle Closed!?” (De cirkel rond!?) by PON/Telos and Studio
Marco Vermeulen (2021) did, for example (Fig. 10.3).

10.7 Area Deputies
We often train students to find the answers to yesterday’s questions, while we should
be asking them about the solutions to tomorrow’s problems, and those of the day
after tomorrow, and the day after that. To do this, we need imagination, and the
ability to connect issues. The request to build 100,000 homes is not the right one.
It is not just a box we can tick. That demand for housing is part of a regional

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Fig. 10.3 Impression circular farming. (Source: PON Telos and Studio Marco Vermeulen)

development, linked to energy, climate, and accessibility. Spatial planning and
water management should be in conversation with each other and with agriculture,
soil, and nature, and discussions about mobility and energy. Instead of separate
portfolios under different officials, we will need to view these problems as a collective. When we do this, it would make more sense to have local councilmen or area
deputies, with all relevant themes in a particular area integrated. A deputy will then
no longer get just a piece of the cake, but several of the petit fours under his care.
Taking a step further in this line of thinking, this could mean that we get “area”
teachers, who teach a particular package of courses and themes that are offered to
students cohesively. The first thing students should become aware of is the speed
with which changes are occurring. In 100 years, more will change than in the past
1000. Think about that! You need all your imagination and integrational capacity to
come up with answers for that and to reflect upon its impact.
• We need a new story. We need to come up with how we are going to add new
qualities to the current reality, and which ones, without being too afraid of the
new landscape. By first engaging with the old story, the history, and the DNA of
a place, and then thinking about what new layers would suit it together, with that
history in mind. To do this, we need to dare to dream, dare to think, and really
contemplate the most unexpected solutions the longest. Those less obvious
answers require us to stop thinking in familiar solutions. This increases the
chances of new solutions and innovations.
• Development-oriented action is necessary. We often have a detailed idea of what
we want to keep and strengthen. But what we want to develop and renew is often
less clear. The frustrating idea lives in our brains that when we know everything

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exactly, we automatically focus on that. This leads to us keeping what we have,
managing and strengthening the existing reality. In the current context of big
changes, that happens quickly, we need to rack our brains for what and how we
want to develop, those things we have plans for that do not yet satisfy current
policy frameworks. To do this, we need to dare to think in breakthroughs.
• Our current planning system does not work anymore. It takes too long to design
a plan, get support for it, and execute it. While this is still happening, the world
has already changed again, meaning the plan is now out-of-date at the time it
finally gets executed. Instead, we should be planning and designing more adaptively. Less exact mapping out of the future but formulating very precisely what
kind of demands we want a design to meet. The sketches are more like exercises
of a visualization of how it could be. The design is then just a starting point of
more creativity and innovative solutions that we come up with in the future for a
context we cannot yet imagine.
To be proud of that is my ultimate wish. And again, to speak with Kees Rijnboutt,
we will need to consider the most unexpected solution the longest. We need to
explore the paths that are off the beaten track.

10.8 One Big Table
When designing a design atelier, or regional studio, I would start with placing a
large table without ridges, cracks, or holes. People can meet and sketch at that table.
Preferably, sketching with pencil and paper so that we can learn how to connect now
and the future, both in time and spatial scales. How can we think in two speeds at
the same time: the one for the dot on the horizon and the one for the concrete action
program on the short term? And how do we connect the regional perspective and the
local one? It would be beautiful to organize a studio in which we literally allow two
generations (those in their 70s and those in their 20s) to meet and share and confront
each other’s images and references. In this way, the table becomes a symbol of connection, making alliances, and collective thinking, with an understanding of each
other’s insights and values. Literally a table as the stage for thinking and acting
together.

References
Booister, N., Hekman, A., Swinkels, R., Wienhoven, M., Hek, M., Nillesen, A. L., Ter Horst, W., &
Van Alphen, J. (2021). Het effect van klimaatverandering op de woningbouwopgave. Bodem en
water als basis, klimaatbestendig op lange termijn. Staf Deltacommissaris. Published online:
https://www.deltaprogramma.nl/documenten/publicaties/2021/12/03/bouwstenendocument-­
het-­effect-­van-­klimaatveranderingop-­de-­woningbouwopgave. Accessed 12 January 2022.

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Het PON/Telos en Studio Marco Vermeulen. (2021). De cirkel rond!? Kansen voor kringlooplandbouw in Noord-Holland in beeld. PARK, provincie Noord-Holland. Published online: https://
www.noord-­holland.nl/Onderwerpen/Ruimtelijke_inrichting/Advies_bij_ruimtelijke_ontwikkelingen/Provinciaal_Adviseur_Ruimtelijke_Kwaliteit_PARK. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Krznaric, R. (2021). De goede voorouder. Lange termijn denken voor een korte termijn wereld.
Uitgeverij Ten Have.
Kuiper Compagnons. (2021). NL2121: Een land met een plan. Published online: https://www.
kuipercompagnons.nl/nl/projecten/nl_2121_land_met_een_plan/. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Mann, C. (2018). De Tovenaar en de Profeet. Twee grondleggers en hun concurrerende ideeën over
een leefbare toekomst op onze planeet. Nw Amsterdam.
Mastini, R. (2017). Degrowth: The case for a new economic paradigm. Published online: https://
www.opendemocracy.net/en/degrowthcase-­f or-­c onstructing-­n ew-­e conomic-­p aradigm/.
Accessed 12 January 2022.
Rotmans, J., & Verheijden, M. (2021). Omarm de Chaos. De Geus.
Slabbers, S., & Reinink, S. (2021). Verbonden toekomst Krachtige steden verbonden met sterke
landschappen. PARK, provincie Noord-Holland. Published online: https://www.noordholland.
nl/Onderwerpen/Ruimtelijke_inrichting/Advies_bij_ruimtelijke_ontwikkelingen/Provinciaal_
Adviseur_Ruimtelijke_Kwaliteit_PARK. Accessed 12 January 2022.

Chapter 11

From Home
Rob Roggema

Abstract
Nature policy could use some re-enrichment.
The landscape-ecological system is seen as the integrative frame for urban
development.
Green spaces must be reachable from home.
Local independence and cocreation.

11.1 Introduction
Harry Boeschoten is very enthusiastic about his important task: developing a green
living environment in and around urban landscapes in the Netherlands. To him, it is
not only about managing forests and nature reserves, or maintaining forested landscapes, or growing and the production of wood. He strives to make nature livable
and experienceable for every citizen, preferably from as close as possible
(Staatsbosbeheer, n.d.). He wants to create green spaces where people can live, but
also where they can get to know nature. To achieve this, more green spaces need to
be created in cities, areas need to be connected, and biodiversity needs to be
increased.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_11

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11.2 Nature Policy Is Waiting to Be Re-enriched
Nature policy in the Netherlands originating in the 1990s is (or has been) successful.
The “Ecologische Hoofdstructuur” (Main Ecological Structure, EHS) that was
designed then and included in the “Structuurschema Groene Ruimte” (Structural
Scheme for Green Space) has meant a strong expansion of nature, in terms of area.
However, since 1990, this policy has not been well-evaluated and could thus use
some re-enrichment. When we look at the problems that have been added to our
plate since then, a much bigger role is demanded of nature than previously thought.
The drought issues of the past few years, the developments in agriculture, the nitrogen problem, CO2 emissions, and flooding: all problems that are either new or have
changed fundamentally. These problems have thus not been enough for nature policy to be fundamentally revisited or adapted. This means that current policy is based
on calculations made for the EHS that was designed in the 1990s. This has led to
much of nature policy being aimed at maintaining those assumptions, sometimes
literally to the point of preserving separate islands of nature that by themselves have
a high degree of biodiversity but are situated in nature-poor landscape surroundings
(Fig. 11.1). By re-enriching nature policy in an integral manner and formulating a
new ecology of the rural areas, and using this as a basis for spatial decisions, we
give nature and the landscape a solid place in our spatial policy, and we prevent
separate and sometimes incorrect decisions from being made.

Fig. 11.1 Sheep in leasure area Ruigenhoek. (Credit: Lotte Sprenger)

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11.3 A Shift in Context
Centuries ago, a serving girl in Dordrecht had a contract, which stated that she did
not have to eat salmon more than twice a week. After all, there was plenty of salmon.
In hindsight, this is almost difficult to imagine. The context has changed without us
noticing, and this would never be written up as part of a contract nowadays. The
salmon has not been an abundant resource for a long time, and definitely not to such
a degree that it is a staple of the menu. A shift in context such as this one is also
possible when discussing the ways in which we think about nature. From wilderness
that is mostly located outside the city, people now want a shift to where nature is
more a part of every day, urban life. Because of this, it is not only relevant to look at
the nature outside urban areas, but it is also essential to bring this nature deep into
the city. Especially in larger urban landscapes it is important to create green networks and connections that are suitable for both humans and animals. In this way,
green spaces form a binding factor where varying goals can be combined spatially.
In these new landscapes, there is space for nature, but it also offers the citizen
opportunities to relax, brings in water for cooling, and offers space for living and
working. To achieve this, a finely veined and robust system is needed in these transitional landscapes that must also play a role in the nation’s investment agendas.
Policymaking regarding these areas is often informed by the present and decisions
are often influenced by the issues of the day. Because of this, there is often a lack of
attention to new developments or changes that are hard to predict. We must therefore create distance between ourselves and our own daily world and try to understand how the context may shift in the future. We do not do this enough in daily
practice. Let us take as an example the discussion about the fifth village in the
Zuidplaspolder near Gouda. On the one hand, there are people who argue that it is
insanity to build at the lowest point of The Netherlands and that we should invest
elsewhere. But this could mean an – unthinkable – hopeless future for low-lying
areas such as Gouda in which we no longer invest? On the other hand, others are of
the opinion that we should continue to invest in higher dikes and deeper drainage
systems. Others again argue that we should find ways to make nature do the work to
slowly make our living environment safer, such as through the concept of the “wisselpolder” (e.g.,, as is suggested along the Westerschelde), which would be used
temporarily and then be left to nature again, which allows the landscape to recover.
To work with natural processes, we would need to learn to think in the long term.
This is similar to an old practice whereby farmers planted trees around their property which, when full-grown, could be used to rebuild the farm. Both perspectives
have good arguments. A new perspective at least requires a shift in context, and this
is not easily guided – it is uncertain whether it can even be created.

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11.4 Localization
The question is what is sustainable on the long term. Can we let a process of planting a new forest run alongside urban development? Forests as nature and leisure
space, but also as producer of wood, again and again. This requires a much more
local and cut-to-size approach. COVID has shown us the negative sides of globalization. The supply of parts, such as chips and oil, is suddenly under pressure. Do
we want to continue taking this risk? In the book “Fantoomgroei” (Phantom
Growth), the potential effects of this are described (Heijne & Noten, 2020). For
example, Philips made everything themselves in the 1970s-80s, in a socially embedded business of 400,000 employees. After this, many activities were outsourced,
brought to the market. Now, there are only 37,000 employees left and the businesses
that took over the work are defunct or suffer a marginal existence. They have become
slaves to globalization. It makes us dependent on something we do not want to be
dependent on – external powers in an elusive world. It begs the question, what do
we still want to do and make locally? What do we want to be able to do ourselves
and how independent do we want to be by embracing local production again? This
is relevant at every scale: on a personal level, in the neighborhood or village, and at
a national level. In the future, it will partly determine how stable society will be. If
we can determine how much and where we belong to ourselves, and where we are
dependent on others, this will also say something about the way we design our
urban landscape. It could potentially bring living and working much closer together,
provide revaluation for locally produced food and regional products, and increases
the role of forests, rivers, and water features that are close by.

11.5 Walking Outside
In a truly green metropolis, you would be able to walk from your house right into
the green space (Fig. 11.2), and subsequently reach the outer areas and wild nature
with no obstacles (Verbeek, 2021). This is not only about the amount of green space
in a city, although this will also need to increase. It is also about the way space is
designed. This is specific for each space, the degree of abundance is locally determined; sometimes, a little bit of green is already more than enough (Fig. 11.3),
while in other places large areas are required to meet local needs. It is also dependent on the Zeitgeist.

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Fig. 11.2 Walking the dog in recreation area Ruigenhoek. (Credit: Lotte Sprenger)

Fig. 11.3 Playland Krimpenerhout. (Credit: Vincent van den Hoven Fotografie en Film)

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11.6 Freedom of Choice
The physical-spatial program requirements for a new residential area or urban landscape (Fig. 11.4) consist of several layers. A first layer is the subsurface, which,
through the present water and soil system, determines how we can make the area
ready for construction and which potential nature values can be realized in the area.
Where is it dry, where is it wet, where is it nutrient-rich and poor. The soil type and
the associated vegetation can map the production of local building materials, which
makes local circularity and bio-based building easier. Within this, further choices
can be made about the type of living and how we manage the green quality in the
public spaces and in private areas. Lastly, we add qualities that increase productivity
and livability, such as food production, forest areas, or plans for facilities and a
sustainable transport system. It is important to logically connect these with each
other so that a greater whole is created, which has a sustainable quality, is attractive
and healthy for the inhabitants, and can allow the ecosystem to last. The layer-­
approach is a useful method for designing urban landscapes this way. Lastly, the
cohesion of all these layers will need to be integrated to be able to come to realistic
choices about where to build and where not to build, and how people want to live in
the landscape. The relationships and sometimes irreconcilable characteristics of different aspects lead to the most thrilling design problems because new innovative
insights will come forth out of the tension.

Fig. 11.4 Urban and landscape near Rotterdam. (Credit: Rob Roggema)

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References
Heijne, S., & Noten, H. (2020). Fantoomgroei, waarom we steeds harder werken voor steeds
minder. Uitgeverij Businesscontact.
Staatsbosbeheer. (n.d.). De Groene Metropool. Published online: https://www.staatsbosbeheer.nl/
over-­staatsbosbeheer/dossiers/groene-­metropool. Accessed 12 January 2022.
Verbeek, P. (2021) Groen in de stad: ‘Kijken door de ogen van een ander’. Ruimte voor lopen City
Deal. Published online: https://ruimtevoorlopen.nl/magazine/editie-­1/groen-­inde-­stadkijken-­
door-­deogen-­van-­een-­ander/. Accessed 12 January 2022.

Chapter 12

It’s the Stupid Economy!
Rob Roggema and Roderick Simpson

Abstract
Resilience is at the core of just urban development.
Hyperlocalization offers the best opportunities for a diverse social mix and
connectivity.
Designers should have a broad grounding including economy, and modern monetary theory.
Tech will be able to take care of compliance, while “environmental designers”
(landscape architects, architects, urban designers, planners, and civil engineers)
should concentrate on ecological repair and providing beautiful environments for
people to thrive.
The core characteristics of “resilience” multifunctionality, flexibility, diversity, networked governance apply to all systems, at all scales across multiple domains,
including education.
Incorporate fluidity and open-endedness in urban planning; the city is never
“finished.”
Connect a diversity of living at building, precinct, and metropolitan scale.

12.1 Introduction
Rod Simpson is a leading spokesperson in the Greater Metropolitan Sydney Area
for environmental urban development. As an urban designer and architect at
simpson+wilson architects, he designed sustainable projects across Australia. In
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
R. Simpson
Simpson Wilson Architects, Greenwich, NSW, Australia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_12

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academia he is an inspirational teacher, always intensively involved in the students
thinking, lately as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, University
of New South Wales. Rod was the inaugural Environment Commissioner for the
Greater Sydney Commission for period of five years. He developed the idea of the
Parkland City, a new urban development linked to the new Sydney Airport for about
one million new inhabitants. The concept of a “Parkland City’ recognizes that in the
Anthropocene all environments are subject to “design” (Simpson & Roggema,
2018). In this development, regenerative design and indigenous principles come
together in a future-oriented plan. In his work, Rod combines urban design metrics
and “getting the numbers right,” with in-depth understanding of the interlinkages
and complexities of current urban design practice. Since leaving the Commission he
has become concerned that the environmental, resilience, and livability aspects are
being degraded and subordinated to standard property development and political
pressures. The tension between the urgencies of social inequity, climate change and
ecology, and the harsh laws of a market-driven economy and landownership is continuous food for thought.

12.2 Aim
The context for design of the built environment is changing rapidly. Climate change
and the limits of our ecological systems will force us to design and develop urban
environments that are adaptive. This is a new task. Instead of an accumulation of
plans that inevitably fail to achieve their ambition or materialize in a form that was
not anticipated, we need to consciously design the city to be open ended and adaptive. If we do not want to be fools rushing in unprecedented and unpredictable
futures, we need to anticipate serious change and design and develop urban environments differently. This requires new modes of practice. In-depth knowledge is still
essential but available in abundance. The key to a regenerative and long-lasting
world lies in the integration and broadness of this knowledge. We need to connect
deep understanding of specialistic subjects with a wide application and potential
synergies at systemic level.

12.3 Thinking a Bit More About Resilience
When thinking about urban development, we need to recognize the tension between
resilience and emergence in complex systems. Both are fundamental characteristics
at all scales, in different domains and through time. It has been common for discussions of resilience to start with the resilience of ecological systems, and once understood, for this to be transferred across to human systems (Biggs et al., 2015;
Gunderson & Holling, 2002; Holling, 1973; Walker et al., 2003). Similarly, the
emergence of stable states or patterns in complex chaotic systems may be seen as a

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“good thing.” The transfer of these concepts to human, and in this case urban systems, is flawed for two reasons:
1. Global extent/scale
Human systems operate at a global scale and the patterns that are “emergent”
are evident in the typologies of urban development (shopping malls, office districts etc. that are similar everywhere) and in the hyperconcentration of wealth,
power, and market dominance within populations, industries, and also spatially.
2. Self-awareness
Putting the “Gaia” hypothesis to one side, human systems are social constructs that, while materially constrained, are able to “change the rules” of how
our activities interact with each other and with the earth. Economics, or more
precisely the financial system, has become the principal mode through which we
interact with each other and the earth. The financial system is the ultimate artifice and has become detached from the material world and planetary limits,
devoid of human values that cannot be monetized and operates purely as a
medium of power in the political economy.
The increasing autonomy of the financial system separates it from the real economy of material and energy flows, natural systems, and human activity and values.
This can be seen as the greatest existential threat, so a reattachment of the financial
system to these systems is the most urgent task. A price on carbon is an obvious
example, but the internalization of other externalities is just as urgent. But even this
is not enough, because the thinking is still in financial terms. The entire mode of
thinking needs to be turned on its head or inside out; financial and economic analyses need to be directed to outcomes, instead of outcomes that are determined by
“financial viability” given current financial assumptions that are, as noted, the ultimate artifice. Instead, financial and economic analyses simply become tools in
determining the most “cost-effective” way of achieving a desired result. Cost-­
effective analysis essentially works backward and would allow different “values”
and “costs” to be considered. In other words, if we recognize that many emergent
patterns are undesirable from an existential perspective and that those emergent patterns are principally the result of the economic and financial rules that have been
defined to suit vested interests and are therefore both an expression and apparatus
for exercising that power, then the question and challenge for city planning and
urban design is what to do about it. In practice, of course, the rules are harder to
change, being firmly attached to wealth, privilege, and power and detached from the
material constraints of the world, all the while exhausting the earth and exacerbating
social inequality. The answer can only be political engagement and agency.

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12.4 An Emergency of Weaknesses and Prospects
The scale and pervasiveness of COVID meant that the response was both topical
and systemic. Topical through isolation, vaccination, and ramping-up of the hospital
system and redirection of medical practices and pharmacies, but also systems
though economic strategies that were unthinkable prior to the pandemic. Measures
that had previously been confined to academic hypothesizing, or roundly disparaged
by orthodox monetary policy, such as broad social payments that were similar in
effect to universal basic income, and issuance of massive amounts of debt, were
allowed to take place. There was a short-lived window, a glimpse of a possible alternative monetary and social policy and of the potential of government intervention,
but there has been no evidence of turning these episodic responses into systemic
reform. During the 2008 Global Economic Crisis, the Rudd government decided to
print money, which for decades was a no-go because conventional economic policy
has been obsessed with containing or eliminating the “government” deficit. The
conservative side of politics has always claimed a deficit on the national budget
would bring the country to bankruptcy. COVID exposed the bankruptcy of this policy itself, when the central bank started issuing debt (i.e., money) and “printing
money.” This is a strategy close to that proposed by Modern Monetary Theory
(MMT) but unacknowledged as such (Kelton, 2020). In the face of an emergency
when the economic and financial theories that have driven politics, and on which
our entire financial system relies, were discarded, the country benefitted from it.
Therefore, the financial and economic systems, being detached from material flows
and from labor, should be able to be reconfigured and redirected (Krznaric, 2021).
But this reconfiguration and redirection would upset current vested interests and
power and has therefore been strongly resisted. The pressure is on for a rapid return
to a close and previously existing condition as possible. This too exposes the limits
of transferring “resilience” theory unthinkingly from natural systems to human systems. Resilience theory defines resilience as the “ability of a system to withstand or
return to a state that retains its fundamental characteristics or find a new equilibrium
state” (Holling, 1973). But what if that system led to continual crises and ultimately
to foreseeable collapse? Why would we want to return to these conditions other than
to appease the short-term vested interests of organizations, corporations, or the privileged who are incapable or unwilling to adapt?

12.5 The Operating Conditions
So, all of these aspects are the “operating conditions” for the designers of the built
environment of the future. Clearly, this is not solely a “design problem” and being a
narrowly defined “professional” may make matters worse or perpetuate systems
that contain the seeds of their own collapse. This is why we need the “professional
citizen”; the professional who is acutely aware of the limitations of their profession

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Fig. 12.1 Tipped H
underscore

but has an understanding of the broader range of practices and disciplines in the
built environment, extending out to community and the public interest: the citizen.
Education should therefore follow the course outlined above: the “tipped H underscore”: Broad grounding, followed by narrowed pragmatics and theory, reintegrate,
and then application and engagement with the “real-world.” (Fig. 12.1).

12.6 The Challenges for Design Teaching
If we are to be more than cogs in a machine, bricks in a wall (Fig. 12.2), and would
like to have “agency” in the world, as professionals we need to constantly look
beyond and understand the context of the “brief” and the task at hand. How did we
get to the point where “professional practice” is expected to be completely severed
from our lives as citizens and humans? This separation is no longer sustainable. It is
not enough to simply practice “ethically” when that, by definition, is simply to
behave within the law, and within social mores, when we know that we, and these
codes face existential threats. More importantly, we need to recognize that it is these
codes and current practices that have brought us to this point of crisis; that within
them are the seeds of their own destruction.
As “designers” of the built and now natural environment we need to recognize
that the idea that urban systems are somehow stable and predictable is no longer true
if it ever was (Simpson, 2020). The delusion that they ever were has led us to this
point. It is a delusion that underpins ALL of our planning and evaluation methodologies. “Predict and provide” planning for infrastructure, net present value, and
cost-benefit analysis assume that the future conditions are essentially an extension
or extrapolation of current conditions. This fundamental shift from a certain world
with patches of uncertainty, to an uncertain world with patches of certainty, from
localized expertise, methodologies, and cultures to an increasingly homogenized,
regularized, and globalized ones should also lead to questioning pedagogy and
content.
It is a truism to say we have an unprecedented depth of expertise and extreme
specialization. True “inventors” and “pure researchers” are very few in number
compared to the “innovators” who make incremental improvements or involved in
applied research. And these in turn are very few compared to the number of people
taking the inventions to market, and these are very, very few in comparison with the
consumers of these inventions.
The illustration below show this (Fig. 12.2); the capacity of the individual
“designer” has increased by a couple of orders of magnitude not simply because of
the efficiency of filing or drafting but also the hidden apparatus, the “mental

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Fig. 12.2 Illustration Interior of drafting room in ERB. (Source: https://archive.org/details/
GPN-­2000-­001447)

prosthetics” that are provided by the encoding of knowledge and procedures, of
material characteristics, of structural capacity, of rules and regulations available,
literally at the operators’ fingertips. This diagram shows the past and prospects for
the “professional citizen.” The Fordist/industrialized production of the urban environment narrowly defined the practices of the environmental designer to known
typologies of buildings, landscape (urban “parks” in particular), civil infrastructure,
or as integral parts of the process (planners). Production and management of physical documents consumed a large proportion of the work.
In the current crisis, and in response to it, more stringent building and planning
regulations, higher performance requirements, greater propensity for litigation, and
greater need for accountability have both enabled and encouraged the “technological prostheses” of computers and electronic communication. Some of this productivity gain has been directed to “design” to the extent that designs that would have
been technically impossible now are, but the extra capacity has not been directed to
involvement in the formulation of the brief or to greater engagement with the public
or end user. Dissemination and communication of achievements is in the form of a
vast global publishing and media infrastructure that was unthinkable 30 years ago;
but this is very different to “research” or developing approaches that respond to the

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challenges we face – it is first and foremost marketing and infotainment, not “narratives for new patterns of sustainable living.”
But the potential is there with AI to redirect this capacity to conceptualization of
project involving all of the “environmental design disciplines up front with the public and community (Fig. 12.3): to ask, “what are we trying to achieve?” and at the
end share and learn from the process, which does not end when the last brick is laid.
Arguably, with the aid of these “mental prosthetics,” our professional training is
sufficiently “deep” in terms of expertise. We have the technology and techniques.
With hyperspecialization comes narrower and narrower focus, an obsession with
“efficiency” in extraction and operation. As resource limits become apparent, so do
the diminishing returns and the fragility of “hyperefficient” systems, of “just-in
time” supply chains. And yet the focus of “vocational”/“professional” training on
efficiency and extraction persists. The question arises: is this necessary, given that
truly “deep” technical excellence, research, and innovation will be carried out by a
very small number of people, and may not produce the professionals or expertise we
need? In fact, the perpetual production of these types of expertise may worsen the
situation by continuing and bolstering an overconfidence and reliance on technology and innovation.
This is exactly what we see in the current Australian government’s approach to
achieving Net Zero by 2050 – it actually “factors in” that 30% of the reduction to
get to Net Zero by 2050 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2021) will be achieved
through “Global technology trends (−15%) and Further technology breakthroughs
(−15%)” (Morton & Hannam, 2021). Understanding this context is not intended to
overwhelm students or practitioners, but on the contrary by shifting the focus,
empower them to be more effective than would be possible without this understanding. This is the context for thinking about educating designers of the future: an
uncertain world and future on the one hand and a vocationally focused education
system on the other. This raises the question: is this what is needed? Probably not.
What is needed are built environment design professions that are focused on

Fig. 12.3 The potential for the professional citizen, freed by AI. (Source: Rod Simpson)

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increasing the resilience of our cities (Simpson & Roggema, 2018). The training
therefore should start with a broad appreciation of the interaction of socio-­ecological
systems, a narrowing of focus to develop technical expertise in one area and to recognize the limits and contribution that an area can make to the whole, then a broadening out again to become a “specialist generalist” who is constantly contextualizing
practice, and as a lead into this last stage a broadening out to understand and participate in the community and/or political activity. This is the basis for becoming a
“professional citizen.”

12.7 The Professional Citizen
Notoriously, architects go into a berserker feeding frenzy at the prospect of a new
commission, no matter the problem. We should take pause and be mindful of the
context sketched out above, before enthusiastically rising to the challenge, assuming there is a design solution without questioning whether the “problem” could be
better addressed in some other way. By recognizing resilience as an existential
issue, we can avoid becoming embroiled in disputes about social (moral) and ecological (intrinsic) values. From an existential perspective, it is clear that support
systems are under threat, that in fact these “emergent patterns” are reducing our
resilience. Then we can recognize that economics is not simply descriptive but
when transformed into policy has become the principal apparatus for changing our
relationships to each other and the planet. While finance is global, politics is
hyperlocalized.
Whether natural or human, we know the key characteristics of resilient systems:
they perform redundancy and contain spare capacity, are capable to adapt and learn,
are robust, modular, have a networked governance and subsidiarity, and contain a
large diversity. In Australia, these characteristics, or lack of them, have been exposed
during the bushfires of 2020 and COVID at multiple scales. We have seen the interdependencies in the system causing cascading failures, and the stripped back efficiencies in the system resulting in fragility. We have also seen the lack of modularity
in the system when one part of the city has been locked down severely affecting the
operation of the city overall. For instance, during COVID, in Sydney, it became very
clear that construction workers were concentrated in the outer southwestern areas of
Sydney, while much construction was occurring in the center and east. The lockdown of these lower-income areas and impossibility of travel brought the entire
construction sector to a halt. The lack of diversity and poor distribution of affordable housing over the metropolitan area shows that these emergent patterns of concentration can have a direct impact on the functioning of the city and the well-being
of people (modularity, diversity). Conversely, we saw the rapid adaptation to working from home and video conferencing illustrating the benefits of flexible infrastructure, adaptive capacity and behaviors, and networked governance.
The COVID emergency forced underlying inequities and fault lines to become
visible yet again. The poor supply and distribution of affordable housing and the

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lesser capacity of some communities broke through into the media and emerged into
awareness. This is the very definition of an emergency. Suddenly, the social inequity
becomes apparent. How does politics intervene in this complex system? What is the
financial arrangement it puts in place? For a brief period, the economic system
became the subject of “design.”

12.8 Delusion
When architecture students start at Uni, they think they can save the world by
design. This positive energy paired with old school positivism, such as believing in
passive housing systems that can make a difference, leads to an illusionistic situation. We must face that we talk about two magnitudes of seriousness. If we want to
offset the residual carbon for Australian situation between 2030 and 2050, sequestering 20 tons CO2/ha per year, we need 200,000 km2 of land, 1.5% of the land on
earth and about five times the size of the Netherlands. With all efforts in renewables
and carbon capture currently underway, would that really make a difference? And
should we then not better apply a national carbon budget instead of striving for zero-­
carbon? As architects and planners, we should aim to enable the transformation to
the new economic system.
Firstly, we should go back to the basis of our culture: we cherish communal
duties and rights. This means doing right for the community and not thinking about
vested interests of corporates, because these thrive us back to Business-As-Usual
As-Soon-as-Possible. Instead, we may enhance emergent new conditions that prevent social isolation through creating stable and supportive urban patterns, for
instance, by returning to hyperconcentration in city cores, where information allows
for hyperlocalization. In these local patterns, the redundancy should be built in, not
just in time, but by offering spatial alternatives.

12.9 Questioning the Brief
The lens of resilience offers the foundational thinking to (re)question the brief constantly. We should train the students (and ourselves) to question everything at multiple scales. Every time ask the question: “What will the adaptability in the future
be?” And asking this from the scale of the project site the next scales up and the next
scales down. This could concretely look like “what-if” questions: does the design
still function when there are five times the number of people, or when a tsunami
happens? What does the design look like that is safe to fail, is inherently redundant?
When X fails, then there is Y to keep the system going? Does the place behold multiple alternatives for use that are multifunctional and operate at multiple scales? The
living environment must accommodate different patterns of living, superpositioned
in one space, meanwhile adapting to changes in social demands and constellations.

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This would mean the city has the capacity to live differently, accommodate a range
of social mixes, and enhance diversity. We need to get this right at the metropolitan
scale, the precinct scale, and at the building level. Social diversity and equity are
fractal by nature, and any separation will lead to hitches in the urban system. To
make sure diversity is established at each scale, the conditions for it should be created by local and regional interventions. Where the global system tends to work
toward homogeneity, uniformity, and segregation, hyperlocalization offers the
opportunity to experiment with social governance and subsidiarity, allowing communities to self-determination, opening the way to cascading that never can be predicted. We have the negative examples of those, caused by mono-functionality, of
efficiency thinking. Who could have thought that the bushfires caused the communication towers to break down, which then means the Eftpos/ATM wouldn’t work,
and people who wanted to leave the fire-hit area could not buy any petrol? This
could only be solved by community trust of people paying for the fuel later. And
who might have thought that replacing the copper in the elevator by new wires
would make it impossible to use the emergency button when the new wire system
failed. Wouldn’t it be smarter to leave the copper system as a back-up in place?

12.10 City as a System Not as a Collection of Objects –
Assemblage Theory
The urban design is all about understanding the city as a system around the one
project (Simpson, 2020). Therefore, the skills needed are to gain understanding of
that system at the specific scale, with its interrelation with upper and lower scales.
For instance, when designing the train system, its adaptability for workers that start
using it as their mobile office can never be predicted, but the space can be designed
to offer the environment in which that third space, besides home and office, can be
used. The fluidity of the urban environment has greatly accelerated, and the end of
this development is nowhere near. The skill to grasp the design as something that
would work for something it is not meant for can be sharpened, applied to, for
instance, the cafe, or the street, or any space in the urban landscape. The knowledge
and skills needed are both in-depth expertise and broad generalistic comprehension.
In the urban planning and design profession, we will need broad thinkers with specific technological skills. The challenge for the profession is to not overload the
students with specialistic basics, while hardly any time remains for studio work,
collaborative practice, or creative subjects. Soon, design will be freed from technology. Specialists in AI and BIM will provide the information and the designers could
focus, again, on looking at why and what we want to achieve. Real experts in automation will take care of the formalities, procedures, and conditions of compliance,
while “environmental designers” (landscape architects, architects, urban designers,
planners, and civil engineers) should concentrate on ecological repair and providing
beautiful environments for people to thrive (Fig. 12.4).

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Fig. 12.4 The education of the environmental designer as a professional citizen. (Source: Rod
Simpson)

12.11 Flexibility, Multiuse
This shows that a different set of conditions shape the economic system, which are
no longer designed for robustness. With every design choice we need to think about
how that intervention can do more than in the narrow functional sense. How can it
become multifunctional, always? Real resilience is designing for multiple functions
with a slightly higher investment. In other words, simply, from a resilience perspective least cost is not best value, and from an existential perspective, it will cost
whatever needs to be done; this is a political question not a technical or financial one.

12.12 Hope and Values
Here, we need to gain understanding of the economic metrics. When we do the cost-­
benefit analysis, with discount rates to a net present value, the costs now are made
unnecessarily more important than the benefits on the long term. What we should
calculate is the cost-effectiveness of investments in reaching a desirable end state.

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This would place the decisions made today in a completely new light, much more in
line with modern monetary theory. The point here is that the built environment professional citizen can act as a facilitator and enabler.

References
Biggs, R., Schlüter, M., & Schoon, M. L. (Eds.). (2015). Principles for building resilience:
Sustaining ecosystem services in social-ecological systems. Cambridge University Press.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2021). Australia’s long-term emissions reduction plan. Published
online: https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/October%202021/document/australias-­
long-­term-­emissions-­reduction-­plan.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Gunderson, L. H., & Holling, C. S. (Eds.). (2002). Panarchy: Understanding transformations in
human and natural systems. Island Press.
Holling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology
and Systematics, 4, 1–23.
Kelton, S. (2020). The deficit myth: Modern monetary theory and the birth of the People’s economy. PublicAffairs.
Krznaric, R. (2021). The good ancestor. How to think long term in a short-term world. Ebury
Publishing.
Morton, A., & Hannam, P. (2021). Australia’s 2050 net zero emissions plan relies on ‘gross manipulation’ of data, experts say. The guardian. Published online 2021, October 29: https://www.
theguardian.com/australia-­news/2021/oct/30/australias-­2050-­net-­zero-­emissions-­plan-­relies-­
on-­gross-­manipulation-­of-­data-­experts-­say. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Simpson, R. (2020). D+PSEPP EIE and the city as a system. Personal Note.
Simpson, R., & Roggema, R. (2018). How to design Sydney’s Third City? In R. Roggema
(Ed.), Contemporary Urban Design thinking, Vol. 1, The Australian Approach. Book series
(pp. 39–70). Springer.
Walker, B., Holling, C. S., Carpenter, S. R., & Kinzig, A. P. (2003). Resilience, adaptability and
transformability in social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society, 9(2, article 5). https://doi.
org/10.5751/ES-­00650-­090205

Chapter 13

Waterman
Rob Roggema and Karel Bruin-Baerts

Abstract
Climate is changing more quickly and more intensely.
Many consequences for flooding, drought, and land subsidence.
Long-term thinking for spatial planning, creating cohesion between water, energy,
nature, living, and agriculture.
Retaining water in the system and soil.
More groundwater in the system, creating a natural dynamic in peat.
Small-scale self-sustaining water modules in the landscape.
New tasks: adaptable and flexible building for the “Bordeaux” climate, climate-­
resilient energy system, nature, and landscape-inclusive urban planning and
building.

13.1 Introduction
Change is a constant and adapting the water management system to it is a constant
source of concern for Karel. Think about it, there is more flooding, then it is too dry
again, and besides this the water needs to be clean enough for people to enjoy it. In
North-Holland, all these elements meet, while the sea level simultaneously continues to rise. This, too, is not without risk. Luckily, Karel is optimistic, and looks at
what can be achieved. Preferably together with other parties, governments, businesses, and citizens. A nice challenge that is how he sees it. And what is better than

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
K. Bruin-Baerts
HHNK (Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier), Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_13

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tinkering with the system, so that there is water where it should be, and it disappears
when we can do without.

13.2 Together and Quick
If we want to make a region like the north of North-Holland climate-resilient, we
have no choice but to create an intimate collaboration with the environment. Only
then can we connect conceptual themes with one another that are broader than just
those to do with water. The stacking of problems will also need to happen in a limited space. Climate adaptation is one of those topics that are a part of this. True, it is
not a new subject; after all, we have always adapted to change, but now, it is going
so quickly that we really need to handle things differently. And this requires collaboration with the whole community. The management area of Hoogheemraadschap
Hollands Noorderkwartier is really a large bathtub that is extra vulnerable to changes
in the climate. The urgencies lie primarily in differing precipitation patterns, that
result in a lot of flooding in relatively little time, and longer-lasting periods of
drought. If we add the land subsidence and sea level rise to this, the situation
becomes clear, and we will need to act now to avoid bigger problems later on.

13.3 Flooding
It is happening more and more often that there is too much precipitation in a very
short period. Besides this, the rain falls quite locally, and it is difficult to predict
exactly where. This greatly limits the time we must respond and act. It can lead to
very inconvenient situations and flooding (Fig. 13.1). Because the precipitation situations are becoming more and more intense, the system that needs to deal with it
does not always have the capacity to do so. We thus need extra space to temporarily
store the water and subsequently drain it slowly. The other option is that we all
accept that there is some flooding every now and then. We will need to come up with
a place to lead all the excess water, in our urban and rural areas, where it will lead
to the least number of problems. What we do know is that the increasing of pump
capacity does not really solve much. Our system is now able to drain 15 mm a day,
which means it takes five days to deal with the peak showers of 80 mm that we have
seen recently. Furthermore, with short, yet intense precipitation, the water often
cannot reach our water management system on time. Pumping more thus barely
helps and demands an upgrade of the total drainage system of water courses, culverts, and dams, to make sure that more water can be drained to the pumping station.
It would be smarter to limit the impact as much as possible and spread the pain during these periods of flooding. The best solution would thus be to organize more
storage capacity, space that would need to be found primarily in public spaces.
Temporary storage is the most effective, and at the same time we would need to plan

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Fig. 13.1 Increased chance at flooding

new functions in smart places, for example, by building “high” in the landscape, in
places that stay dry, even in wet times. If we really need or want to build in lower
areas, we will need to do so in an adapted way – floating, floodable, or on stilts.

13.4 Thirst
We must deal with the remarkable fact that on the one hand there is too much water,
while on the other hand, we have to face longer and longer periods of drought
(Fig. 13.2). Our land is thirsty and the need for water for agriculture, industry, and
citizens is great. To continue to be able to fulfill that need, we need to retain and
store as much fresh water as possible. In our region, we have two large rainwater
tanks: the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer. These storage spaces are primarily filled
with meltwater, but this is changing. We are now more and more dependent on rainwater that is discharged through the large rivers. That pattern is less uniform than it
used to be, and the supply is thus subject to big fluctuations. We cannot continue to
freely drink from the taps of these rainwater tanks, because the supply is becoming
more and more erratic. Instead, we will need to use the finely branched water system of “poldervaarten” and channels in a more balanced way and create greater
flexibility. This begins with a reduction in use of scarce water, especially in agriculture and industry. To keep supply available, creating large basins seems like an obvious choice, but we already have quite a number of those, and they are also relatively

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Fig. 13.2 Prolonged periods of drought

expensive due to the costs of land and construction. A smarter solution would be to
store our water in the ground, so that it can function similarly to a large sponge. To
achieve this, we will need to reduce hardening in urban areas (“depaving”) so that
water gets easier into the soil below (downwelling). In the outer areas, we need to
improve the structure of the soil and dewater it less, so that water can be retained in
it for longer. If we succeed in this, we will need fewer water storage facilities, which
we can then nicely combine with other functions such as nature or recreation. The
construction of climate buffers (Fig. 13.3) is a nice example of something that is
effective and embraced by the population.

13.5 All Year the Flax-Dam Festered1
en de boer, hij ploegde voort, Werumeus Buning, 1935

Our land is subsiding because of tectonic activity, and there is little we can do about
that. Half of the northwest of the Netherlands is steadily sinking, bit by bit. What we
can do is reduce the settlement of peat and clay soils. Particularly the peat packages
are shrinking, and the ground level quickly sinks as a result. Many water courses in
these areas have disappeared, even though they are also often intensively used by
agriculture, especially livestock farming. And to allow the cows to run around in the
1

After: https://www.pertyfoundation.org/poems/57040/death-of-a-naturalist

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Fig. 13.3 Natural climate buffer locations in the Netherlands. (Map adapted from: https://www.
klimaatbuffers.nl/nieuws/92/kansenkaarten-­natuurlijke-­klimaatbuffers-­helpen-­overheden-­om-­
met-­de-­natuur-­te-­gaan-­werken)

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meadow and be able to go onto the land with heavier and heavier machines, farmers
prefer not to have wet fields. We are getting closer and closer to a turning point.
Maintaining the peat lands in this way cannot go on forever (Woestenburg, 2009).
Rather than letting the water-levels follow the function, we will need to make the
switch to a function that suits the level; otherwise, we will only continue to paper
over the cracks. When planning functions in space, water should be a much stronger
focus. Culturally, this would be something of a change because we are traditionally
used to realizing desires from a spatial planning perspective, while we should really
be asking spatial planning to base itself on water management, ecology, and soil.
This means making difficult choices and focusing on the long term. With the daily
political rates these days, practice has become stubborn. Fighting land subsidence
has far-reaching advantages beyond just storage capacity and creating a water supply for dry times. It also leads to a limit on the carbon-emissions in peat areas, and
a reduced subsidence is better for urban groundwater management and prevents
potential foundational problems due to low water levels. Furthermore, it is better to
have too much groundwater than too little.

13.6 Salty Tongues
It is quite strange that we have a salinization problem in our region. There is enough
precipitation, all year round. We are just bad at using it in a careful manner. The
landowners who directly experience this problem should really be stimulated to
retain freshwater themselves. It is strange that the best quality water is needed in
bulb cultivation in the northern part of the province, but we let it in at Schardam,
meaning it must travel a considerable distance and the quality only decreases along
the way. Besides, the area where bulbs are cultivated is traditionally salty, so we are
making fresh what is actually salt, and we facilitate this using our water management system. If landowners could take care of self-sustaining modules with good-­
quality freshwater, less water would be lost and the availability is guaranteed for
every business, for example by storing water underground and using it again in the
summer. Such small-scale, ‘to size’ methods solve a great part of the problem and
will be necessary to become flexible and agile enough to be able to respond to climate change.

13.7 NL DNA
In the Netherlands, we have become used to being able to manage the water system.
Traditionally though, the water in the Netherlands is rather dynamic. As people, we
have stopped that natural dynamic. We want to maintain the current situation.

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However, that is not sustainable on the long term – eventually, nature is stronger
than the artificial interventions we make as humans. We will therefore need to
accept that the delta is dynamic and adapt to it. However, this kind of thinking goes
against our Dutch DNA, making this more of a cultural issue than a technical one.
For example, we are used to building homes and other works in stone, so that buildings will be preserved for a long time. Perhaps we need to start thinking in terms of
building for a certain period of time and making buildings dismantlable so that they
can easily adapt when required. We should also think about temporarily giving parts
of the country back to nature, so that the soil and ecology are given the time to
recover. In this way, a system of alternation in use can be created, where ‘wisselpolders’ are a nature reserve now, and used as agricultural land then (De Mesel
et al., 2013).

13.8 Space on the Long Term
We should really want to have a spatial vision for the long term, based on the natural
characteristics of the water system, but not dogmatically focused only on the water.
It should be an integrated vision, in which all functions communicate with each
other. Energy (now separate in the RES – Regional Energy Strategy), living (now
separate in housing programs), nature (now separate in the NNN – Nature Network
Netherlands), and agriculture (now separate with LNV – Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature, and Food Quality) would be considered as a collective, together with water
(now separate in the Delta program). At HHNK, we would love to be a part of that
so that we can look for the best possible future of each function together
(Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, 2012).

13.9 Development Tasks
How to achieve adaptability is a development issue that distinguishes itself from the
tradition we know in the Netherlands. If we realize that we will have a “Bordeaux”climate here in a few years, we can already foresee the kind of circumstances we
will be dealing with. Our building task thus changes, something we are not thinking
about enough yet. For example, we will need to build high and dry, and prepare our
homes for heat (Fig. 13.4). In this way, we can start building and developing in a
future-oriented way – a nice task for students. Besides this, it is also important to
look at the processes of realization, and how we can execute changes. We cannot
stay stuck in our ways, because the past is no reflection of how it will be in the
future. We need to show how we can do things differently, and really highlight the
advantages of adaptation. The energy transition will take place, but we barely have

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Fig. 13.4 Heatstress in Zaanstad

an idea of what it means when electricity substations must deal with flooding, what
happens when they fail, and how we can prevent that. Here, too, we need to think
about a different way of building. Lastly, nature in the city needs to be given much
more space (Verbeek, 2021). Green brings people together but is also the road to a
more resilient public space that is much better able to deal with changes (Fig. 13.5).
It works like a sponge, keeps us cool, and can retain and deliver water.

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Fig. 13.5 Green building as alternative practice

References
De Mesel, I., Ysebaert, T., & Kamermans, P. (2013). Klimaatbestendige dijken. Het concept wisselpolders. Rapport C072/13. Published online: https://edepot.wur.nl/274605. Accessed 2022,
January 12.
Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier. (2012). Een Deltavisie voor Hollands
Noorderkwartier. Noord-Holland voorbereid op klimaatverandering. HHNK. https://www.
hhnk.nl/_flysystem/media/deltavisie.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Verbeek, P. (2021). Groen in de stad: ‘Kijken door de ogen van een ander’. City Deal Ruimte voor
Lopen Magazine. Published online: https://ruimtevoorlopen.nl/magazine/editie-­1/groen-­in-­de-­
stadkijken-­door-­deogen-­van-­een-­ander/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Werumeus Buning, J. W. F. (1935). Ballade van den boer. Published online: https://neerlandistiek.
nl/2018/07/gedicht-­j-­w-­f-­werumeusbuning-­ballade-­van-­den-­boer/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Woestenburg, M. (2009). Waarheen met het veen. Kennis voor keuzes in het westelijk veenweidegebied. Landwerk.

Chapter 14

Cultivating Urgencies
Rob Roggema and Winy Maas

Abstract
Cultivating and stirring up urgencies: wait and plan.
Spotlighting the jewels of North-Holland.
Formulating new tasks to speed up housing construction.
Quicker, cheaper, nicer, and more adaptive living through changeable and modular
thinking, and becoming more sustainable by lengthening the time chain (prefab
to the max).
Architecture students are explorers of new practical and technical products that contribute to housing development.
Calculate and estimate the effect of technical innovation of one million homes in
terms of carbon, ecology, and materials.
Consideration of ecological, social, and aesthetic aspects of urban planning and
landscape.
Do not abandon the landscape: we need a bigger voice on this from architects and
landscape architects.
Conduct the conversations on the future on a yearly basis.
Strengthen bonds with industry.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
W. Maas
MVRDV, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The Why Factory, Delft, The Netherlands
University of Technology Delft, Delft, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_14

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Fig. 14.1 Seoul. (Credit: Ossip van Duivenbode)

14.1 Introduction
When people hear the name “Winy Maas,” they often first think of the architect, but
he is first and foremost a landscape architect. Educated in Boskoop, it explains his
love for green, plants, and nature in the city. This is reflected in his projects (A+U,
2020; Hannema, 2021a); every plant species found in Korea can be seen on a bridge
in the heart of Seoul (Fig. 14.1), the Valley on the Zuidas in Amsterdam is draped in
plants and trees (Fig. 14.2), and on top of the recently opened Depot Boijmans Van
Beuningen, a green rooftop park can be found (Fig. 14.3). Winy combines conceptual leaps in thinking with data-driven research and an eye for detail. Buildings have
appeared in every corner of the world, which often stand out, because they deviate
from the usual. This confuses and invites opposition, but above all: it inspires.

14.2 The Confluence
In thinking about urban planning in the Netherlands, fundamental aspects are often
absent: besides the ecological, social, and aesthetic ones. This is fairly dramatic,
because a lot of thinking is being done from the legal and planning, the flat plane,
while the influence on the experience for the people is found lacking. There is an

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Fig. 14.2 The Valley. (Credit: EDGE)

absence of program at universities of applied sciences for urban planning (with
landscape incorporated into it), which can focus on those aspects that might be best
targeted from a technical perspective. The issue would then be what a certain functional, technical-spatial procedure would mean for the beauty of, and life in, the city
and the region. If there was a titillating and poetic school like there was in France in
‘l’ecole de Paysage de Versailles’ on the rue Hardy under, among others, Yves
Brunier, in which there was space to think outside of the here-and-now pragmatism,
it would be a real addition to the Dutch palette of educational programs. An institute
á la the Confluence (Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture),
in the heart of Paris, is another example.

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Fig. 14.3 Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. (Credit: Ossip van Duivenbode)

14.3 Triplet
–– Firstly. In reality, there are three classic terrains on which our cities and landscapes must be designed. Social, economic, and ecological. They come together
in the spatial, through which that knowledge actually becomes the alma mater of
the arts and sciences. The social drama that occurs is about the increasing social
separation, the polarization. In the social domain, we will thus have to bring back
the sense of community, bring people back together, and create the spaces and
environments needed for this. The economic domain desires ecologization and
the means to make space. The ecological domain contains airs, soils, animals,
and plants.
–– Secondly. How can we use and increase the necessary techniques to clarify and
expand the above issues, from a/our technocratic approach (the malleability of
architecture and urban planning)? How can we enable economic laws to lead to
environments that are affordable and possess quality of life? How can we, for
example, through laws, force margins to be used by developers in service of that
quality improvement? In this way, the calculation model must come together
with the visualization model, a connection that will become increasingly more
important.
–– Thirdly. It is reasonable to give meaning to these questions at all scales (Maas
et al., 1998), by staging the space. We need to realize that the small scale often

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Fig. 14.4 Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. (Credit: Ossip van Duivenbode)

has much bigger consequences than planning can comprehend (Hannema,
2021b). From the smallest screw that keeps bio-based materials together, and
thus cannot rust, to the toilets that are flushed with rainwater like in Depot
Boijmans Van Beuningen (Fig. 14.4); when these are translated to the city,
region, and country, their effect is immense. So too nano-scale thinking, in
which, for example, material can be broken down in situ in a natural way and
adapt itself to use. Or in which it can offer a capacity for solutions for a healthy
air, water, and soil, our living environment.
There is a great lack of thinking when it comes to sustainability at a landscape
level. In the planning of wind turbines, expansions are planned in every direction.

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With disastrous consequences for the leveling of the landscape. Luckily, it can happen that a judge in south France allocates compensation to a couple that experienced
trouble with a nearby wind turbine at a kilometer from their home. The leveling of
our landscape is a form of hopelessness and helplessness, so that eventually, the
judge must decide. Would we as architects and landscape architects not be able to
do a much better job? We are absent and are (politically) abandoning our landscape
(Maas et al., 2014).

14.4 Cultivating Urgencies
In one of our design studios “Apocalypse Now,” we investigated how we can stir up
urgencies. In this laboratory experiment, we sort of waited until problems manifested themselves more and more emphatically until the necessary action is inevitable and felt by all. Often, this already happens, such as with the flooding in
Limburg, the Dutch housing construction coming too late, or the earthquakes in
Groningen. A clearly observable and tangible problem is then a breeding ground for
true transformation. You construct, as it were, the future together, via a strategy of
“wait and plan.” What if we wait, watch the problem grow, and anticipate and make
plans for it? Thinking in scenarios is necessary and helpful, and possibly a core
subject in the new program, but it must be through continually updating and adapting a scenario (Maas et al., 2015), and by thinking in parameters that can be scripted,
and can be digitally altered, by shifting sliders. In this way, we can play with the
future and use software as the frame for design teaching.

14.5 Self-Conscious Region
You can then consciously go out looking for the great transition themes as an alternative model for current practice in which the desire for change is few and far
between. The sense of urgency is minimal and must therefore be awakened. The
University is an excellent place to initiate that debate. Municipalities can also take
on a much more self-conscious role in that context, making use of the competition
between developers who can push each other to new heights in tenders. In those
tenders, there is space to demand greater ambition, but it is advisable to get the
sense of change broadly accepted. Just like an ecosystem is constantly renewing
itself to survive, so too must a peripheral region drive itself onwards. Compare this
to Rotterdam, which has set up a local Building Code in which roofs on buildings
must have a greater carrying capacity to be prepared for green roofs, solar panels,
and water storage. Rotterdam has 18 square km of flat roofs, and the plans for them
are celebrated each year with a roof award and roof festival.

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14.6 Jewels
The most beautiful places in North-Holland are often not appreciated enough.
–– It has one of the most beautiful coasts in Europe, the sea is so close, and the
people are the first to oppose too many wind-turbines too close by at sea. That is
a quality. But perhaps it needs to be wider.
–– The region should demonstrate the ecological problem much more clearly. The
dunes, the inner dune edge, the water problems with freshwater supply, the salinization and its impact on agriculture and drinking water require much larger and
more visible measures. A waterpark.
–– Why are there so many logistic ‘boxes’ in this part of the country? It is not for
nothing that there is so much resistance against the google-boxes in the
Wieringermeer, so would an alternative plan not be welcome here?
–– Is agriculture in North-Holland not becoming alien? Around the beautiful
UNESCO polders, a horticulture area has been created, and it is questionable
how well this fits between dunes, polders, and more. And if has to be there, could
we not come up with alternative spatial models for it?
–– 15% of the IJsselmeer belongs to North-Holland, but very little thinking is done
about it. What kind of lake should it be? What type of coast does it need? How
can we increase the cosmic qualities, strengthen the ecology, and accept its use?
–– North-Holland loves provincial roads and round-abouts, the majority of which
turned out too big. Could we not design and calculate this better? So that slimmer
roads are built that are a jewel in the landscape?
We could work on Apocalypse North-Holland, and organize a political manifestation in which BizarNHNow is presented, with suggestions and spatial proposals
for the languishing provincial jewels. North-Holland becomes Peril-Holland.

14.7 Faster, Nicer, Cheaper
There is a great and beautiful amount of emptiness available north of the MRA
(Metropolitan Region Amsterdam). It would be very interesting to think about the
accelerated realization of housing construction there and thus offer a helpful addition to the difficult realization in the MRA area. Could we set in motion a new
movement by formulating ambitious quality criteria and an acceleration of construction in inner-city environments or reuse of existing buildings? Could the fringes
of the midsize cities and towns become the most interesting areas to live and work,
or to be? To achieve that, we cannot do the same as we have been doing in
Amsterdam, but we must develop a unique niche, and an acceleration mechanism,
through which we can build faster, cheaper, and nicer. This is a new task, which still
needs to be formulated. For example, by exploring the possibilities of prefab construction at every scale, by sourcing local materials, and by accelerating procedures
via clever legal approaches. And by proposing shrewd locations.

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14.8 Pixel Planet
If we are smart, we invest in researching, designing, and prefabricating modules and
units that we can assemble and disassemble in the region in many ways. If we can
provide a focus to the region, together with local builders and contractors and architecture students, on investigating how this can be done technically, that would be an
innovation that contributes to the acceleration of housing construction. For example, we could visualize the calculation of the value when limiting carbon emissions
by applying certain technologies, or what the ecological value is of different modules that can be fitted into the technical design and building process. Inclusive of
later adaptation options. Because then, the “dismantlable transition building” could
be compared to the “chain building” and the advantages in terms of costs, speed,
and nature and environment can be seen. Architecture students could play a realistic
role in visualizing the possibilities and the potential profits by acting like scouts
who pick up the knowledge and practical context from regional industries. Every
(mini) thesis then contributes to the greater whole and can fill a blind spot that we
currently have at the TU Delft: real technical and practical knowledge in the hypothetical solutions that we come up with in The Why Factory (Fig. 14.5). These
detailed discoveries are a nice opportunity to communicate about in a way that links
the outcome to the bigger issue. What is the “discovery” and what effect does it have

Fig. 14.5 The Why Factory

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when applied to all the one million new homes, such as in terms of carbon, ecology,
water, and material use. The collection of ideas then shows the urgency. Supercool.

References
A+U. (2020). 06 MVRDV files 4. Projects 435–908. A+U 597 (Juni 2020).
Hannema, K. (2021a). Een kijkje in de hersenkronkels van de rebelse architecten van de
Markthal, de Valley en het nieuwe Depot van Boijmans. De Volkskrant. Published
online, 2021, Novemvber 1: https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuurmedia/een-­kijkje-­in-­de-­
hersenkronkels-­van-­d e-­r ebelsearchitecten-­van-­d e-­m arkthal-­d e-­valley-­e n-­h et-­n ieuwe-­
depotvan-­boijmans~bb63d254/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Hannema, K. (2021b). Kunstdepot Boijmans van Beuningen: briljant bedacht, briljant uitgevoerd. De Volkskrant. Published online: https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-­media/kunstdepot-­
boijmans-­van-­beuningenbriljant-­bedacht-­briljant-­uitgevoerd~b7d75613/?referrer=https%3A
%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Maas, W., Van Rijs, J., & Koek, R. (1998). FARMAX: Excursions on density. 010Publishers.
Maas, W., Hackauf, U., & Haikola, P. (2014). The green dream. How future cities can outsmart
nature. The why factory. Nai010 Publishers.
Maas, W., Hackauf, U., Ravon, A., & Healy, P. (2015). Barba. Life in the fully adaptable environment. The why factory. Nai010 Publishers.

Chapter 15

EnergyRich
Rob Roggema and Nicole van Wijk

Abstract
Reconsider/reorganize financial organization of circular building projects.
Affordability of sustainable measures more favorable than nonsustainable (current)
solutions.
Make current housing more sustainable by first isolating and then adding installations on the way to an energy-saving home.
Experiment by bringing sustainability, policy, and regulations, building and construction, and finances together integrally.
Contractors are not thieves.
Working in government makes you influential.

15.1 Introduction
The question of how to keep affordable homes sustainably available for the most
vulnerable people in society keeps Nicole busy on a daily basis. As director-­manager
of Woonwaard, a housing corporation, she is familiar with the stubbornness of the
field, and it is sometimes difficult to bring this together with the ambitious goals that
are determined on a national scale. Woonwaard’s ambitions are big, too: a switch in
sustainability for 16,000 homes, and being able to simultaneously offer homes that
allow people to participate in their social context. That makes a housing corporation
a challenging place, where Nicole van Wijk has dedicated herself to.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
N. van Wijk
Woonwaard, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_15

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Fig. 15.1 Finch building, Alkmaar

15.2 Affordability and Ambitions
The group of people we build and manage for are people who need it the most. They
often do not have a lot to spend and every price increase, whether that be on energy
or the groceries, hurts. Because of that, we do not want the rent to increase, and the
affordability of living is very important to us. If there is money left over, we can
dedicate it to newbuild and making what we have more sustainable. That is never a
lot, and it results in tension with the ambitions we also have to offer energy-saving
homes, for example, or to use sustainable materials such as wood (Fig. 15.1). The
big dilemma is the desire and the need to build in the city and what this means for
building in the suburbs. We do not know what that desire to densify means for the
“what and how” on the street. Because if there are changes in an existing neighborhood, they will need to happen through a participation process, while there are also
complex processes that are necessary to move businesses, for example. This is
costly, but also runs into resistance from the current inhabitants, which makes these
urban issues complex challenges.

15.3 Leading Role
We like to take the lead in this. Even though we can only do this in small steps at a
time, because we do not have large budgets. I am very proud of the Schuurman location, for example, where we built an entirely new wooden apartment complex. It is
a very sustainable and state-of-the-art building that was born out of idealism to
contribute to the sustainability of living on a vulnerable and sensitive planet. What

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makes it difficult is the price of circularity. Because reusing materials is often more
expensive than using new ones. How can it be that in a complex, by working with
reused materials, the costs can be up to half a million more expensive? That is
crazy! If you ask me, this is exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve.

15.4 Energy-Neutral
To achieve energy-neutral homes (Fig. 15.2), we walk along four different paths:
––
––
––
––

We isolate homes that have a bad energy label.
We stop using gas in several neighborhoods.
We put solar panels on all our homes.
We use every moment when there is maintenance required to add an extra bit of
sustainability. This can be extra insulation, or adding used materials, etc.

This is still quite the challenge, especially in homes that are not well-insulated,
struggle with waterlogging, or may be a municipal monument. This significantly
affects what is possible. Besides, we often are too eager to use new technologies,
while we should also be looking at the costs during the entire life cycle: what does
the maintenance of these new technologies cost? We will first need to come up with
a plan for reducing energy use before we look for solutions in installation technology that only make usage more efficient. Insulate first, then install!

Fig. 15.2 Energy neutral homes

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15.5 Support
The question is what does and does not have support at the moment. We all want to
make the switch to more sustainable living, but the message on how we are supposed to do that is often complicated, not least in the language being used. It would
be a big step if we were able to explain in a simple way what the importance is and
why we are doing it, and how we can best achieve that, and lastly, what the benefits
are for inhabitants themselves. Then it becomes less about innovations we can
achieve in technology, and more about the simplified establishment that we want to
insulate more and use more sustainable energy. Once we have done that, it is then of
the utmost importance that the financiers support it. The financial organization of
circular building, and with it a totally different way of discounting and calculating,
still needs to get through to the banks. A new way of thinking is necessary there, too,
so that the municipality, builders, designers, and finance are all on the same page,
and that we finally make this structural. Easy!

15.6 Upscale in Thinking
We should really do an experiment with this. The cleverest people know how to get
the financial backing for truly sustainable solutions, but they are often not in conversation with builders and contractors or clients, let alone those who determine and
enforce regulations. To start with, we could do this experiment for one of our newbuild projects. We would first need to determine what we want, what policies it
needs to fit into, then create the design and execution of the complex, and then make
the realization financially possible. It demands collaboration and looking and thinking over each other’s shoulder by the bank, the municipality, the corporation, the
designers, and the builders and contractors. If the national or regional government
would be willing to stick their neck out for this, and support the experiment, I would
be happy to participate.

15.7 Unequivocally Sustainable
It requires an integral vision, and also that the thinkers in sustainability contradict
each other a little less. Sometimes it seems like one only thinks in heat networks
while the other has committed themselves entirely to wind turbines. We need to
integrate those preferences with one another so that we can come to an optimal
energy supply, without stepping on each other’s toes (Noord-Hollandse energieregio, 2021a, b). For non-experts, it becomes very difficult to choose and very easy to
not take sustainability seriously at all. Then we’d be even worse off, right? The
municipality should take a leading role here, which it does, for example, by

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Fig. 15.3 Combining street profile with green and trees

formulating the energy transition vision. But it is also difficult for the local government because it can have an influence through permits but is often not able to own
land or buildings itself. The problem is often a very practical one: in all those busy
pipe streets, we also want to add an extra network or heat network (Fig. 15.3). In
existing streets, there really isn’t much space for that, while in newbuild neighborhoods, it results in a weirdly wide street profile, in which there often is no more
space for trees. And those will be necessary to offer shade once we have deal with
long heat waves.

15.8 Wouldn’t It Be Nice…
As a corporation, we love working with all our partners on innovative and sustainable solutions (Fig. 15.4). We are relatively small and therefore like to collaborate.
I would very much like to see us thinking along the same lines, the ones that are
good for society as a whole, now and for the future:
–– Wouldn’t it be nice if builders and developers and everyone involved in the planning process would understand that 30% of homes must be built socially?
–– Wouldn’t it be nice if we allow inclusivity in every neighborhood, and we didn’t
exclude any population groups, because we make it financially impossible to live
somewhere, or because certain groups are less wanted?
–– Wouldn’t it be nice if it were easier for developers and corporations to work
together on integral development?
–– Wouldn’t it be nice to get rid of the property tax levy, making it easier to invest?
–– Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get heat from geothermal energy and use this to
both heat and cool our homes?

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Fig. 15.4 Integral sustainable solutions

Sometimes it surprises me to hear students say, before they even start working,
that they judge contractors and builders to be thieves who are only out for profit.
That is not my experience, and if you ask me, contractors and builders are actually
working together on building better and more sustainable homes. They are incredibly honest and will tell me, for example, that they know they needed to use used
materials, but if those are not available, that they “aged” new materials and thus
added to the supply of used ones. At the end of the day, it needs to be attractive for
them, as well. Students often hold certain expectations about how people in the field
think and adapt to that before they have even checked whether that is true. Often,
clients and parties in practice are open to new solutions. I would recommend that
students become a bit more self-aware and step outside of their own habits and surprise their employers with new insights! I also think that the image of the government needs to be adjusted. Students think that working for the municipality is boring
and not sexy, but this is the place to be! By working for the government, you have
much more influence on the result than you would working in an executing or consulting role, where you need to stick to the regulations and parameters of the client.
Isn’t it much more fun to come up with those parameters yourself? You can stretch
them out, by understanding where it happens and how you can take up the space
necessary to use that stretch in your parameters. It is important here that you learn
to work together as soon as possible, and not only once you have each determined
your standpoints separately. It becomes a lot more difficult then. If you can form a
team from the very beginning, and determine your goals and ambitions together,
you have a much better chance of everyone involved being happy with the result.

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References
Noord-Hollandse energieregio. (2021a). RES 1.0 Noord-Holland noord. Met elkaar naar een
schone en duurzame regio. Published online: https://energieregionhn.nl/app/uploads/2021/04/
nhn-­res-­1.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Noord-Hollandse energieregio (2021b). RES 1.0 Noord-Holland zuid. 2,7 TWh duurzame energie in 2030. Published online: https://energieregionhz.nl/app/uploads/2021/04/nhz-­res-­1.pdf.
Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 16

Elusive City
Rob Roggema and Rolf Tjerkstra

Abstract
From solving problems to thinking strategically, allowing for time.
Society with a lot of resistance and opinions.
Thinking about the subsurface as space for new designs and spatial claims.
Sketching and creating designs should be shared openly with the outside world.
Designing together with ecologists, architecture historians, and other
nondesigners.

16.1 Introduction
Rolf Tjerkstra takes a moment to think about the question of what the future brings.
He likes to carefully consider his words and is at the same time very curious about
new challenges and issues. He learns every day, in recent years particularly about
climate adaptation and the energy transition. In a role where you have a lot to do
with your local inhabitants, these are golden qualities. Think about it, the people in
the city are becoming more and more vocal, and at the same time, there is no simple
solution to complex problems.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
R. Tjerkstra
OMB-Ontwerp, Haarlem, The Netherland
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_16

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16.2 Elusiveness
With the realization of the environmental vision in Haarlem (gemeente Haarlem,
2021), themes are being reconnected with one another. It appears the integrating
disciplines are being valued more again and the necessity of that way of thinking is
gaining traction. By only thinking in numbers of homes that must be built, we cannot create a city. The city is a living organism and will need to be permanently able
to reshape, adjust, and adapt itself, sometimes under the influence of external factors, sometimes as independent living phenomenon (Fig. 16.1). Thinking in “elusivities” is quite difficult for people who are used to thinking about the physical-spatial
aspects of urban development. Instead of solving problems, sometimes, we also
need to give the city time to develop its resilience. To do this, we need to think strategically, and anticipate something unknown. That strategic insight is lacking in our
current perspective, which often leads to a simplification of problems and flattened
projects.

Fig. 16.1 Living in an old church

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16.3 Vocality
Haarlem is almost finished, around 95% of it is done. We are therefore obligated to
ready the city for the coming 100 years. It will then be about different themes than
the short-term issues that the people in the city are currently concerned with. This
means we need to make connections between the daily problems and the long term.
People in the city are increasingly more informed, more vocal, and unafraid to let
themselves be heard, especially when they disagree with something. There is a lot
of resistance in society, sometimes rightly so, but often also created by frustrations
over something else, or because we haven’t sufficiently explained why certain
things are happening.

16.4 Public Space
The urgencies of the future come together in public space (Fig. 16.2), both in the
street and in the underground. Rainwater must be captured there, stored, and slowly
drained, there is a need for heat networks, and trees need more space to spread their
roots. This means there are more and more, bigger and bigger, spatial claims on the
underground and the street, which therefore demand to be redivided. Instead of giving space to the car and then asking the question “where does the rest go?,” the

Fig. 16.2 Tasks in the public space

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conversation is increasingly about the place of the car, prioritizing active mobility,
biking, and walking and integrating all the functions that require space (Fig. 16.3).
The energy transition requires space for the heat network. In itself this already
means quite an attack on the street profile. Added to this, there is the issue of the
transition to all-electric, which requires 300 extra electricity substations in Haarlem
alone. We also need to find space for that, in the built environment. In cellars, or just
on the street. Otherwise, they will end up together with garbage containers and bike
racks in public parks. We must therefore look for new methods for how we can
combine all those claims. The new space requirement added to the existing systems
will all need to find a place in the same space. The street is not going to be wider
suddenly. We will need to solve that together. Each single specialist knows how to
do it. What kind of space a tree needs, the sewage system, the cables, and pipes? But
only by looking for synergy will we succeed in fitting all these wishes and demands
into the same street profile. We can do this through collaboration, though each pipe
has its own councilman who makes demands. It demonstrates the stubbornness of
working in practice.

Fig. 16.3 Transformation of the street to accommodate active mobility

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Fig. 16.4 Dealing with water problems

16.5 More Space for Water
If we zoom out a little bit, we will also need to find more space for the water system
(Fig. 16.4). This is necessary for us to be able to deal with waterlogging and shortages and keeping the quality of the water at a certain level. Haarlem lies at the
transition from one water system to another, the polders, and the inner dune edge,
and due to changes in the amount of water in each season we need more space in the
form of east-west connections between both systems. To shape those main structures, in which water and ecology are given the space they need and plants, trees,
and the subsurface are essential, even radical solutions to take out part of a street in
benefit of water and green are under discussion (Fig. 16.5).

16.6 Thinking in Three Dimensions
That new synergy cannot be found anywhere other than the third dimension. The
constant expansion of urban desires is no longer possible, and we will need to start
going down (and up). We will need to learn to present and visualize that third dimension (Fig. 16.6). I see a nice task in this for current students: visualizing all the digital information in a comprehensive way, and in three dimensions.

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Fig. 16.5 Creating water connections

16.7 Content and Perspective
It is no longer about being right based on conceptual knowledge. Now, we must
teach a different way of thinking and looking at things, in which environmental factors and how to deal with them become more and more important. Presenting complex issues in an attractive and clear manner, as a basis for conversation is a skill that
goes beyond visualizing the technical solution and telling people how things are
going to be. Especially when dealing with those vocal citizens, this is essential. At
the same time, we could also make the design process much more transparent and
more visible. Often, a design is created along the way through thinking and sketching. Because of a split responsibility, between colleagues and between government
and citizen, that process is invisible and cut into pieces. Allowing a design to manifest while sketching, in openness and with influence from both colleagues and citizens, is a skill that we have not (yet) fully mastered, and one which deserves more
focus in education. It is also interesting to see, by the way, that despite digitalization
of many parts of the design process, the young generation still sketches by hand,
because they notice that this is when the design comes to life. The digital skillset has

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Fig. 16.6 Adjustments in the underground

really been an addition, while sketching skills have not disappeared. In practice, this
has shown to be highly valuable.

16.8 Designing with Nondesigners
In a historic city such as Haarlem, the restoration task is especially interesting. Do
we demolish and build anew? Or are there other strategies, with a consideration for
the history of the city and the type of buildings? You will then need to design in collaboration with other disciplines, for example, historical geographers or specialists
in architectural history. The same goes for nature-inclusive design, together with
ecologists. In general, it is becoming more and more important to be able to design
with nondesigners. An accessible environment is needed for this, a city lab like the
one currently being designed in Haarlem under the leadership of city architect
Willem Hein Schenk (Weessies, 2019). A place in which discussions about design
and spatial quality with citizens and stakeholders can take place could be the cement
in the urban conversation and put long-term quality on the agenda and keep it there.

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References
Gemeente Haarlem. (2021). Omgevingsvisie Haarlem 2045 Toekomstbestendig, vergroenen,
verbinden en ontmoeten. Published online: https://gemeentebestuur.haarlem.nl/Vergaderingen/
Besluitenlijst-­B enW/2021/18-­m ei/10:00/Vrijgeven-­o ntwerpomgevingsvisie-­voor-­d e-­
inspraak/20210171773-­2Bijlage-­1-­Ontwerp-­Omgevingsvisie-­Haarlem.pdf. Accessed 2022,
January 12.
Weessies, R. (2019). Willem Hein Schenk benoemd tot stadsarchitect Haarlem. Architectenweb.
Published online: https://architectenweb.nl/nieuws/artikel.aspx?ID=45900. Accessed 2022,
January 12.

Chapter 17

Shaping Communities
Rob Roggema and Thijs Asselbergs

Abstract
Importance of the region as integrating level.
Doing more in less space.
Through system integration, we can become an energy-supplying society.
Making connections between themes and sectors.
Building on communities of education, interdisciplinarity, society, and professional
practice.

17.1 Introduction
Thijs Asselbergs is what you call nicely chaotic. His abundance of knowledge and
insights roll over one another and fight for attention in the sharing of that knowledge. As practicing architect (Asselbergs et al., 2008), urban planner, and professor
of Architecture and Engineering, his work encapsulates building, formulating policy, and teaching in how the built environment can be made reusable. The thinking
does not stop at the building itself, but there is constant interaction throughout all
scales. To invoke Bakema: from Chair to City (Bakema, 1964; Fig. 17.1). He brings
research and design together and is always looking for innovations in process and
content.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
T. Asselbergs
TU Delft, Delft, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_17

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Fig. 17.1 From chair to city, book cover of the book by Bakema

17.2 Deposit
We should not strive for more, bigger, and growth alone, but ask ourselves what fits
into the basis of our culture. Look at what is there and consider how we can provide
more people with homes in a better-used space. We will need to reuse the available
space for this, and to integrate living with working and other functions. Each space
then has value, can be repurposed, and represents a deposit of a certain size! All the
square and cubic meters actually already exist. We do not need any new ones, but it
is important that we use the existing ones in a better way and begin to reuse them for
new purposes. When you look at it that way, there already is a sizable deposit, which

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Fig. 17.2 Jacques Tati. (Credit: Doisneau)

will only come under pressure due to the rising sea levels, resulting in some areas
being at risk of losing their value. For the rest, we will need to make the space more
flexible, and be able to take buildings apart and put them back together (Fig. 17.2).
We cannot escape the need to increase the detachability of parts, which will make
this easier and will greatly increase adaptability (Jonkman et al., 2020).

17.3 From Region to Home
The regional level is highly interesting. It offers the context for all the loose and
independent projects and buildings. In North-Holland, we can find the unique qualities between the dunes and the polders, from the Beemster to the coast and from the

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Fig. 17.3 endless
reusability

IJsselmeer to the inner dune edge. Here, we will need to create the spatial connections between the subregions and from the local place to the whole area. For the
permanent reuse of built elements, we can use the landscape as a frame, within
which we can reuse the building blocks that are already there. For the Amsterdam
canal ring, we are talking about the canals, the water, the trees, the public spaces, the
roofs, the brick walls, and the wooden floors. Both the building and the public space
will need to be viewed as part of each other’s space, which each play a role in the
transformation, adaptation, and recycling of materials. The role of the designer is
providing those “deposit structures,” which are endlessly reusable, and can continually be filled with new applications (Fig. 17.3). Then, we won’t need to constantly
remove parts for economic reasons, and the business case becomes broader than just
financial. The value, including the economic value, can increase if we use, dismantle, and rebuild what we have in a better way.

17.4 Systems Thinking in Four Dimensions
Within those structures, we can then more than solve the energy issue. By connecting aspects of the built environment such as ventilation, compactness, roof-­
landscapes, roads, and waterways, we can become net-energy producing. By saving
energy on the one hand and reducing daily usage, and by producing energy based on
the elements freely available in each unique location on the other hand. Then we, as
a society will be able to supply energy and stop carbon emissions. To achieve this,
we need to conduct research into that systemic question. How do we create connections between the various functions, housing, and offices, for example (Fig. 17.4)?
And how do we simultaneously anticipate changing circumstances (Fig. 17.5)? We
might need much less heating in the future than we do now, and have a bigger need
for cooling, for example. It is very urgent for us to gain that insight into how these
systems work with each other and can profit from one another, and which synergies
can be created (TU Delft, undated). Besides the various functionalities and

17 Shaping Communities

Fig. 17.4 Adjustability and flexibility. (Credit: Bob Hendrikx)

Fig. 17.5 Cepezed, The Hague

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changing circumstances, we also have to connect all the themes, so not only look at
energy or water or food but involving them all together. In the fourth dimension, we
will finally have to acknowledge the aspects of ownership and cleverly connect
options for profit, so that private concerns melt together with public interest.

17.5 Does Architecture Still Belong to the Architect?
The freedom of the architect and designer will need to change (Fig. 17.6). It is
doubtful whether architecture still belongs to the architect (Muis, 2016). In current
practice of project development, pressure from regulations, and financial dominance, the architect is dunked in a bucket of water, pushed under, and just when you
come up for air, they push you under again. You can guess who the “they” and “you”
are in this story. If the architect reduces themselves to the production of a beautiful
drawing, the training is essentially doomed. There will need to be a connection
between the design of a building or environment, and the possibilities of realizing
this, the management of that process of execution. This begins with the design of the
task, which is both the responsibility of the architect and the construction manager,
driven by the collective goals and culturally determined wishes from society. The

Fig. 17.6 Where is the architect? (Los Angeles, Burtinski)

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governments and education should therefore be central in this, and much less so
market parties. The architect, urban planner, and landscape architect of the future
will thus need to place the question in the center, investigate and formulate it, and
only then start looking for solutions. Linking architecture with management of the
construction process can lead to the connection of an out-of-touch designer with
society.

17.6 Space and Matter
Combining the construction itself with the design process leads to environments
that “just work really well.” Because they are good for energy management, biodiversity, and have become dismantlable (Fig. 17.7). Integrating and interpreting
those tasks should be central in education, and not the marketing that has formulated the number of students as the goal. Here too, the driving force is money, which
eventually does lead to a greater student population, but also to overburdened teachers. Besides, it sacrifices the students’ mental health, as they experience less and
less joy in studying, and become less relaxed. It would of course be much more
fruitful to put societal issues on the agenda, for which students can apply. This is a
double-edged sword: the social issues take center stage, and the students are motivated for what they want to learn. We will need to get rid of the bureaucracy in

Fig. 17.7 Dismantlable building

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education, which we currently all have to fight through and design the systems in
such a way that that motivation, for both students and teachers, returns to the heart
of education.

17.7 Studio for Designing Research
In a design studio, you can quickly anticipate changing demands and profile yourself at a regional level as well as putting yourself on the map internationally. As an
organization, it makes you more agile, but it does require the right conditions: good
support from directors and the board, a well-equipped space, and a small yet able
team of people with knowledge of designing research and organizational capacity
(Fig. 17.8). Finally, a good attitude and communication is key, so that results become
outwardly and inwardly visible. In a studio for design research, the starting point
should be nature and humanity. This gives you the positioning and the daring to
present the polder as an export product, which can provide future problems with
new solutions. You could redesign the polder with new parameters, as a set of
regional tasks, and thus must teach less in separate courses, but as a part of the
greater regional field of design and tasks.

Fig. 17.8 East-Serre, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology (wooden house:
Pieter Stoutjesdijk)

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17.8 Building of Communities
Students should be able to work together and join forces at all levels. Communities
would be built, and a design studio is a beautiful way of achieving this, which brings
the various layers in our education system together and links them to professional
practice. Looking for synergy between the educational institutions, universities, colleges, and trade schools, for example, and the various disciplines, from design to
management, to society and the partners in the field, benefits from building on such
a community. In this way, the systems in which we work can melt together and
strengthen each other, rather than continuing to be their own worlds consisting
mainly of odd ducks. Working in a studio can lead to both students and businesses
being selected before they participate. Motivation and the contribution they can
provide will then be more important than knowledge or money. In this way, we can
also get away from the issues of the day. When construction companies get involved
in education modules or projects, they will often still want an instant solution to a
problem. By participating in a community, a longer-term perspective can be created,
which will result in much more positive outcomes than is often thought on the short
term. This is already present in several construction companies, and probably also
available in engineering agencies, such as ARUP or RHDHV.

17.9 Master Builder
In the future, we will train students in their own specialism much less, but rather
train them to become integral thinkers who connect design and execution and manage to link that to the broader societal themes of our time: how to deal with climate
change, energy transition, and reusability of materials. These are the new Master
Builders.

References
Asselbergs, T., Edens, C., Hillen, M., Huygen, F., & Maandag, B. (2008). aTA / architectuurcentrale Thijs Asselbergs. Uitgeverij 010. ISBN 978-90-6450-623-9 24.
Bakema, J. B. (1964). Van stoel tot stad, een verhaal over mensen en ruimte. Uitgeversmaatschappij
W. De Haan N.V./N.V. Standaard Boekhandel.
Jonkman, A., Asselbergs, M. F., & Spoormans, L. G. K. (2020). Open Bouwen voor een hernieuwbare woningvoorraad: Oude en nieuwe oplossingen. Ruimte en Wonen, 2, 16–25.
Muis, R. (2016) Thijs Asselbergs: ‘Is architectuur nog van de architect?’ Architectenweb. Published
online: https://architectenweb.nl/nieuws/artikel.aspx?ID=39482. Accessed 2022, January 12.
TU Delft. (undated). 1M homes: ‘meer woonruimte’ betekent niet alleen ‘meer bouwen’. Published
online: https://www.tudelft.nl/bk/onderzoek/research-­stories/1m-­homes-­meer-­woonruimte-­
betekent-­niet-­alleen-­meer-­bouwen. Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 18

Thinking Freedom
Rob Roggema and Arie-Willem Bijl

Abstract
Starting planning processes from within society.
New roles and responsibilities of traditional parties.
Innovation as inseparable part of planning development and policy.
Building of network structures.
Innovative breakthrough thinkers, forward-thinking administrators, and a flexible
yet clear organization.
The government contributes, facilitates through organization, finances, and
knowledge.
Project development is executive in the task of realizing the goals of society.

18.1 Introduction
Arie-Willem Bijl is blessed with an infectious enthusiasm for the reorganization of
urban development. His biggest concern is that there is too little space for crucial
interest groups in the planning process, the people for whom the plans are being
made. In the past 20 years, he has searched for opportunities to design this differently, such as in the Groningen earthquake area, former airport Twente, the center of
Rotterdam, complex problems in agriculture and nature in the Achterhoek, and in
many other places around the country. As alderman of Spatial Planning for the
municipality of Almere, he was the driving force behind the development strategy

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
A.-W. Bijl
OverMorgen, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_18

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of the municipality, whereby the social aspects in plans are more decisive than perceived economical or strategic interest of fellow governments.

18.2 From Inhabiting to Living
One of the most urgent issues of our time, in my opinion, is the inhabit- and live-­
transition. What is also key here is the experience of living, because it is not only
about a quantitative housing issue, but much more about the question, how do we
want to create a good place to live for people in their own environment? The housing shortage is not just something of our time, it already existed decades ago.
Adding more housing is something we have already done a great deal of in the past
(between 1962 and now, a whopping number of five million new homes), and has
not proven to be an omnipotent solution. At the start of this century, regions signed
agreements with the various State Secretaries for Housing on the number of houses
to be built for the first decade. Those numbers have not been reached. After this, the
financial crisis came, with the building crisis close behind, and the development
and construction sector shot itself in the foot by killing education programs. We
will need to look much more closely at the ways in which these processes in the
home and living environment are organized. We have allowed it to happen that
market thinking has taken the process hostage. For each project, we put the problems into boxes and assume that solving each box separately will automatically be
the best option for the whole as well. The housing market does not exist. It is a
supply market with commercial developers who consistently offer the same deal in
a different wrapping while housing corporations (must) build the cheapest possible
housing at the least attractive locations. This has led to a housing market in which
everyone stays in their own box without anyone being asked how they would like
to live. We have forgotten that each person’s life does not consist of boxes, but of a
whole with everything mixed in at the same time. So how do we integrate all the
separate tasks and issues at the level of the individual? For example, by asking
people about their ideal living environment, about how they want to live together!
To achieve that, we need to redistribute responsibilities, closer to the eventual
inhabitant of a home and neighborhood. Then, living will once again be equal to
how someone wants to live. We will thus have to get this from society, which initially will require only listening, without ready-made solutions (Hajer et al., 2020).
So that the most important interest groups, the future inhabitants, can share their
perspective.

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18.3 Reorienting the Process
This would also mean that a project developer is just one of the executors in service
of the task set by society. How does it work at this moment in time? The government
calls attention to the ‘scarcity on the housing market’ as an urgent problem that must
be solved. The political answer, then, is ‘build, build, build’. That task is subsequently left to market parties. However, there is barely any analysis of the true
issues behind the housing shortage. The government is thus only amplifying the
very system that is the cause of the problem. Because of this, it is nearly impossible
to create breakthroughs with project developers. So, how should it work? The government (national, provincial, municipal) should first take a look at the social issues
in society, both at a national level and at that of a neighborhood. By working together
with inhabitants on giving direction to the question of how they want to live together
in a healthy environment, without making distinctions between neighborhoods with
social housing and ‘good’ neighborhoods. There should no longer be a difference in
life expectancy, such as it is currently significantly lower in neighborhoods with
social housing. And it should not matter how thick your wallet is in determining
whether the neighborhood you live in has a lot of green and water or very little.
Children should be able to play outside, and teenagers should be able to have a perspective on a challenging future, in every neighborhood. It should not matter in
which area you grow up and whether you have a higher likelihood of being drawn
into crime there (Figs. 18.1 and 18.2). The government has an important role in this,
by using spatial development to address social problems. It can and must challenge
inhabitants, entrepreneurs, healthcare and welfare institutions, housing corporations, builders, and project developers to shape all those different ways of living
together. The interesting part here is that this way of ‘shaping coexistence’ goes
hand in hand with shaping important issues of this socio-ecological transition (Geels
& Kemp, 2000), such as the adaptation to and the managing of climate change and
the energy transition. We should therefore enable other parties in a different way, to
realize inhabitants’ desires.
In the earthquake area in east Groningen, I worked on a program commissioned
by the national coordinator called “matters into your own hands” to enable homeowners to make their own homes earthquake-resistant and thus be able to live in
them safely again. Supported organizationally and financially by the government
and assisted at request by professional construction companies. This innovative process was in fact killed from the beginning, because there were too few administrators and driving forces, which embraced this different division of roles and were
prepared to stick their neck out in their political-administrative context, a dystopic
story. In this way, an alternative form of designing society with a new way of collaboration quickly died off. The opportunity was presented to the region on a silver
platter, but “you only see it once you notice it,” to speak with the legendary Johan
Cruijff and dare to have a different perspective on what is needed for inhabitants and
the local community. Gas mining has the consequence that society lives in fear and
uncertainty for years. Fear that their house will collapse while they are sleeping,

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Fig. 18.1 Social housing in an equally valuable environment, Kerckebosch, Zeist

uncertainty because their home and its surroundings no longer have economic value.
If that is the consequence of decades of making money, from which everyone in the
Netherlands has profited, then we cannot only think in terms of compensation while
also taking way too long to do that. We must provide these people with a positive
perspective. A chance in front of open goal to turn this region into the most innovative, sustainably built environment, to introduce economic value models and give
the community a positive future.

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Fig. 18.2 Sustainable and social housing: Kerckebosch, Zeist

18.4 Optimism Against All Odds
The policy-driven NOVI and POVI’s do not contribute to alternative, tempting, fun,
and useful initiatives being embraced either, because they are constantly being compared to “established policy.” And that while the initiatives are there for the taking.
There are many groups who want to act themselves, to design their own living environment. They are prepared to put in time and effort for this, and there is more than
enough money now. So, the circumstances are favorable to embrace initiatives from
below. To be able to do this structurally, it is necessary for projects to be viewed
much more integrally and that innovations are inserted into programs and become
an intrinsic and explicit part of them (Buiter & Verschoor, 2014). In other words, no
more building projects in which there is no innovative proposal. To achieve this, we
need to learn to think from multiple perspectives. It reminds me of the book The
Wall (Lancaster, 2019), a story about a dystopic society resulting from its members
not addressing the climate issue directly, but rather constantly moving along and
eventually resorting to building a wall around the English island to fight the rising

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sea level. New insights will only arise when uncertainties are allowed, and the
established processes are abandoned. The phenomenon that employees will involuntarily allow themselves to be devoured by the structure should be actively fought
against, by giving innovative breakthrough thinkers a central role in the process and
building a network structure in which the forces are joined to genuinely achieve
those innovations and that different way of collaborating. In this way, we can mobilize people and address their creative contribution to the end result. It requires ‘optimism against all odds’, to quote Jan Rotmans. The difficulty here is how to do it,
how to organize by involving internal and external parties in a region-oriented way.

18.5 Financing It Is the Easy Part
In the declining areas, we now see the value development of the existing housing
stock get up to steam, because of the increasing migration to, for example, the east
of the country. This offers opportunities for people to live in these areas and yet
remain connected to life and work in the Randstad through communication technology. This could be supported by creating an accessible mobility network for everyone. However, due to the terror of the MKBAs (Societal Cost Benefit Analysis),
local transport systems suddenly become unprofitable, “because no one lives there,”
even though such an investment could become very profitable (and not just in a
financial sense), because it facilitates the creation of a new society. In the process, it
is thus necessary to
(a) Get innovative thinkers on board.
(b) Find forward-thinking administrators who are not afraid to use the strength of
what is needed.
(c) Set up the organization in which innovation is the basis.

18.6 Free Thinking
Rather than going along with the flow of the existing system, in which the existing
reality seems to reinforce the past, we need to make sure that we create the space to
think freely. Only then can we find and realize breakthroughs. We thus need to teach
our students to achieve this free-thinking mode by, for example, posing the question
of what way of living they would want for their grandparents. By doing this, we
tempt the formulation of true dreams, and only then move on to thinking about how
to actually realize this. Livability will then also inadvertently rise to the top of the
priority list, and resilience and adaptability will become core concepts. This free
thinking can only flourish when it is an accepted part of a network structure with

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inhabitants, entrepreneurs, developers, the municipality, and free thinkers who take
the end result upon themselves as a shared responsibility. Often in citizens’ panels,
this goes wrong, because the outcome is too often an advice on how the government
should be doing things. By organizing from below like this, it is a recipe for disappointment. Teaching free thinking starts with the way we ask questions in an experimental context. The housing market does not exist, so a better question to ask is,
which living environment do we not yet know?

18.7 Oosterwold
In Oosterwold, Almere, a form of self-government has been applied, in which the
community and initiators are given the opportunity to determine themselves how
they would like to live. The government has a facilitatory role, by organizing the
process in a highly professional manner and by providing knowledge to the community (RRAAM et al., 2013). A shared responsibility is thus created for housing
and the living environment (Figs. 18.3, 18.4 and 18.5). For the government, the goal
is to stick to the core principles. This requires endurance and perseverance, to stand
firm despite opposing forces gaining strength.

Fig. 18.3 Making Oosterwold

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Fig. 18.4 Relaxed living in Oosterwold

Fig. 18.5 Farming estate Oosterwold

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References
Buiter, M., & Verschoor, W. (2014). Crisis creëert ruimte. Een transitieprogramma voor duurzame
gebiedsontwikkeling. Amsterdam: Stichting Urgenda. Published online: https://edepot.wur.
nl/318938. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Geels, F. W., & Kemp, R. P. M. (2000). Transities vanuit socio-technisch perspectief. Ministerie
van VROM.
Hajer, M., Pelzer, P., Van den Hurk, M., Ten Dam, C., & Buitelaar, E. (2020). Neighborhoods for
the future. A plea for social and ecological urbanism. trancityxvaliz.
Lancaster, J. (2019). The wall. Faber and Faber.
RRAAM, IKA Almere 2.0, & Werkmaatschappij Almere Oosterwold. (2013). Land- Goed voor
Initiatieven. Ontwikkelingsstrategie. Almere. Published online: http://maakoosterwold.nl/
ontwikkelstrategie-­oosterwold/. Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 19

Decultivating the Netherlands
Rob Roggema and Bas Roels

Abstract
Climate change is an opportunity for improvement of the living environment.
Developing projects in a more integral way and at a greater scale.
Incorporating effects of a project in space (larger scale) and time (longer term)
in design.
Designing and developing natural landscapes.
Letting nature do the work wherever possible is better for safety, health, and
biodiversity.
Green and nature in the direct living environment is economically advantageous but
invisible in the national budget.
Decultivating the Netherlands into a nature-rich country where we live healthily and
safely: a new perspective for engineering education.
Young professionals in a complex environment need skills as sharp and friendly
advisors.

19.1 Introduction
It is a well-known fact: without nature, humankind would be nowhere, but without
humankind, nature will continue to exist. From this perspective, it is logical that
nature has much to offer. Bas sees the advantages of this, for example, through the
value that a natural environment has for our health, or as value for the living environment. And if you are about to become a father, this is even more important. Just
R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
B. Roels
WWF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
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Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_19

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like how a child learns to walk with little steps at a time, so too can nature develop.
Many small concrete nature projects form a landscape of value together. For now,
and for everyone who comes after us. Together, we can make that switch in thinking, from people controlling nature to a humanity who is a part of natural systems.

19.2 Climate as a Driving Force
The greatest task for our generation is a quickly changing climate. The effects of
this phenomenon will be broadly felt in the Netherlands and will show themselves
throughout the entirety of northwest Europe, and beyond. The Netherlands will
have to deal with an accelerated sea level rise, greater drought, and peak downpours,
and will have to handle the rainwater that will need to be deposited by our rivers in
great volumes in a brief amount of time each year. It is very tempting to see those
changes as a driving force for a worsening of the living environment that we must
resist using dikes, dams, and pumps. We have done exactly this until very recently.
We have separated functions, because we thought we could protect them better that
way. However, there is also an alternative course, namely, to see climate change as
a driving force for the improvement of the quality of the living environment
(Fig. 19.1). By making sure that inhabitants’ well-being is increased, and welfare
receives an impulse by strengthening the business climate. This can be done by
executing the necessary adaptations in such a way that we create space for a sustainable delta, by giving rivers and streams space, retaining water in the landscape, and
creating a peat landscape that no longer oxidizes and decreases. In this way, landscapes become more natural and suitable for an enriched biodiversity, recreation,
natural area, but also for special forms of living and small-scale agro-ecology.
Thinking in reverse requires a different perspective, both in terms of space and time.
Thinking geographically big and on the long term.

19.3 Reversed Engineering
Where, as Dutch people, we nurture a long-lasting culture of conquering the land
from the sea, it is becoming clearer and clearer that this is eventually a pointless
path (Meyer, 2016). The sand engine, for example, is a living example of the power
of nature. The dynamics of the ocean cause North Sea sand to be dispersed in such
a way that it forms dunes and sandbanks and can thus contribute to a resilient coastline (De Schipper et al., 2016; Stive et al., 2013). The same principle applies to
space for the river or double dikes (Fig. 19.2) with transition-polders in the delta
(Dieker & Veendorp, 2020; Van Belzen et al., 2021), where the land can grow with
the sea again by catching sludge and forming a robust, natural safety-buffer in this
way. By allowing nature to do the work (Bouw & Van Eekelen, 2020), we create an
attractive and natural landscape in which we do not have to control as much. This is

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Fig. 19.1 Space for living rivers (Beekers et al., 2019)

Fig. 19.2 Dynamic dike-landscape (van Belzen et al., 2021)

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cheaper on balance, and better for humans and nature. This is a form of reversed
engineering. Rather than constructing the landscape and letting nature into it, we let
nature construct the landscape and let human functions into it. An obstacle to make
this possible is agriculture, because a lot of land is owned by farmers, and much
practice is still focused on working against nature. I see more possibility in housing
construction, which can act as an engine for the transition to natural landscapes
(Roels, 2021). The focus and urgency to realize homes can have a positive effect on
the quality of the living environment, by looking for the synergy between living and
nature, biodiversity, and the climate landscape. You could become very happy living
on a mega-terp in the middle of hundreds of hectares of floodplain, right? I can
imagine something similar in a double dike landscape, in areas where streams are
being recovered, natural forest is being planted, or where dune development is taking place.

19.4 Nature-Rich Living
In such areas, we could achieve this with innovative forms of development. Thinking
in integral large-scale natural landscapes can be stimulated by the government, and
where necessary, forced. A hybrid exploitation would be the most effective. No
longer like it used to be, where the government is responsible for the entirety of the
land exploitation of a new-build neighborhood, and no longer the way it often is
now, where development is in the hands of market parties, but a hybrid form, where
in the first phase, the government draws up a land exploitation plan, and makes sure
that a natural area is first realized, within which in a following phase sections can be
realized for housing by the market (Figs. 19.3 and 19.4) In this way, a robust nature

Fig. 19.3 Living in a dynamic coastal landscape: Waterdunen. (Source: Google Earth)

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Fig. 19.4 Nature-rich living: Buitenvoorde. (Credit: Elma Duijndam, ARK Natuurontwikkeling)

can be created and there is space for a healthy and value-based living environment.
For example, as shown in the plan for a Nature-rich Netherlands, a budget-neutral
transition of the Dutch landscape can be realized with up to 50% nature (Roggema
et al., 2021).

19.5 Switch in Thinking
In the coming years, many policy insights are recalibrated, for example, in the Delta
program. Many decisions that are made now will, on balance, mean the start of a
new path-dependency. What we do now therefore has long-term consequences.
Because of this, I hope that we can make a switch in thinking that can allow us to
make a fundamental change to a truly integral and higher level of planning. It should
be commonplace that we always incorporate the natural environment into our design
when building a house. Because this is essential for the well-being of its inhabitants.
I see that environment in terms of the space, but also in time. So that everything we
do now is also meaningful for the future. Students could be incredibly helpful in
achieving that switch in thinking, because they are very good at thinking ahead. The
future is still ahead of them, and they are much better able to incorporate changes in
the future, such as the climate, into the plans of today. Building in higher parts of
the landscape, or in a way that ensures that no more peat oxidization takes place,

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creating a cooling environment, these are all elements that should be integral parts
of the construction of a house. For every building, but also every civil artwork, that
broader context should become a permanent part of the planning and design.
Without it, you probably should not be able to get a building permit. The turning
point in thinking is here. We see the consequences and experience the problems that
are caused by our actions in the past 150 years. And people see that we need to make
a change. Instead of managing dikes and rivers as a static system, the delta is seen
more and more as a living organism, changeable, resilient, and a dynamic system
that can help us create a safer and more attractive environment with greater biodiversity. If we do have to have a dike, it can better be a nice one, a place you like to
be and will return to, and one that is thus designed as a quality of the landscape.

19.6 Preventative Thinking
In our designs, we will also need to start thinking in a more preventative way. If we
need to make strategic investments in sewage, security, and infrastructure, it is a
good idea to make these so climate-resilient that future uncertainties do not have to
lead to renewed investments. Sorting out our climate resilience is calculated to
come out to astronomical costs for which the Delta-budget, the infrastructure-­
budget, etc. will need to grow significantly. We can thus gain a lot by looking for
cheaper solutions in a smart way that can increase the resilience of the system exponentially. It could be better, even, to buy up land to make space for natural processes, because this would be much cheaper on the long term than building expensive
infrastructural works. The cost-benefit analysis looks very differently when we
allow nature to do a big part of the work, building with nature. And then there is also
the bonus of extra social benefits, as a result of the increase of natural landscapes. If
we realize that the greatest part of the national budget consists of healthcare and
social costs, there is potentially a lot to gain by providing a green environment.
Because we know that a green environment can have highly positive effects on
people’s health, the decrease of a range of welfare illnesses, and the diminishing of
stress and domestic violence (Fig. 19.5). If we can calculate how much we would
stand to gain by making this environment a reality for large groups of Dutch people,
the investment in nature is no longer just an expense. It would be a nice research
project: we design a natural landscape for a particular area for a particular number
of inhabitants. The costs for the construction of this nature will be taken as a point
of departure, and we will realize homes within these parameters, which will enable
us to calculate what the avoided costs for healthcare, shelter, and social benefits
would be because the inhabitants’ health will improve.

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Fig. 19.5 Impact of green on human health

19.7 Decultivating
Still, it is strange that, because of politics, there is little awareness of this opportunity. Even though national health and the environment are at stake. The axiom of
maximum profits is continually embraced, because “that is always good.” It is
almost cynical to see that investments in a healthy living environment have so much
trouble being successfully put in place, even though it is costing us our health more
and more every day, and indirectly can also have a negative impact on the economy.
Now, we can demonstrate primarily good examples, with small proportional projects that are well-supported and avoid the political sensitivities (mostly). We can do
this by making the perceived victims, for example, the farmers, the inhabitants in
the vicinity of a windmill park, or other stakeholders, so that they experience financial or immaterial benefits because of the change in their environment. These examples can then be upscaled to plans and visions and can be brought to policy and
politics together with those involved. This happens step by step, and who knows,
maybe it is going too slowly. But there will come a turning point, usually unexpectedly, I believe in it. A moment where the government suddenly starts a national
program for the remining of the Netherlands. Just like how the Heidemaatschappij
got the task to mine wild land to make it useable for agriculture, or when our dredges

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and engineering firms got the task to execute the Delta plan, we are now on the
verge of renaturalizing our country. It provides a new perspective for our engineering and shines a light on the contours of a new educational program, and in extension of this, a new wave of activity. This offers economic opportunities and a view
on newfound national pride. Where Van Oord, Arcadis (the former Heidemij), and
Boskalis are world-renowned, so too can the Dutch nature builders conquer the
globe with their knowledge of how to realize natural landscapes that make climateresilient living a possibility.

19.8 Advisor with a Smile
The skills that will be essential in the future are in the field of the role of advisor.
Whether you end up working for a municipality or other form of government, in the
industry, or for an NGO, your success depends on the way you can provide amiable
counterbalance and can present your moral compass in a sharp yet friendly manner.
Your skills, that should also be taught in universities, lie in the thinking about how
to argue and contradict in a nice way, having the tools to give constructive criticism
and provide your contribution at the right moment. The knowledge itself can be
found when you need it, and it is available and easy to find. In a complex work
environment, the need for that competence to think along with others and come up
with new solutions is what can make the difference.

References
Beekers, B., Van den Bergh, M., Braakhekke, W., Haanraads, K., Litjens, G., Van Loenen
Martinet, R., Van de Mark, C., Otterman, E., Pluimers, J., Rademakers, J., Reeze, B., Sterk,
M., Teunissen, T., Willems, D., & Van Winden, A. (2019). Ruimte voor Levende Rivieren. Want
levende rivieren geven ruimte! WWF.
Bouw, M., & Van Eekelen, E. (2020). Building with nature – Creating, implementing and upscaling nature-based solutions. NAi Booksellers.
De Schipper, M. A., De Vries, S., Ruessink, G., De Zeeuw, R. C., Rutten, J., Van Gelder-Maas,
C., & Stive, M. J. (2016). Initial spreading of a mega feeder nourishment: Observations of
the sand engine pilot project. Coastal Engineering, 111, 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
coastaleng.2015.10.011
Dieker, E., & Veendorp, M. (2020). Evaluatierapport Dubbele Dijk. Een impuls aan waterveiligheid,
innovatie in de landbouwsector, hergebruik slib uit de Eems-Dollard. HWBP. Published online:
https://northsearegion.eu/media/13370/dubbele-­dijkextern-­evaluatierapport.pdf.
Accessed
2022, January 12.
Meyer, H. (2016). De staat van de Delta waterwerken, stadsontwikkeling en natievorming in
Nederland. Uitgeverij Vantilt.
Roels, B. (2021). Hoe onze deltanatuur het hoofd boven water houdt. Published online, 2021,
November 29: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hoe-­onze-­deltanatuur-­het-­hoofd-­boven-­water-­
houdt-­bas-­roels/. Accessed 2022, January 12.

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Roggema, R., Stratenus, I., & Van Nispen, F. (2021). Natuurrijk Nederland. Published online:
https://natuurrijknederland.org/samenvatting/index.html. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Stive, M. J., De Schipper, M. A., Luijendijk, A. P., Aarninkhof, S. G., Van Gelder-Maas, C., Thiel,
V., de Vries, J. S., De Vries, S., Henriquez, M., Marx, S., & Ranasinghe, R. (2013). A new alternative to saving our beaches from sea-level rise: The sand engine. Journal of Coastal Research,
290, 1001–1008. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-­D-­13-­00070.1
Van Belzen, J., Rienstra, G., & Bouma, T. (2021). Dubbele dijken als robuuste waterkerende landschappen voor een welvarende Zuidwestelijke Delta. NIOZ. Report 2021-01. Published online:
https://doi.org/10.25850/nioz/7b.b.kb. Accessed 2022, January 12

Chapter 20

All Adaptive
Rob Roggema, Nienke Bouma, and Jacqueline Drent

Abstract
We will need to radically adapt our cities to climate change.
Environmental management is very important in projects in public spaces and people’s living environment. Because of this, communication and participation are
essential.
Sustainability in the civil engineering sector requires the civil engineer to step outside their own discipline.
There needs to be more consideration of the integral planning of projects and assignments in one and the same area.

20.1 Introduction
Nienke and Jacqueline are two driven women who try to bring green and public
space as close to people as possible. Every street corner, every stone in the pavement, and every grass field is a potential source of lifelong happiness, and that is
how they like to look at it. The resilience of all those interests, opinions, and policies
is not always as simple, but the need to become more sustainable and adaptive will
eventually contribute to the well-being of all inhabitants. At Stadswerk072, they
work on these real issues every day, with their feet in the mud, and are thus able to
see the effects of their efforts quickly.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
N. Bouma · J. Drent
Stadswerk072, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_20

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20.2 Climate Adaptation
The biggest current issue in public space (Fig. 20.1) is the adaptations we will have
to make to climate change. Of course, it is important to keep the changes under
control, for example, by minimizing carbon emissions, using less energy, and producing more sustainable energy, but even if we were very successful in doing these
things, we would still need to adapt. Sure, the climate is always changing, but right
now, it’s going really fast. Because of this, the municipality of Alkmaar is trying to
anticipate, by aiming to be climate-adaptive by 2050 (Gemeente Alkmaar, 2021).
We cannot know if that is fast enough, but by starting now, we can grow toward it in
steps. The vision includes topics such as flooding, heat, drought, and on a regional
scale, bigger floods (HHKN, undated). That last one is primarily the responsibility
of Rijkswaterstaat and the Hoogheemraadschap (waterboard) but will also potentially impact the urban region of Alkmaar. Within the municipal borders, the water
system (Fig. 20.2), the flooding, and drought will need to be viewed in a more integral way, including the effects on sewage systems. Another topic that is left by the
wayside a bit is heat stress, because it does not logically fit into any existing policy-­
division. The question is where this will be picked up, considering it has connections to green, but also to health.

Fig. 20.1 Greening the public space

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Fig. 20.2 Alkmaar water system

20.3 Every Project Adaptive
In dealing with climate adaptation, we begin with a stress test to map where the
problem lies (Samen Blauwgroen, undated). Based on that test, risk dialogues are
held in which the conversation with stakeholders is conducted about which risks are
acceptable and people would want to run. The stress test and risk dialogues together
have led to a strategy to deal with the problems. Within this, we determine the goals,
how to achieve them, and connected to this a program of execution. We made the
choice here to make all spatial projects in the region Alkmaar (Fig. 20.3) climate-­
adaptive, and to begin there where the problems are the biggest.

20.4 Force and Temptation
The crux is now to formulate policy in such a way that we can attach numbers to it
that form the basis of the forcing of demands of developers, for example. Besides
climate-adaptive design and construction, there are various other demands. That is
quite a task. Because of that, it is important that politics gets a good image of the
various problems and how they do not always have to get in each other’s way. For
example: the more the climate-adaptive design and construction becomes, the less
damage there is later on to the environment and public health. Besides this, companies often just like to know what they are up against, and thus ask the question

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Fig. 20.3 Spatial projects in the region

“what do I have to do?”. But if you think about it in a smart and integral way, the
demands, or rather desires, only reinforce each other and create a safe and healthy
living environment, with less risk of damage. Besides forcing this, it is also very
important to walk the path of inspiration. By starting up a collective design process,
new and innovative ideas can be developed that rise above “what needs to happen”
(Fig. 20.4). In temptation is where the true strength hides that can go head-to-head
with the enormous changes ahead of us. If we look at the atlas of climate effects
(Klimaateffectatlas Nederland, undated), for example, for the theme of heat stress,
and we look at the situation in 2050 (high), we can see how large the consequences
can be. We really do need to move toward a turning point. The question is, how can
we instill that urgency in companies and take them along with us so that they can
experience a new way of thinking? Demand and inspiration are thus two sides of the
same coin.

20.5 A New Way of Thinking
A builder or developer also has the responsibility to develop climate-adaptive buildings and environments. Not all market parties are currently aware of this. Besides
this, developers like to know what the climate-adaptive demands are that they must
meet. We will therefore need to influence things through policymaking and

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Fig. 20.4 Visualization of climate adaptation in Alkmaar

formulate clear principles while simultaneously working on changing that way of
thinking. We will literally need to create a different climate in which it becomes
attractive to come up with and apply measures for climate adaptation. This requires

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a change in culture and goes beyond forcing and setting norms. It would be interesting to introduce a competitive element, which would elevate the base level, for
example, through a contest for new applications, or if the most innovative idea were
seen as more important than financial aspects in the awarding of new projects. In
this way, money will become less of a reason to do nothing, and a premium on innovation is created.

20.6 When Are we Adaptive?
The big question is when you are adaptive as a municipality. Is it when you are done
in 2050 and the city has been designed adaptively (Fig. 20.5)? Or is it when your
inhabitants and users of the city manage to constantly adapt themselves? The
extremes become more and more extreme than we expect, so it is very important to
prevent fatalistic feelings. After all, if it only becomes worse each time, what is the
point in continuing to adapt? It’ll never end. There is an important task here to

Fig. 20.5 Ambitions of climate adaptation in a web

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develop a long-term vision as a region. One that is attractive and speaks to people,
with clear advantages, both in the present and the future, for the inhabitants of
the region.

20.7 Sustainable Land, Roads, and Waterways
The implementation of circular materials and sustainably produced raw materials in
the civil engineering sector is also a crucial issue. We want to make use of natural
processes, that make our infrastructure more resilient (Figs. 20.6 and 20.7). With
our vision, we need to think and look outside the box. There is a great task ahead of
us, by investigating neighborhood-by-neighborhood how we can use the land in
designing our civil works in a more sustainable way. This requires the civil engineers themselves to also start to think outside their discipline and design projects in
a thematic way, for example, by designing roads, dikes, and bridges and sluices that
are able to handle accelerated sea level rise, or a long-lasting heat wave.

Fig. 20.6 Raingarden and permeable pavement, Hoefplan, Alkmaar

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Fig. 20.7 Wadi, Hoefplan, Alkmaar

20.8 Environmental Management
Even now, it is essential to train students in communication, especially the technically oriented students. By playing roles, they can learn to understand the language
of the user, of politics, and other parties involved in the reality of spatial development and management. In this way, they can begin to grasp what it means to work
in a context, which involves more than just a conceptual solution. Another underappreciated aspect is the meaning of logistics in the alignment of the execution of
projects. Is there a model that we can come up with to streamline this, so that not
every party or action requires a whole new operation, with all the burdens on the
inhabitants that come along with it? In what way can projects in the areas of traffic,
sewage, the flow of traffic, energy, and fiberglass be planned in a smart way consecutively, so that the burden on inhabitants can be kept to a minimum? There is a
lot to be won here.

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References
Gemeente Alkmaar. (2021) Klimaatadaptatiestrategie Regio Alkmaar. Published online: https://
www.alkmaar.nl/pers/alkmaar-­maakt-­werk-­met-­werk-­bij-­klimaatadaptatie/. Accessed 2022,
January 12.
HHKN. (undated). Klimaatatlas gebied Noorderkwartier (Noord-Holland boven het
Noordzeekanaal). Published online: https://hhnk.klimaatatlas.net/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Klimaateffectatlas Nederland. (undated). Published online: https://www.klimaateffectatlas.nl/nl/.
Accessed 2022, January 12.
Samen Blauwgroen (undated) Klimaatstresstest Regio Alkmaar en Noorderkwartier. Published
online: https://www.samenblauwgroen.nl/klimaatstresstest/. Accessed: 12 January 2022.

Chapter 21

We Learn from Our Mistakes
Rob Roggema and Joeri Koehof

Abstract
Using raw materials that grow in the region or are available due to the demolishing
of old buildings.
Working together from initial to final design phases, in which the architect remains
involved from the technical design phase for aesthetic guidance, and the builder
is involved from the beginning.
Investing in the training of young people will pay off in a renewed workforce.
Stacking demands via parametric design and BIM results in more sustainable solutions and innovative concepts for building.
Regulations and certifications get in the way of sustainability.

21.1 Introduction
Four piercing eyes stick out of the screen. Cees and Joeri are full of construction,
and are constantly busy taking the next step, on the way to improvement in their
construction company. They have a strong faith in young people, who must be given
the chance to learn and discover what kind of new technologies and methods should
be applied to enable the best possible construction. They continue to look for innovation, whether it be in terms of sustainable materials, digital technology, or
improvement of work processes.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
J. Koehof
Cees Bakhuys (De Nijs), Warmenhuizen, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_21

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21.2 Types of People
The construction process is very much divided into small boxes, and this makes it
difficult to achieve good connections. Today’s students and tomorrow’s employees
would benefit from increasing the understanding of who does what, when, and why
in the “game of interests” in the construction world. Such an environmental awareness is important but is not being taught enough. Insight into what types of people
exist and how to deal with those differences will determine how successful you are
later on. Processes can be improved and made smarter this way. This also means
that education should have a slightly different focus. Besides technical baggage,
students will need to increase their insight into how they can make something as
intangible as personalities and driving forces, tangible. This also constitutes a
change for teachers, because they are also asked to switch into learning mode. You
will need to be open to changes that will come at us at a high tempo. But we can
only learn, and be better, by making mistakes and being open to it.

21.3 Adapting = Surviving = Adapting
Society is subject to change. Instead of fixed knowledge, that is unchangeable, this
static quality is disappearing from society. This means different things are required,
and this is constantly in movement. New aspects are continually appearing that we
must satisfy, such as the accessibility of inner cities and the logistics that come
along with it, or the carbon emission demands. If you cannot adapt, you eventually
cannot survive. Because those changes are happening so rapidly, the “techie” struggles the most. You’ve just figured out how Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) manifests slowly in the building process, and the next moment wooden construction is
mandatory in 20% of building in Amsterdam in 2025. And you cannot execute the
construction of a CLT-building the same way as a concrete one, so it requires a
quick switch and anticipation (Van Belzen, 2021). In technology, we are used to
thinking in a linear way, in terms of the problem, solution, design, construction, and
execution. But this is no longer applicable in an environment that has become more
and more nonlinear, where execution already starts while the list of demands is
formulated, and the design is still adapted while construction has already begun.
This means that we need to start thinking in terms of variants a lot more and design
the process in such a way that adaptations are always possible – iterative thinking.
The kind of question we need to ask ourselves these days is “is this it?” rather than
indicating what “the right answer” is. To be able to do this, technologically knowledgeable people need to be brought into a context full of variants. Parametric design
is an essential tool here, to develop and analyze the possibilities and variants, and to
eventually come to the most suitable method, given the uncertainties that lie within
the building process.

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21.4 Teaching from Practice
By offering students training with a practical lens as a construction company, we
can contribute to teaching from practice and inspire young people, show them the
ropes of the craft. This is also in our own interest, because we can keep an eye on
the influx of young employees this way. We can thus be more able to deal with the
tightness on the labor market, which will only grow in the coming years. Because of
that, we want to take as well as give. We want to gain strengths, but we can only do
this if we also invest our own energy into the program. As a business, we are thus
always busy sharing our knowledge, and less concerned with sitting on our new
expertise to gain a competitive advantage. We think that sharing knowledge eventually makes the entire sector grow, and we profit from that as well. Because of this,
we also follow BIM developments closely, and are happy to help in the improvement of digitalization processes.

21.5 Going Against the Norm
With the aid of parametric designs, we can connect and stack the demands that
come from standards committees with and on top of each other. In practice, the
interests of the field are protected through regulations. In this way, the necessary
changes in the building world with regards to material use are prevented by the
reigning regulations. This is an obstacle for the future-resilience of the built environment (Fig. 21.1). By working with digital prototypes, we can create insight into
what kind of sustainability is the result of different choices of standards, materials,
and applied technologies. To give an example, the reinforcement percentages that
are currently required mean that we use an unnecessary amount of materials due to
oversizing, which is unsustainable, yet does not lead to greater safety. An unnecessary use of raw materials only increases the costs of construction.

21.6 Building with a Focus on Raw Materials
Even though everyone is talking about building new homes, we should really change
the conversation to be about newbuild that can only be built if it is suitable for reuse
later on. We should also look a lot more at compaction on old industrial and factory
areas, because we really won’t be building homes in meadows anymore in ten years.
The future is “building with a focus on raw materials,” in which we make use of the
available raw materials in a particular area, whether it be local and sustainably produced materials, or materials that can be reused after demolition of existing buildings. We will also work a lot more with granular concrete, for example, because it

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Fig. 21.1 Floating gardens. (Source: De Nijs)

is those buildings that will be replaced in the coming period. In certification, there
should therefore only be one central question: can we reuse the materials?

21.7 Local Raw Materials
To prevent the establishment from turning building interests into more regulations,
we need to ask new questions about circular construction: how do we create a new
built environment in which we reuse raw materials (Fig. 21.2)? How do we prevent
financial interests from dictating that every part of construction is assessed within
its own little box, with no use of smart thinking or coordination? Eventually, this
will come at the expense of the sustainability of an area, and we will be using unnecessary raw materials that we are forced to transport from great distances. This is also
the problem we are seeing in the Bouwlab – if everyone at the table is driven by
money and only there for their own interests, there is little chance of finding innovative solutions. We should really develop noncommercial knowledge at the University
of Applied Sciences, where construction companies invest in-kind hours to enable
practice and education to flow together in those new concepts. The question then
suddenly becomes very interesting for student teams, for example: what raw materials can you deliver for this building project from local production, or what materials
are available? For example, reed or forest can be regionally planted, to make better
use of them as building materials. Then, a regional raw materials landscape is

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Fig. 21.2 Plot Z4, Amsterdam. (Source: De Nijs)

created in a new climate context, which allows us to determine now what kind of
natural, bio-based materials can best be harvested in 2050. We can then start thinking in entire chains, and less in terms of building products and applications alone.
We want to work together with architects and universities in this, for example, by
contributing technical knowledge to The Why Factory in Delft. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we as a construction company, with our students, could work together with
theorists from the university and architects? Our contribution could be to look in
detail at which building products are the technical solutions of the future and calculate what the burden on the environment would be, and the carbon footprint, for
example. This could take place in a technical raw material-chain lab, where all the
detailed technical expertise and innovative creativity are brought together.

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21.8 Connecting Design Phases
We need to teach the youth to think in terms of collaboration. Knowledge must be
shared rather than “cut” and divided into separate boxes. This requires collaboration
and helping each other to deal with problems that come up in the transfer from box
A to box B. For example, we see a great gap between the preliminary-final design
phases in the design and building process and the technical-implementable design
phases. Where the first two phases are still under the care of the architect, the last
two are left to the builder and the contractor with a BIM development firm, the constructor, and the advisors. There are few architects left who still stay involved with
the true construction phases. Often because there is a lack of knowledge about the
execution of the design. And the other way around, we as contractors are often in the
dark about decisions made during the design phase and what kind of demands and
desires exist there, which means we cannot respond to possibilities or eventual
problems that pop up in execution on time. Ideally, we would like to keep the architect involved in the project throughout the entire process. In practice, we see that
architects are losing their technical knowledge, something we make up for with the
efforts of BIM development firms. After all: if there is a leak, they call the contractor, not the architect. If we work together and form a closely bonded team including
everyone from the architect to the installer, which stays together throughout the
entire trajectory, we can build what was designed and we can design what we can
build (Fig. 21.3). We need to be prepared to work together and commit to long-term
involvement. In this way, we prevent that the thinking stops as soon as the design
has reached the BIM model.

21.9 With an Open Wallet
True circularity is thus that we start to think and design in a completely different
way, and that we no longer let ourselves be led by the rules that, in actuality, contribute to unsustainability. Besides that, they also lead to increased costs. We have a
proposal that was borne out of practice: if we allow the developer and the builder to
work with an open wallet, we prevent all kinds of financial safety margins from ending up in the process, especially because they do not trust each other. For example,
if we cover an added 10% on each receipt, we all have money left over, the price of
construction decreases, and housing will eventually become more affordable. When
we fight each other less in the process or in each other’s interests, but allow each
other a normal margin, the quality will increase throughout the entire chain, without
costs increasing. This is direct profit we can reach by providing openness and transparency about costs. It’s unbelievable we don’t do this already.

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Fig. 21.3 The Mayor, Amsterdam. (Source: De Nijs)

Reference
Van Belzen, T. (2021). Hout dupe van norm duurzaam bouwen? Dat is nog niet bewezen. Cobouw.
Published online, 2021, December 27, https://www.cobouw.nl/duurzaamheid/nieuws/2021/12/
hout-­d upe-­v an-­n orm-­d uurzaambouwen-­d at-­i s-­n og-­n iet-­b ewezen-­1 01301832?utm_
source=Vakmedianet_red&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20211227_+Cobouw&tid=
TIDP5711104X190EAAD509B04ABEA3D4A5EDC866F44DYI4&utm_content=. Accessed
2022, January 12.

Chapter 22

Stuck

Rob Roggema and Erik Vrieling

Abstract
Returning to our Rhineland DNA, and more government oversight again.
The economy is the realistic basic condition within which we work, that’s the
way it is.
Connecting the construction of housing to rail infrastructure.
Using knowledge about food in urbanized environments.
Central oversight is needed for bigger themes.
Realizing social housing requires social thinking, not financial.

22.1 Introduction
If you ask Erik about the future, he will tell you it is mainly in the present. Realizing
architectonic projects is difficult within the market margins. And within this, he sees
thinking about the future as a free-thinking exercise, without any direct translation
to building projects. It is realism that wins out, and the space for the architect within
it is limited. He calls himself a bit of a defeatist and would rather have seen things
differently. The responsibility for architecture firm de Cie is an important cause of
this. You cannot maneuver yourself out of the market and watch the firm shrink.
Still, a small nugget of idealism hides within, when we talk about taking the lead
on our collective responsibility to make society more social and sustainable.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
E. Vrieling
Architect, de Cie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_22

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Despite the strong sense of realism, Erik is working hard to give his enthusiasm a
place in all his projects. This demands navigation and sailing close to the wind, but
also leads to encouraging results.

22.2 Governance and Reality
The question of how we realize a substantive agenda is one of governmental reality.
What kind of governing culture is able to formulate the agenda and subsequently
also execute it? Does it involve a strict government oversight or does the government allow the actors in the market and public to determine freely what direction is
chosen? There is something to be said for both, but even so, the outcome is unknown
in both cases. The Dutch tradition of clear planning frameworks, spatial rules, and
image quality plans is behind us, even though many people, especially those coming
from overseas, place a high value on it. And if parties deal with things among themselves, an administrative powerlessness can be created that causes our landscape to
slowly change into little Belgium with distribution boxes that are too large and
frayed edges on cities. I have more faith in official oversight on the long lines that
calls for less short-term politics dominated by governments and elections and an
increasing involvement of high officials with long-term agendas.

22.3 Rail and Infrastructure
To solve the housing crisis, we need to exploit the existing infrastructure in a much
more radical way. By making use of existing connections and intensifying at these
points, new living areas can be created here without making expensive new investments in infrastructure. If we also continue to develop new plans for smart public
transport and railways, we can use this to connect more compact living areas
(Figs. 22.1 and 22.2). In this way, the flexibility of use continues to increase in an
intensively connected infrastructural network. We need to stop fighting each other
in governance in the battle for money, new infrastructure, and the designation of
urban areas. If we do this, it takes a long time, costs extra money, and we do not
solve the housing problem in time.

22.4 Intensities
The Netherlands is really a large metropolitan region, with compact urban areas and
an intensively used and urbanized outer area. We do not realize enough that we have
developed a huge amount of knowledge in this intercity area, in terms of how we
can produce food in a smart and efficient manner. If you look at it this way, it is an

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Fig. 22.1 New compact urban development. (Source: de Cie)

inner-city food landscape that, due to the fertility of the soil, guarantees a rich yield.
The Dutch tradition is that we have the design power in such a compact and intensive area that has allowed all these productive ingredients to exist together, stacked
upon one another. We could take another step in this, and research scenarios for how
intensive food production can go together with an urban environment, a much further-reaching integration of the city in glass and glass in the city, for example. In this
way, the awareness can grow for the value of a green city and the value of the city
for the green environment. A game of constant adaptability will then be on the
horizon.

22.5 Planning and Design
It goes much beyond traditional thinking in planning of seeing everything as separate pieces, what goes where and what ends up there. This creation of frameworks
in planning is often inspired by political ideology and requires us to think through
the spatial design task afterward. This can happen in two ways. Either we study the
scenarios that could occur, or we create the scenarios that we can subsequently let
become reality (Fig. 22.3). It demands design focus and strategic forward-thinking.

212

Fig. 22.2 Modern urbanization. (Source: de Cie)

Fig. 22.3 NDSM, Amsterdam. (Source: de Cie)

R. Roggema and E. Vrieling

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Fig. 22.4 EDGE-Amsterdam West. (Source: Architectenweb)

Do we let developers buy up the “green bits” that come available, only to then
develop it into a “flemishised” single family paradise, or do we have a development
strategy that gives direction to the integral development of a region?

22.6 Anglo-Saxon or Rhineland Model
In the meantime, with market forces, our traditional Rhineland model, which
assumes a strong oversight from a foundation of collective values and a strong level
of government influence, is subject to erosion. The Anglo-Saxon model is starting
to overtake, with all the market forces associated with it and a dominant role for the
short term and for private parties. We then end up in the situation where the economy has become the reality, and Excel Sheets have us on a leash. We would not be
off much worse if we went back to our own Rhineland DNA and reintroduce more
oversight on the spatial design and the collective values it represents (Figs. 22.4 and
22.5). There is a fertile soil for this, just look at the discontent about the way the
housing shortage is being solved, the ways retirement is being handled, or the way
we guarantee our safety in times of climate change.

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Fig. 22.5 Noorderparkpad. (Source: de Cie)

22.7 Financial Roots
The question is, how do we go back to our core values, how can we re-DNA-ify
ourselves? Do we achieve this through more political activism? You probably sideline yourself by doing this. It is better to discuss this within a free-thinking environment. It is an inevitable mechanism: if we make houses cheaper, the land value
decreases and there are fewer assignments – a downward spiral. As an architecture
firm, we operate within the financial system. How we want to create the city from
an idealist enthusiasm is framed within this. We want to make living fairer and with
more green! The biggest driving forces in projects, however, are the land value and
the profits. This can only be compensated if the government enforces a stricter oversight, in terms of demands, finances and returns, and spatial quality. Administratively
but also in the market, everyone agrees that it needs to become more effective, and
there need to be more results on designs such as cheaper living, better living, and
more sustainability and adaptability. All these themes have been acknowledged and
there is agreement. This official agreement, however, never leads to governmental
policymaking, because it does not go further than the official unanimity. The bill
does not get passed on to the college of councilors, the province, or the national
government in the Hague (Meeuws, 2021). Because of this, we continue to run in
circles, a frustrating form of circularity, and we can no longer discuss (desired)
quality, but only quantity and speed. And funnily enough, despite all the focus on
these two factors, they end up getting left behind anyway. Thus, the calculation will

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end up determining what we as advisory designers are and are not able to or allowed
to do. We just must go along with the system.

22.8 A Better Life for Everyone
To achieve your goal, you need to have gained experience in a governmental context
and understand how political decision-making works. Both models, the one with
market forces and the one in which the government has oversight, will need to be
fully understood. For example, if you work out two extreme scenarios, you learn to
understand what kind of mechanisms are at the basis and what kind of outcomes this
leads to. You can then reflect on whether that is desirable and bring us closer to a
society that provides everyone with perspective or doesn’t, and what position you
take up in this. Take, for example, the realization of social housing that took place
in the 1970s under heavy governmental oversight and led to 80 m2 homes. With the
modern rhetoric, we cannot even make social housing with homes larger than 35 m2.
Because of all the financial pressure, this grows more and more askew. It hasn’t
been about construction costs for a long time that is barely a fraction of the land
costs, and thus should lead to greater freedom to experiment with sustainable building materials, for example. This does not happen, however, because everyone just
goes along with the “rat race to the bottom of the market.” We should really aim to
be an IKEA, that makes the world a little bit better for everyone (as their slogan: “a
better life for everyone”), but as a society, we are slowly drifting away from the
broad foundation – we have lost the basis. This is demonstrated by the fact that in
the debate on the problems in housing construction, we can’t shut up about more
social and more accessible housing, but when the question is asked who of the 200
people present is dependent on the affordable sector, it might be only one person.
And this determines and constructs the future of housing. Defeatist-worthy…

Reference
Meeuws, T.-J. (2021). Minder hijgerigheid, meer tegendruk: ambtenaren en de komst van Rutte
IV. NRC. Published online, 2021, December 4. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/12/04/
minderhijgerigheid-­m eer-­t egendruk-­a mbtenaren-­e n-­d e-­k omst-­van-­r utte-­iv-­a 4067896.
Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 23

The Art of Improvisation
Rob Roggema and Jeroen Heester

Abstract
Stay up to date on current trends: thanks to modernism, most of the content is now
known. This content can be directly delivered to students so that they can give a
neoliberalist twist to it.
Students have a great absorbent capacity and do not have to reinvent the (modernist)
wheel. It is already there, so we can get to work.
In modern times, changes accelerate. Without improvisation we are nowhere.
Only with sufficient knowledge and an open participational attitude, we can responsibly improvise.
Participation and support for governmental decisions go hand in hand.
Because both politics and fear of change in your environment have a short term and
a short action-radius, it is up to the student of the future to be able to deal with
this nimbly with the long-term knowledge and the grand scale.
Integrally thinking and improvising students are the future.
Education programs in spatial planning should train two types of students: the connecting participation artist and the aesthetic idealist.
Communicative and connective qualities are a new requirement within planning
processes.
Not the conceptually best plan, but the most broadly supported plan is the best.
Teachers are trained according to the first ideology, but students will need to be
prepared for the second one. For some teachers, this can be difficult.
Educational programs should also offer evening classes to inhabitant participation
groups for extra awareness of responsibilities.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
J. Heester
Municipality Alkmaar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_23

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23.1 Introduction
If you want to know what a complex issue means, Jeroen is the best person to ask.
He is a man of many, if not all, talents. Educated as landscape architect in Boskoop,
he worked on projects such as the IJ-banks and IJburg in Amsterdam and lived for a
year in Iceland. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the master’s program
area development for the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht. He combines
all this experience in service of Alkmaar, as a development manager. He has come
to the conclusion that burning conceptual ambitions can sometimes get in the way
of achieving the goal: creating an attractive and livable environment, and that the
modern age demands a different path to this same goal. These days, more is needed
for that than the conceptually superior plan, namely, an understanding for the governmental decision-making in which participational processes play a bigger and
bigger role. The times have changed considerably, and educational programs shall
work hard on adapting to this. The possibility that participation might be the key to
a better world is important. Who would have thought?

23.2 Improvise, People!
Changes are occurring more quickly than ever. To prepare the student of the future
for this, they will need to be able to improvise using their newly gained knowledge
and the new situations they are presented with. It is just like in jazz: only when you
have truly mastered your instrument, will you be able to improvise. The students’
instruments in spatial planning are conceptual knowledge, an integral perspective,
and connective communication. Once this has all eventually led to a broadly supported future-resilient plan, it is the aesthetic idealist’s job to turn this tough process
into a poetic result, worthy of being lived in.

23.3 Government of Participants
Because the conceptual knowledge about quality gained through modernism has
now been incorporated into the framework (e.g., building regulations and planning
processes with committees), the political administration has shifted its focus from
qualitative plans to broadly supported plans (BVR en gemeente Alkmaar, 2021).
The quality, after all, is already taken care of. The focus on support now manifests
itself in careful participational processes with feedback loops all the way back to the
municipality. These participational processes show a growing influence on the
development of spatial plans. Besides the aforementioned improvisation-skills, participation also requires agility. Agility to connect the long and short term with one
another from an integral perspective. Because most knowledge on quality was

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gained through modernism and has become accessible to everyone because of the
Internet, the urge for self-government has grown. This gut feeling led to the Occupy
movement and the yellow vests protests (Figs. 23.1, 23.2, 23.3, and 23.4) in France.
It was almost like this iconoclasm of the twenty-first century also had the governing
parts of the Netherlands shaking in their boots. Via referendum politics, this has led
to the place that participation has taken up in governmental decision-making
processes.
Within these processes in spatial planning, every individual can stop a planning
process all the way up to the Council of State (Raad van State). The governmental
desire for progress, to achieve results within four years, leads to a worrying situation: after all, the planning takes around two years, and so does the ruling by the
Raad van State. Within this playing field, students nowadays will need to be able to
improvise agilely, integrally, and connectively. It quickly leads to the urgent question of whether educational programs in spatial planning in the Netherlands are
even designed for this? The difficulty within the work field is, among other things,
in the lack of integral perspective and the importance of this among the broad and
separate election themes. Society is complex, and conflicting interests in one place
overlap in another. Explain that. We understand the fact that the world is changing,
but when it takes place in our direct environment, participants behave very differently to their predecessors 50 years ago when everything was still pasture. Change
can only happen bit by bit, is the motto. And this does not fit well enough with a
planning exploitation with a parking garage, social housing, lots of green, and only
a few building layers of homes that need to generate everything. It is up to the student of the future to orchestrate understanding, awareness, and enthusiasm in this
playing field, even though every potential solution can run into strongly driven
opponents.

Fig. 23.1 Yellow vests protest in the Netherlands

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Fig. 23.2 Yellow vest protests in France

Fig. 23.3 Yellow vets protest in the UK

23.4 Inextricable Tangles
So nowadays, it is much more important to be able to communicate well. As a professional, you need to be able to maneuver in such a way that participants can be
brought into the governing roles. And this means that you need to let go of the concept. The government requires specialists to let go of the concept and to help them

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Fig. 23.4 Yellow vests protest in Germany

position participants in such a way that they have no reason to be against the process
in later stages. Therefore, you are only as successful as your participational process.
It often does not really matter what kind of spatial result you end up with, even if
you know as a specialist which solution might be much better for the generations
after the current participants. In some cases, the municipality getting proven right
seems like a strong motive. How do you deal with this as a graduate? An inextricable gordian knot in which you benefit more from connective communicative skills
than specialist knowledge. We truly are living in a new age. It thus requires two
things: you need to have a plan and at the same time have participated in such a way
that the municipality will be able to agree with it. Difficult, because participational
processes can sometimes result in two opposing camps – on the one hand, the
nimby-team who often has the loudest voice., and on the other hand, “team positive
long-term vision,” who are usually less obviously present. In this playing field, you
have little influence, even though it can be decisive for the planning process. Spatial
planning programs would do well to include this more in their training.

23.5 Professional Pitfall
As an official or conceptual professional, you are concerned with the content, usually from a sense of idealism. You want to make the world a more beautiful place
and you dedicate yourself to it wholeheartedly. This gives you satisfaction and compensates for the time and energy you put into it. That satisfaction becomes an obstacle nowadays, a barrier between you and the citizen who takes up their own role and
stage (Baltasar Gracián, 2020). You always lose this battle: after all, preventing a

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no-vote means you gain relevance. And everything has a counterargument. In that
case, you must become Miles Davis and begin to improvise, connect, and dance
grammatically. If you master that game of improvisation, the concepts can enter the
dance floor, not because it is so important, but because those involved in the process
now have a need for it. Your depth of knowledge, experience, and timing will subsequently help you offer just the right mix that doesn’t end up in the “expertise” box
in the participants’ minds, but in a fertile soil. You will need to develop a sense for
this, which does not always go well. We should take Iceland as an example. Integral
or forward thinking is not culturally commonplace, because nature will do unexpected things regardless. Forward-thinking is not very useful and does not happen a
lot over there. For our conceptually driven students, this means that you need to take
in the concept quickly and then focus on what ways you can have an influence.
Especially for teachers, it is important to frame this in a positive way, for example,
by teaching students to see the fun in the game, and how people with differing viewpoints can still be brought together. We already know the concepts; humankind has
evolved into neoliberalism. Let us master this game quickly.

23.6 Absorb Knowledge Quickly, Then Lots of Time
for the Game of Participation
Young people are more able than ever to learn how to do things. The knowledge
automatically ends up in the storage of their flexible brains. Their absorbent capacity is enormous, and they can often recollect highly detailed knowledge when
needed. In educational programs, they should therefore really get a crash course of
the basic knowledge, in which we explain quickly and concisely how it works, but
where much more time can be dedicated to learning to be sensitive in a participational environment. Students would be able to practice with and on each other in
groups. The participation trajectory would be imitated, in which a different student
is the specialist each time and their fellow students are the critical participants.
Task: the neighborhood park is undergoing construction. Give it a try. Try to get the
opponents to the point where they say: “well okay, if you do it like that, I’m okay
with it.” How to get there, is what our students should learn.

23.7 Berlage Is the Key
Designing a spatially harmonious symphony requires thinking in terms of flowing
scale jumps, which happens so gradually that they are almost impossible to put into
words. Integrally connecting the size of the doorbell of a couple square centimeters,
via the doorframe, the roof, the cantilevered element of four homes, to the goniometric unit of ten, to the roofline of a 150 m long building, does not really exist

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anymore. Or from that same doorbell to the 400 m long street, via a warm wooden
doorknob, doorframe, roof, threshold, front yard, hedge or wall, sidewalk with sheltered trees. Berlage was able to work like that. But that time has passed. Neoliberalism
leads to buildings that display the same flat facade from sidewalk to roofline and
from beginning to end. We ask the inhabitants themselves to make the jump from
doorbell to street. This is psychologically almost impossible and reflects the individualist nature of the modern age. It might well be that this “lost” art results in
connection during participation processes as soon as it is shared. Could it be possible that the participation process reshapes the tasteless and scale-less buildings of
the current zeitgeist into a new human dimension in the city? Could current students
involve participants in that kind of thinking? By passing on the knowledge immediately and making a more beautiful world that way? This quickly leads us to the
question: what is the role that education programs see for themselves in this? How
idealistic can a program still be in this day and age?

23.8 Two Study Specializations
We really need two types of skills that should follow each other in time.
–– First, you need people who already achieve a supported outcome through participation, a compromise that every participant can support. What we need to learn
from this is how to get people in the “yes”-mode, so that they can say: “if you do
it like that, I’m okay with it.” If you feel primarily connected to the conceptual
side from your own sense of idealism, this role is not for you.
–– Then, we must optimize that result and realize the best possible quality. This
requires people who want to specialize in creating beauty. To be able to turn
plans into beautiful environments requires detailed knowledge about street,
stone, and plant species design. Using ivy (Hedera helix) will lead to a radically
different streetscape than wisteria (Wisteria sinensis). You really will need to be
able to know and recognize them. Here, there will need to be consideration for
poetry, beauty, and the art of composition.
To split your idealism in two as a student might just be too much of a good thing.
It is more logical to offer a single collective foundation in the first two years, supplemented with a specialization in the following two years. Besides this, modules
belonging to the specialist years could also be offered separately. As additional
courses for graduates, but also for participation groups in collaboration with municipalities. If you are delegated by your neighborhood to be responsible for representing your community, a few evening classes to increase integral awareness would be
very welcome. In this way, the professionals and the participants come closer
together. If municipalities can be convinced of the use, they could offer such participation modules to the participants.

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References
Baltasar Gracián. (2020). Handorakel en de kunst der voorzichtigheid. (originally from 1647).
Athenaeum.
BVR en gemeente Alkmaar. (2021). Kanaalzone Alkmaar, Ontwikkelbeeld Overstad: de ontwerpopgave voor deelgebied Overstad. Published online: https://alkmaar.raadsinformatie.
nl/document/7824403/1/l__190704_BVR_magazine_ontwikkelbeeld_Overstad_nieuw.
Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 24

Pride in Quality
Rob Roggema and Maarten Janssen

Abstract
An investor and developer will need to have a long-term vision.
Future value is more important than instant profit.
The government needs to take the lead and take care of integrally putting things on
the agenda.
National: integral vision-forming; regional: tailored programming; local: mixed and
specific implementation.
Getting rid of the adage “separation of functions.”
Integral consideration is a job.
Working in government makes you influential.
In the coming decades, we are going from a period of self-confidence to one of
growing mutual distrust and fear.

24.1 Introduction
After wandering around (semi) governments and consultancies, Maarten Janssen
has found his calling in the development of projects that prove their value to society.
Maarten is an urban planner and blessed with an unstoppable optimism when it
comes to the city and living and sees a sustainable development as an intrinsic quality in this.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
M. Janssen
AMVEST, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_24

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Fig. 24.1 Almere Duin, aerial view. (Source: AMVEST)

24.2 Social Value
The question of how to come to value-based new pieces of city will need to be
approached in both a substantive as well as a process-based manner. The design of
our environment is both a goal and a means in this process (Figs. 24.1, 24.2, and
24.3), in which many actors with diverse concerns play a role. The long term is
crucial here. For the vision which needs to stimulate the imagination, and also the
thinking about the returns of our efforts, as this is important for a developing investor. After all, Amvest manages all our money and has the task of making our pensions rise in value in a good way. Short-term financial gain does not fit into this
picture. Because of this, we invest in residential real estate, living space intended for
rent, and we want/need to think beyond the spreadsheet apartment according to
standard layouts. Because we want to take responsibility for the spatial and social
issues. And we believe that in badly designed areas, the long-term returns diminish.
Quality is thus crucial for the societal as well as the Amvest returns.

24.3 A Small Lament
The image around project development is often one of fast money, marginal gains,
internal competition, big fuel-guzzling cars, and short-term thinking. In reality, we
work, often in joint ventures with other developers, with a lot of intrinsic motivation

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Fig. 24.2 Almere Duin. (Source: AMVEST)

Fig. 24.3 Living in a dune-landscape: Almere Duin. (Source: AMVEST)

on integral development projects with an eye on the future and a reasonable return.
We are proud of that. We are not looking to maximize profits, and as a sector,

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especially in comparison with other countries, we settle for a relatively low return.
The fact that there is distrust of project development is therefore not always easy to
understand. It is the government who has not played its role in the right way for the
past 5–10 years. Instead of guiding integral spatial development of city, region, or
country, fragmentation occurs and there is often inconsistent focus on details.
Without having an eye on all considerations, municipalities will start to demand the
maximum on all kinds of things (not least the price of land!) and are then surprised
that the end result can only be achieved against high costs (and thus high prices).
And then they complain about it. At a national level, they sound the alarms about the
housing shortage, while they were the ones who discontinued the Ministry of
Housing, Spatial Planning, and Environment (HSPE) and gave up all control to the
municipalities where the local political dynamics often make the making of real
decisions impossible. The balance in the Spatial Environment system is a bit lost.
The municipality can be much too noncommittal, and makes decisions according to
when a local reflux, a different time, a new poll gives them a new direction. The
province is only reactive now, and only acts when it is clear that something is going
wrong, and the national government has all but disappeared in spatial planning. This
results in arbitrariness at a local level, and ambiguity and delay in the solution of
problems and the realization of a healthy and safe living environment. In this way,
the role that the government takes up is often seen as a hindrance, one that determines what should and should not happen, while the costs and risks are left to the
market. With delay and too high costs and prices as a result. A better equipped government, capable and self-aware, is necessary. And if that is too much to ask, we
need to think seriously about giving more primacy to the market and societal parties. As developers, we are invested in this discussion, and stimulate thinking about
the functioning of the city in a broad sense, so beyond purely market concerns. We
do this in the Van der Leeuwkring in Rotterdam, for example.

24.4 Enlightened Development
The developer will also have to elevate themselves. An old-fashioned role in which
the developer and builder are focused only on the real estate project and the spreadsheet with profit, loss, and risks no longer fits. The market will also have to think
about everything that is not coming naturally. These are often the most difficult
things, which add value, but are harder to realize. By creating margins on the things
that do come naturally and by guiding them well, the space is created to become
jointly responsible for public spaces, facilities such as schools, or maybe even roads
and dikes, those elements that are traditionally the responsibility of the government.

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24.5 Leading Role of the Government
The government will need to put the themes that now, and especially in the coming
decades, are exceedingly relevant, such as climate, water, agriculture, biodiversity,
energy, housing, and infrastructure, and will need to organize the process through
which we collectively come to the right, supported choices, where the policy fields
will need to be harmonized. This also needs to happen at a regional and local level,
as a direct development from the higher levels, and simultaneously as a way of feeding it. What is becoming clear is the lack of integral guidance of the agenda (De
Zeeuw, 2021; Monster, 2021), where these themes are seen as integral issues and for
which cohesive plans are made. Now, these issues are constantly seen as separate,
which means that solutions do not fully address the problem and are also constantly
at risk of being called into question from the perspective of other themes.

24.6 National Vision, Regional Program,
Local Implementation
How nice would it be if we succeeded in putting the fundamental problems of the
Netherlands on the agenda on one national map, giving direction and focusing on
broad lines, which subsequently are operationalized at a regional level, so that a
supralocal programming can be created, which is guiding for the implementation at
a local level. This leads to a different kind of urban planning, which is currently
based on securing functions, which are often separated from each other because of
this. This should be different, for example, by enabling much more mixing and
synergy in the detailing, which can turn out differently each time at a local level
(Van Oort, 2021). This also means that everyone should be able to understand the
integral consideration frame and should be able to think in bigger goals. Only thinking within project boundaries (or within a sectoral theme) will get completely in the
way of this. The separated sectoral concerns dominate the conversation, and there
are few people who can conduct that holistic conversation with more perspective.
While the tasks that are ahead of us have a lot of interconnectedness, we must interact with each other. Our country is too small to just solve everything separately.

24.7 Have Guts, Inspire, and Integrate
By combining the layered approach, and especially the subsurface and the natural
layer of water and soil, with the economic value of the land and the social issues for
the coming decades, and putting them on top of each other, a whole new question
appears: can we still want everything everywhere? The rising sea levels and the
changing precipitation patterns are putting us in real dilemmas in 10–20 years. By

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that time, we will run into the edges of the current system of water management. We
will have to make difficult choices: which parts do we keep dry at all costs, and
where do we accept periodically wet feet (or worse)? Many cities in the Randstad,
for example, are further below sea level and more vulnerable, but also represent
great economic value. This could be a reason to make the necessary investments in
water management here, while in other similarly low-lying areas (e.g., Hollands
Midden), we would be forced to make other decisions. This thought process by Co
Verdaas (Dijkgraaf and professor of area development in Delft) is fairly controversial, after all, giving up certain areas is not immediately a popular idea, but this
could feed the debate and stimulate integral thinking (Verdaas, 2019; Verdaas & De
Zeeuw, 2020). This way of thinking could drive thinking about and discussing a new
map of the Netherlands that is created out of a sense of trust and collaboration. It
offers the government the opportunity to take leadership and retake the substantive
and spatial component after a vacuum of at least 10 years. We should go through a
process in which we trust each other, and everyone comes out of their box to find the
answer to complex issues together. Like how Riek Bakker did it, with awareness of
the urgency, with daring and fearlessness: that’s how we do that!

24.8 Eem Valley City
With a consortium of (building) developers and a housing corporation, we had that
integral discussion for a new city in southern Flevoland, and we formed a vision
(Fig. 24.4) in which all the problems we have in the Netherlands were connected
with one another in one single plan, called Eemvallei Stad (Eem Valley City):
nature, urban agriculture, autarkic living, urban living, forest, energy, mobility

Fig. 24.4 Eem Valley City manifest. (Source: AMVEST)

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Fig. 24.5 Eem Valley City aerial view. (Source: AMVEST)

(AMVEST, 2021a, b, c). By connecting these themes in an integral way, we created
synergy, especially on this large scale (4000 ha, ca. 50,000 homes). We call this:
connecting opportunities. Because of this, we think that it is possible to offer more
than 100,000 house hunters a nice home and to connect this to facilities and high-­
quality public transport, and to generate energy for almost twice as many homes
using our planned windmills, and maintain and even increase agricultural production, and create an enormous new nature reserve (Fig. 24.5). But before we could
even have the conversation with the government, fear sets in, distrust increases, and
trenches are dug. Very quickly, polarization occurs, and people begin to take sides,
and you end up opposing one another. Stop with this antagonism! It is not really
there. There is urgency, and a need for good, differentiated living. There is plenty of
demand for the realization of both Pampus and Eemvalley. At the level of the southern Flevopolder, or north-eastern Amsterdam, there is more than enough opportunity to mix functions and differentiate in densities and living environments, with
robust ecological structures and local food production. Everything we need so desperately in the Netherlands. For example, 50% of the area in Eemvallei Stad is
nature, and only 25% is built with a density of 12 homes/ha. There is also space for
smart urban agriculture.

References
AMVEST. (2021a). Toekomstperpsectief Eemsvalleistad. Published online: https://www.amvest.
nl/wp-­content/uploads/2021/06/Toekomstperspectief-­Eemvallei-­Stad.pdf. Accessed 2022,
January 12.
AMVEST. (2021b). Eeemvallei. Published online: https://www.am.nl/wp-­content/
uploads/2021/06/Onepager-­Eemvallei-­pdf.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.

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AMVEST. (2021c). Eemsvalleistad-thema’s. Published online https://www.eemvalleistad.nl/themas/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
De Zeeuw, F. (2021). Uitwerking strategie rijksadviseur is rampzalig. Gebiedsontwikkeling.
nu. Published online: https://www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/uitwerkingstrategie-­
rijksadviseur-­is-­rampzalig/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Monster, J. (2021). Rijksadviseur: We moeten onszelf de vraag durven stellen: hoe ziet Nederland
er over honderd jaar uit? Gebiedsontwikkeling.nu. Published online: https://www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/rijksadviseur-­we-­moeten-­onszelf-­de-­vraag-­durven-­stellen-­hoe-­
ziet-­nederland-­er-­over-­honderd-­jaar-­uit/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Van Oort, F. (2021). Pleidooi voor sterke, compacte steden. Gebiedsontwikkeling.nu. Published
online: https://www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/pleidooi-­voor-­sterke-­compacte-­steden/.
Accessed 2022, January 12.
Verdaas, C. (2019). Paradox van het Paradijs. Oratie. Delft University of Technology. Published
online: https://dh1hpfqcgj2w7.cloudfront.net/media/documents/ORATIE_OPMAAK_v10_
SPREAD.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Verdaas, C., & De Zeeuw, F. (2020). Na wild west en sciencefiction op zoek naar de juiste film.
Naar een nieuw sturingsconcept voor de inrichting van Nederland. TU Delft Leerstoel
Gebiedsontwikkeling. Published online: https://dh1hpfqcgj2w7.cloudfront.net/media/documents/Sturingsconcept_digitaal.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 25

Growth Means Life
Rob Roggema and Maarten Smit

Abstract
Craftspeople remain necessary, maybe now more so than ever.
We need free thinkers to keep innovating, and this is important for our right to exist.
We need young people who will show initiative, want to experiment, and are able to
surprise us.
We are at the brink of a turning point in construction in the area of wood and prefab.
We need to handle raw materials differently: local bio-based and total reuse.
Data-collection in construction opens doors to new applications, this is still in its
infancy.

25.1 Introduction
Maarten’s face looks happy. He is always on the look for novelties and likes surprises. This is how he ended up at Kernbouw because he knows stuff about product
development but was curious about building. Now, he cannot help but look for new
roads within the building process. He believes that this is the only way anyone can
survive on the long term as a business, but also as a human. For him, life begins only
when the familiar has been left behind.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
M. Smit
Kernbouw, Cruquius, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_25

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25.2 Investing in People
If you want to continue to exist as a construction company, doing what you have
always done is not enough. You become inert and less able to adapt to new circumstances. It is important to anticipate changes, even those you cannot know. If you
conduct the maintenance of buildings, the construction, renovations, and development, it is also important to keep a strong focus and constantly look for that innovation. In our field of work this is extra important, to make enough good people
interested in working with us. We think that it is necessary to build up a critical mass
and allow people to work with each other, to come to new insights in this way. Only
then will our people stay motivated and will an atmosphere be created, which
attracts new people. You won’t be able to achieve this with a small group. With this
aim, we want to give people in the business the opportunities to grow and develop
themselves, and this is easier when there are people around you that do the same.
After all, in a team of good football players, you yourself improve as well.

25.3 Craftspeople and Free Thinkers
On the one hand, we think that the future lies in mastering a craft, and that craftspeople are becoming more and more important, while on the other hand, there are
fewer and fewer craftspeople being trained (Fig. 25.1). Because of this, we do part

Fig. 25.1 Crafstpeople will be essential: Cruqiusschool. (Source: Kernbouw)

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of this training ourselves within the company. Students who come as an intern with
us are given the opportunity to stay if they are good enough. We offer them a place
as a working student to continue to develop and learn. The people we choose for this
are personalities, who combine effort with a healthy dose of self-confidence. People
who sometimes dare to make rigorous decisions, such as a career switch, or young
students who manage to surprise us with experiments and manage to think about
something in a deeper way, beyond just applying knowledge or skills. For example,
if they show initiative and come up with new applications within software programs
or the material passport, we can engage with that in a smarter way. We therefore
need free thinkers, who don’t just do what they are familiar with.

25.4 Learning Through Investigating
Of course, you don’t get there just by experimenting. It remains important to want
to be truly architectural, and the basic knowledge is still relevant here. You need to
know how to design a detail, including when this happens within BIM or Revit.
Students do learn differently than they used to. In our experience, we should aim to
get closer and closer to a situation in which the school gives them a small piece of a
particular subject, manages to spark interest, which they then go on to research
further on their own, finding YouTube videos and searching the wonderful worldwide web, so that they can find the true depth that interests them there. There is so
much information available and the kids today are so much more adept at unlocking
that. So, they shouldn’t just be given that by school. They should be put on a path to
the greater search. The school is no more than the platform of departure.

25.5 Turning Point
In the field of construction, we are now at the point where new knowledge quickly
becomes common knowledge: wood building (Figs. 25.2, 25.3, and 25.4), prefab
(Fig. 25.5), and factory-type concepts are at a turning point (Cobouw, 2021; NIBE,
2019; Smartcirculair, undated; Studio Marco Vermeulen, 2020; Van Dam & Van den
Oever, 2012; VPRO-Tegenlicht, 2019). They are finding their way on a larger scale,
and it is now key that we conquer the resistance that exists with conservative companies and sometimes clients, as well. We will need to deal with raw materials differently in the future, and begin to produce them much more locally, based on local
ecology and landscape, and thus looking at what is available. Besides this, we will
need to reuse almost everything, by dismantling existing buildings much more
securely. Increasingly, we need to take this into consideration in new build, as well.
In renovation, for example, we will apply new techniques to reproduce existing elements, such as original details on facing bricks or windowsills in heritage buildings.

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Fig. 25.2 Wooden apartment building. (Source: Kernbouw)

Fig. 25.3 Build with wood, Almere. (Source: Kernbouw)

25.6 Undividing
The insight and sometimes also the interest of the architect for details, how to build,
and what materializations are possible, is not always present. If students within
Revit succeed in developing new details and costs, for example, we can offer those
as a catalogue, so that the architect also knows that when he designs something, it
can be executed and how. This eventually results in saving on the construction costs.

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Fig. 25.4 Wooden construction. (Source: Kernbouw)

Fig. 25.5 Prefab concrete casco, Residence Opduin. (Source: Kernbouw)

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25.7 Predicting with Data
Finally, in every project, we record a huge amount of data. Each part of a building
is labeled, and we know exactly where each element has been applied, and thus also
what kind of maintenance is needed and when, and when something needs to be
replaced. The next step is that we incorporate sensors into the elements, so that we
receive digital signals about maintenance and replacement, so that we can plan for
these things. We can then even conduct anticipatory maintenance, so that elements
do not have to be replaced at all. That would save a lot of money. I am certain that
in this data-collection, there are many more unexpected applications hidden, a nice
challenge for students who can come up with new things.

References
Cobouw. (2021). Prefab en Biobased al 50 jaar heel gewoon. Published online: https://www.
cobouw.nl/innovatie/partner/2021/09/50-­jaarprefab-­biosbased-­101298589. Accessed 2022,
January 12.
NIBE. (2019). Potentie biobased materialen in de bouw. Published online: https://circulairebouweconomie.nl/wp-­c ontent/uploads/2019/07/CBE-­E indrapportage-­p otentie-­
biobasedmaterialen-­NIBE-­juli-­2019.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Smartcirculair. (undated). Biobased en circulair ontwerpen en bouwen. Published online: https://
www.smartcirculair.com/biobased-­en-­circulair-­ontwerpen-­en-­bouwen/.
Accessed
2022,
January 12.
Studio Marco Vermeulen. (2020). Ruimte voor Biobased bouwen. Strategische Verkenning.
Published
online:
https://open.overheid.nl/repository/ronl-­53c7ba8a-­a41b-­4ec1-­
a52cadef14145e09/1/pdf/rapport-­ruimte-­voor-­biobasedbouwen-­strategische-­verkenning.pdf.
Accessed 2022, January 12.
Van Dam, J., & Van den Oever, M. (2012). Catalogus Biobased bouwmaterialen. Het groene bouwen. WUR. Published online: https://edepot.wur.nl/213602. Accessed 2022, January 12
VPRO-Tegenlicht. (2019). Houtbouwers. Online: https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/tegenlicht/
kijk/afleveringen/2019-­2020/houtbouwers.html. Accessed 2022, January 12.

Chapter 26

The Future Is (Im)possible
Rob Roggema and Marco Broekman

Abstract
We need to learn to think in systems on the long term, and translate those into concrete changes in the present and in the near future.
We need a disruptive kind of urban development that prevents money from flowing
out of areas that need it.
We need to think in high densities, with mixed functionality and mobility transition.
Making cars a secondary priority below a livable and healthy urban environment.
Process of Research by Design in diverging and converging steps.

26.1 Introduction
Thinking in design and research brings out the best in him. Marco is theory and
practice in one. If his designing research is just as expressive as the expression on
his striking face, that is very promising. Marco likes to take on a clear position in the
assignments he works on. This provides clarity but can also invite resistance. If you
do that with open eyes, nothing is wrong. After all, if the problem is unknown,
unclear, and uncertain, taking on a clear standpoint is even more fun.

R. Roggema (*)
Cittaideale, Wageningen, The Netherlands
School of Architecture, Arts and Design, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
e-mail: rob@cittaideale.eu
M. Broekman
BURA urbanism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1_26

239

240

R. Roggema and M. Broekman

26.2 Looking Far into the Future Helps
Sometimes, we need to look far into the future. 100 years, for example. It is nearly
impossible to think about that, but by doing it anyway, we broaden our insights into
potential futures. The layered approach is very helpful here. Soil changes are slow,
and take millennia, while systems, like ecology, water, and the flows of materials
and energy, can adapt in decades up to 100 years. Dikes and highways also have a
similar turnover rate. Use and construction have a much quicker rate, of several
decades or even shorter. If we think about the period of 100 years, we must therefore
primarily focus on systems, and how we can make those as adaptive as possible.
This is mainly about nature, which creates the conditions for our lives. Recently,
more and more of these kinds of perspectives have been sketched out, such as
NL2120 (Baptist et al., 2019), Natuurrijk Nederland (Roggema et al., 2021) and the
vision for Nederland 2121 (Fig. 26.1): “a land with a plan” (Rotmans & Verheijden,
2021). If we look back at the present through these visions, we can ask ourselves if
it is even a good idea to continue developing newbuild at −7 m below NAP (Normal
Amsterdam Level). Or, if we do it anyway, we can ask ourselves how we can build
in a different way, assuming that we will have a lot more water to deal with than
we do now.

Fig. 26.1 A land with a plan. (Credit: Kuiper Compagnons)

26 The Future Is (Im)possible

241

26.3 Research-Plan-Strategy
Working on concrete plans, forming strategies, and designing research or researching design as free thinking-space are inextricably connected with one another. Plans
often provide a concrete solution to a problem. Concrete plans are thus created,
while conducting research actually requires an inquisitive attitude. You need to take
a position and gain knowledge to better understand a complex world. The search for
the real task will then need to happen before any solution appears. The outcome of
that designing research is often a follow-up question, or a strengthening of the original question. In that complex environment, we need to deal with uncertainties, and
will have to shape a process through which we formulate the true task. Many innercity restructuring assignments are combinations of an infinite number of problems,
which makes it a wicked problem (Rittel & Webber, 1973), because everything is
stuck to everything else. If you change one part, you never know what kind of effect
it will have on other parts of the planning area. Besides this, there are also effects
throughout the different scale levels. A decision on the smallest scale thus often has
huge consequences. The connection between the plan, the research, the strategy, and
how we eventually execute it all is essential. That is research-driven urban planning.

26.4 The City as a Solution
The complexity in spatial planning seems only to be increasing. Not only the multiplicity of problems and themes that fill up an increasingly small space, but there are
also more stakeholders involved in the process. That multifaceted complexity
requires the city to learn to deal with complexity, and gain understanding for spatial
pressure and the stacking up of issues while space is limited, in an environment of
political compartmentalization and law-making that sometimes raises contradictions. We thus need to use space more intensively, by coming up with smart design
solutions to prevent “landscape pain” and us filling endless spaces with inspiration-­
less buildings in low densities. The city is both the problem and the solution because
we can use spatial innovations to get out of this forest of interests and spatial claims.

26.5 Programmatic Mixing and Intensification
We are not taking care of Mother Earth, and it is up to us, the designers of the city,
to contribute to improvements, for example, through proposing spatial solutions to
the problem of carbon-emissions. We can do this by developing a vision for the
future, in which we design more intelligently and set processes in motion that shape
the problems we face today. We will thus need to come up with programmatically
smarter ways of mixing to combine living, working, and facilities. The functional

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Fig. 26.2 Transformation of the Overtoom area, Amsterdam. (Credit: BURA urbanism)

city, with a separation of functions, is now behind us (though that paradigm is still
broadly visible). We will need to reprogram those areas in such a way that intensification and mixing can be achieved (Fig. 26.2).
On the one hand, we see that businesses in lower environmental categories need
to be removed from inner-city locations, because we want mixed neighborhoods to
be created here. On the other hand, we do not want to build more in the landscape,
while controversially, these businesses are often desirable for the circular economy.
If we succeed in designing those companies in such a smart way that combinations
are made possible with green, energy, mobility, and living, we can create healthy,
climate-resilient pieces of city, where the overall livability becomes better than it
would be if we pull all the obstacle-categories apart spatially, which takes up a lot
of (green) space. Vice versa, we will also need industrial areas with higher environmental categories at the edge of the city, but these will need to be used much more
intensively. To make such resilient systems, it is important that we solve the mobility issue, for example, in Merwede in Utrecht (Monster & Verwaijen, 2021), where
a very low parking standard keeps cars out of the public area, which creates a much
greener and healthier environment (Fig. 26.3). Shared mobility is thus a good solution that requires less space for cars and literally makes the car a secondary priority
in the cityscape.

26.6 People in the Mix
In the social sphere, we will need to try to reduce segregation and polarization in
society. We need to try to keep the right mix of people in the city, and this has implications for the affordability of living in densely populated parts of the city (Florida,
2002). For example, if we design inclusive high-rise living, in which various income
groups can live together, we can create some social cohesion and a mixing of richer

26 The Future Is (Im)possible

243

Fig. 26.3 Plan for the Merwede-canal zone. (Credit: BURA and OKRA landscape architects)

Fig. 26.4 Design principles At Home At Height. (Credit: BURA urbanism)

and poorer in the city becomes possible again. If we also design meeting places, and
people can run into each other spontaneously again, the city as a whole will become
more friendly and livable. In the project “at home at height” (Fig. 26.4), we research
the possible factors in the success of inclusive and beloved high-rise buildings. I
believe in the compact city, where we can realize (new) neighborhoods that are built
in and against the existing city and bring the 10-minute city closer to reality.
Proximity of facilities, green, and mobility based on intensive public transport is a
prerequisite (Fig. 26.5). I would be all for creating such neighborhoods and simultaneously allowing sporadic light city building in very low densities in the outer
areas (Donker, 1997; Kristinsson, 1999).

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Fig. 26.5 Schieoevers North: working-living city. (Credit: BURA urbanism)

26.7 Disruptive Development
The crucial question for the future is whether we should continue with the paradigm
of economic growth, and whether “degrowth” or “regrowth” would not be a more
desirable path (Mastini, 2021). Should every urban region facilitate economic
growth by developing an urban plan that requires new homes, businesses, and tourists to be of value? Or could other values grow, for example, well-being or health,
that can be recouped in different ways? This implies that the underlying driving
forces of the spatial planning system need to be redesigned, including the way we
look at land, land policy, the interweaving of the financial system and real estate,
land speculation, and other planning instruments. How can we make sure that the
development of the value of an area also benefits the area itself, and that money is
invested in inclusive housing and true sustainability, and that the money does not
“leak out” of areas? We thus need a fundamentally different system that presupposes disruption in the planning and development of urban areas, and a government
that takes on a stronger guiding role in this.

26.8 Conditions
In many small- and medium-sized municipalities around bigger cities, the above
issues can be found at a smaller scale, though the social and political context is different than in the “big city.” If we intensify and mix functions in different urban
densities (Figs. 26.6 and 26.7), what do we do with the “rest”: the country and
everything else that is not a metropolitan “hub”? A societal divide can be created
here that we do not want: the creative class in the center and a conservative community outside of it. In those smaller- and medium-sized cores, there are often a lot
of different worldviews existing beside each other, which can feed polarization. Do
we build in outer areas, in low densities in the landscape, or do we build concentrated centers in the city, thus densifying? Demographics, mobility patterns, and
densification patterns really require the latter, but this is also met with quite some
resistance from the general public. The national government should really take

26 The Future Is (Im)possible

245

Fig. 26.6 HMC2-typologies. (Credit: BURA urbanism)

Fig. 26.7 Research by Design HMC2. (Source: BURA urbanism)

more control, and we will need to look on a regional scale at where we should densify and where people should live in landscape environments. Sadly, this is not happening nearly enough.

26.9 Lab Rat
The coastal delta is a beautiful area where we can make a plan on a regional scale
(Fig. 26.8), where issues surrounding climate, energy, agriculture, and business can
be united. Developments in a particular neighborhood should not be seen as “to

246

R. Roggema and M. Broekman

Fig. 26.8 Landscape-park, vision South Holland. (Source: BURA urbanism, Nohnik en Vereniging
Deltametropool, ism PARK Harm Veenenbos)

densify or not to densify,” but rather as a process of local improvement. This requires
explanation, and looking for public support, while also being aware that not everyone can be satisfied. Complexity, unfortunately, cannot be made one-­dimensional,
cannot be flattened. We will need to look for ways of enabling local inhabitants to
benefit from sustainable energy generation. Or perhaps, permaculture areas are
developed where inhabitants can get free food, the sense of community grows, and
people begin to support each other. In this way, we can get rid of the dogmatism and
bring people along in a vision of the future, that is attractive, because they feel that
they themselves can benefit from it. A certain degree of reciprocity is created.

26.10 Research by Design
A successful process of Research by Design (Van den Boomen et al., 2017;
Roggema, 2016) fulfills a number of requirements:
–– The design process is divided into several smaller steps, each with a clear end-­
product and conclusion (Fig. 26.9). We start with divergence, in which all aspects
are looked at. Then, we converge to the formulation of the task. When the task is
clear, we start a new phase of divergence in which different scenarios are investigated with different directions of thinking. The perspective is once again broad-

26 The Future Is (Im)possible

247

Exploring
multiple
aspects

Designing
scenarios
Conclude
and direct

Define
the brief

start

diverge

converge

diverge

converge

Fig. 26.9 Research by Design process (Roggema & Chamski, 2022)

ened and opened up. Lastly, visually and in writing we draw conclusions in the
form of building blocks for an integral design. These steps can look different for
each project or area, and lead to specific outcomes such as a vision-map, a new
agenda, a plan per region with city-deal-like agreements, etc.
–– There are different kinds of Research by Design, roughly four: deepening, “agendizing,” encyclopaedic, and reflective. It is important to determine for each task
which type of research is needed.
–– In each phase and in each step, it is desirable to be provocative and ask the what­if questions, so that innovative outcomes can be developed and minds are stimulated to do something that wouldn’t otherwise exist.
–– Agree that along the way, steps can be adapted if everyone supports it. In this
way, everyone can learn from the scenarios that are designed.
–– Everyone is included, involvement of many different parties in the process. It
must be clear for everyone why they are there, what is required of them, and that
it is important to know what kind of contribution is being made.

References
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Rooij, S., Polman, N., Van den Burg, S., Piet, G. J., Ysebaert, T., Walles, B., Veraart, J.,
Wamelink, W., Bregman, B., Bos, B., & Selnes, T. (2019). Een natuurlijkere toekomst voor
Nederland in 2120. Published online: https://www.wur.nl/upload_mm/0/8/7/6acffa98-­
feb5-­4 354-­8 56f-­1 a85d688ad64_WUR%20Rapport%20-­% 20Een%20natuurlijkere%20
toekomst%20voor%20Nederland%20in%202120.pdf. Accessed 2022, January 12.
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181475.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Accessed 2022, January 12.

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Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class: And how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. Perseus Book Group.
Kristinsson, J. (1999). Lichte Stedenbouw. In K. J. Canters, A. J. Dijkstra, C. A. J. Duijvestein,
C. F. Hendriks, M. A. Kaiser, H. S. Pietersen, & S. P. Tjallingii (Eds.), Op weg naar
een Ecologische Stad (Jaarboek DIOC-Duurzaam Gebouwde Omgeving 1997–1998)
(p. 130). Aeneas.
Mastini, R. (2021). Degrowth: The case for a new economic paradigm. Published online: https://
www.opendemocracy.net/en/degrowthcase-­f or-­c onstructing-­n ew-­e conomic-­p aradigm/.
Accessed 2022, January 12.
Monster, J. & Verwaijen, A. (2021). Ambitie vs participatie: Utrecht Merwede zoekt naar balans.
Geboedsontwikkeling.nu. Published online: https://www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu/artikelen/
ambitie-­vs-­participatie-­utrecht-­merwede-­zoekt-­naar-­balans/. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Rittel, H. W., & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences,
4(2), 155–169.
Roggema, R. (2016). Research by design: Proposition for a methodological approach. Urban
Science, 1(1), 2–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci1010002
Roggema, R., & Chamski, R. (2022). FutureTalks. Over de Toekomst gesproken. Inholland
University of Applied Sciences.
Roggema, R., Stratenus, I., & Van Nispen, F. (2021). Natuurrijk Nederland. Published online:
www.natuurrijknederland.org. Accessed 2022, January 12.
Rotmans, J., & Verheijden, M. (2021). Omarm de chaos. De Geus.
Van den Boomen, T., Frijters, E., Van Assen, S., & Broekman, M. (2017). Stedelijke vraagstukken,
veerkrachtige oplossingen. Ontwerpend onderzoek voor de toekomst van stedelijke regio’s.
trancityxvaliz.

Index

A
Accelerated
ing, 141
Adaptability, 10, 38, 47, 58, 121, 122, 131,
163, 176, 211, 214
Adaptive design, 76, 193
Affordability, 8, 146, 242
Affordable, 44, 70, 120, 138, 145, 206, 215
Ageing, 8
Agency, 70, 75, 115, 117, 169
Agility, 10, 15, 37, 95, 218
Agriculture, 8, 14, 16, 44, 47, 52, 54–56, 70,
71, 74, 75, 81, 98, 102, 106, 127, 128,
131, 141, 171, 184, 187, 229–231, 245
AI, 119, 122
Analytical, 15, 23, 25, 26, 70
Ancestor, 4, 11, 101, 102
Animals, 12, 69, 75, 107, 138
Antarctica, 2, 83
Anticipate, 3, 4, 9, 15, 47, 58, 73, 93, 114,
140, 154, 164, 168, 192, 234
Antifragility, 73
Apocalypse, 9–10, 140, 141
Architecture, 21, 33, 36, 37, 90, 97, 114, 121,
137, 138, 142, 161, 166–168, 209, 214
Area development, 11, 16, 62, 218, 230
Art, 12, 25, 41, 218–223
Awareness, 3, 7–9, 11, 14, 39, 98, 121, 187,
202, 211, 219, 223, 230
B
Beckoning perspective, 82
BIM, 92, 122, 203, 206, 235

Bio-based, 13, 16, 110, 139, 205
Biodiversity, 1, 6–9, 11, 13, 16, 47, 48, 51–53,
58, 63, 70–72, 79, 82, 86, 94, 95, 98,
105, 106, 167, 182, 184, 186, 229
Bioregion, 11, 92
Black swans, 10, 73, 75
Blissful sobriety, 86
Breakthrough, 9, 103, 119, 173, 176
Bricks, 117, 119, 164, 235
Brief, 31, 35, 36, 38, 117, 118, 121, 122, 182
Build(ing), 4, 8, 11–18, 21, 25, 28, 34, 37, 38,
61, 62, 64, 71, 82, 85, 90–93, 95, 99,
101, 107, 110, 118, 122, 127, 131–133,
136, 140–142, 146, 148–150, 159, 161,
163, 164, 166, 167, 169, 172, 173, 175,
176, 185, 186, 194, 202–206, 209, 215,
218, 219, 222, 223, 230, 233–236, 238,
240–244, 247
Builder, 2, 12, 15, 17, 142, 148–150, 169, 173,
188, 194, 206, 228
Building technology, 17
Building with nature, 10, 16, 93, 186
Built environment, 10, 22, 26, 114, 116, 117,
119, 124, 156, 161, 164, 174, 203, 204
C
Carbon, 14, 17, 22, 27, 94, 115, 121, 142, 143,
164, 192, 202
Carbon budget, 121
Carbon footprint, 205
Catastrophe, 83
Cathedral thinking, 11
Chain, 13, 56, 119, 142, 205, 206

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
R. Roggema (ed.), Trends in Urban Design, Contemporary Urban Design
Thinking, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21456-1

249

250
Challenge, 17, 22, 49, 52, 93, 94, 115,
117–120, 122, 125, 146, 147, 153,
173, 238
Change, 1–6, 8–10, 12, 15, 18, 27, 28, 33, 34,
36–39, 44, 45, 47, 48, 54–58, 63,
71–73, 75, 76, 79, 82–86, 90–94, 98,
99, 102, 103, 107, 114, 115, 121, 125,
126, 130–132, 140, 146, 157, 166, 169,
173, 182, 185–187, 192, 194, 196, 202,
203, 210, 213, 218, 219, 234, 240, 241
Circular agriculture, 52, 85
Circularity, 8, 64, 110, 147, 206, 214
Citizens, 8, 15, 17, 48, 49, 63, 99, 105, 107,
117, 125, 127, 158, 159, 177, 221
City, 2, 3, 8–11, 13, 15, 22, 26, 31, 33–35, 37,
43, 44, 47, 57, 63, 64, 69, 70, 73, 86,
89–95, 105, 107, 108, 114, 115,
120–122, 132, 136–139, 141, 146,
153–159, 161, 162, 196, 210, 211, 214,
223, 225, 226, 228, 230, 231, 241–244
City region, 35
Civil
engineering, 94, 197
Classroom, 4
Climate
adaptation, 8, 17, 64, 72, 75, 92, 93, 126,
153, 173, 182, 192, 193, 195, 196
apartheid, 12
buffer, 10, 58, 128, 129
change, 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 33, 45, 51, 56,
58, 63, 72, 73, 75, 79, 83, 92, 94, 99,
114, 130, 169, 173, 181, 191, 192, 213
effects, 57, 182, 184, 186, 192, 194
emergency, 90
impact, 3, 8, 16, 64, 83, 95, 192
literacy, 93
urgency, 44, 48, 54, 114, 126, 184, 194
Coast(line), 14, 141, 163, 182
Coastal delta, 16, 47, 245
Cohesive, 11, 13, 98, 229
Collaboration, 11, 17, 27, 51, 56, 58, 61, 63,
71, 94, 126, 148, 156, 159, 173, 206,
223, 230
Collective, 7, 57, 102, 103, 131, 166, 194, 209,
213, 223
Communication, 11, 34, 35, 48, 94, 118, 122,
168, 176, 198, 218
Community, 15, 21, 22, 25, 28, 37, 38, 47, 63,
117, 119–122, 126, 138, 161–169, 173,
174, 177, 223, 244, 246
Compact
city, 242
urban area, 210

Index
Competences, 7, 14, 15, 94, 188
Complexity, 8, 10, 12–15, 36, 37, 62, 63, 69,
114, 241, 246
Concept(ual), 4, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 23, 25, 26,
45, 47, 89, 97, 107, 114, 115, 126, 136,
158, 176, 198, 204, 218, 220–223, 235
Connection, 6–8, 11, 12, 14, 23, 25, 26, 28,
45, 46, 56, 62, 63, 90, 98, 103, 107,
138, 155, 157, 158, 164, 166, 167, 192,
202, 210, 223, 241
Connective, 28, 218, 221
Construction, 8, 11, 13, 16–18, 36, 37, 110,
120, 128, 140–142, 166, 167, 169, 172,
173, 184, 186, 193, 201–206, 215, 222,
234–237, 240
Contingent, 92
Converging, 18, 19
Conversation, 2, 5, 7, 9, 14, 82, 99, 102, 148,
156, 158, 159, 193, 203, 229, 231
Countryside, 33, 34, 70
COVID, 73–75, 108, 116, 120
Craftsmanship, 62
Craftspeople, 234–235
Creativity, 7, 10, 12, 15, 27, 28, 63, 85, 94, 98,
103, 205
Crisis, 75, 90, 116–118, 172, 210
Cross-disciplinary, 15, 36
Cross laminated timber (CLT), 202
Cultural
history, 15, 16
D
Data, 10, 15, 16, 26, 38,
92, 238
Debate, 18, 71, 73, 75, 140, 215, 230
Decision-making, 6, 10, 15, 98, 99, 215,
218, 219
De-cultivating, 181–188
Defining the brief, 35–36
Degrowth, 8, 15, 86, 101, 244
Delta
commissioner, 2, 98
plan, 3, 16, 185, 187, 188, 245
program, 131, 185, 187
Democracy, 8
Democratic, 3
Dense
ity, 64, 241, 243, 244
Depolarisation, 8
Design
led, 26, 206
oriented, 28, 114

Index
research, 7, 10, 36, 70, 73, 90, 94, 119,
161, 168, 186, 211, 235, 239, 241, 243
studio, 7, 10, 11, 17, 18, 31, 103, 122, 140,
168, 169
Designer, 2, 12, 15, 21, 36, 89, 91, 93, 94, 97,
113, 116–119, 122, 123, 148, 164, 166,
167, 215, 241
Developer, 2, 17, 61–63, 138, 140, 149, 172,
173, 177, 193, 194, 206, 213, 226,
228, 230
Digital, 157, 158, 201, 203, 238
Digital prototyping, 93
Disaster, 3, 83
Dismantlable, 14, 131, 142, 167
Disruptive, 3, 9, 23, 244
Distrust, 8, 228, 231
Diverging, 18, 19
Diversity, 10, 73, 75, 120, 122
Drainage, 99, 107, 126
Dreams, 26, 102, 176
Drinking water, 14, 16, 55, 141
Drought, 9, 63, 106, 126–128, 182, 192
Dynamic, 13, 16, 75, 130, 131, 182–184,
186, 228
E
Ecological system, 22, 114
Ecology, 11, 14, 16, 17, 45, 57, 58, 91, 106,
114, 130, 131, 141, 143, 157, 235, 240
Economic(-y), 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15–17, 34, 47,
57, 71–74, 84, 86, 93–95, 113–124,
138, 164, 174, 187, 188, 213, 229, 230,
242, 244
Education, 4, 9, 10, 17, 27, 28, 58, 63, 92, 94,
117, 119, 123, 158, 167–169, 172, 202,
204, 223
Effective, 9, 27, 28, 91, 115, 119, 126, 128,
184, 214
Embrace change, 9
Emerge(nce), 13, 33, 114
Emergency, 7, 9, 10, 17, 89–96, 116, 120–122
Emissions, 14, 21, 56, 72, 106, 142, 164,
192, 202
Enabler, 124
Energy, 6, 11, 12, 17, 26, 37, 57, 58, 63, 71,
72, 83, 89, 90, 98, 99, 102, 121, 131,
146–149, 164, 166, 167, 192, 198, 203,
221, 229–231, 240, 242, 245, 246
Energy flows, 13, 115
Energy transition, 8, 44, 71, 98, 131, 149, 153,
156, 169, 173

251
Engagement, 15, 27, 28, 115, 117, 118
Environment, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 36, 37, 47, 49,
52, 56, 64, 70, 81–83, 90–93, 98, 114,
117, 118, 122, 126, 138, 141, 142, 159,
166, 167, 172–174, 181, 185–188, 193,
194, 202, 205, 211, 214, 218, 219, 222,
223, 226, 228, 241, 242, 245
Equitability, 34
Experiment, 7, 9, 16, 17, 23, 94, 122, 140,
148, 215, 235
F
Facilitator, 124
Farmers, 32, 56, 58, 71, 72, 74, 75, 85, 107,
130, 184, 187
Fear, 8, 98, 173, 231
Finance, 8, 17, 37, 120, 148, 214
Financial system, 15, 37, 115, 116, 214, 244
Flexible, -ity, 38, 47, 48, 120, 130, 163, 222
Flood(ing), 2, 3, 9, 47, 54, 83, 84, 99, 106,
125–127, 132, 140, 192
Fluidity, 12, 122
Food, 6–8, 11, 12, 17, 48, 56, 62, 72, 75, 81,
86, 89, 90, 95, 108, 110, 114, 131, 166,
210, 211, 231, 246
Free
thinkers, 177, 234–235
thinking, 10, 98, 176, 177
Future, 2–19, 23, 28, 33–37, 43, 48, 54, 58,
62–64, 69, 70, 73–79, 82, 86, 89,
91–94, 98, 103, 107, 108, 114, 116,
117, 119, 121, 131, 140, 149, 153, 155,
164, 167–169, 172–174, 185, 186, 188,
197, 203, 205, 209, 215, 218, 219, 227,
234, 235, 240, 241, 244, 246
G
Glacier, 2, 3, 83
Governance, 122, 210
Government, 11, 12, 17, 49, 63, 64, 85, 93,
116, 119, 125, 148–150, 158, 167, 172,
173, 177, 184, 187, 188, 210, 213–215,
218–220, 225, 228–231, 244
Green
deal, 49, 94, 132, 157
infrastructure, 94
space, 9, 57, 105–108, 110, 140,
157, 186
urban development, 8, 64
Greenhouse gas (GHG), 72

252
H
Health, 7, 12, 13, 16, 44, 56, 75, 167, 181,
186, 187, 192, 193, 244
Heat
network, 57, 148, 149, 155, 156
stress, 57, 192, 194
High rise, 242, 243
Holistic(ally), 7, 11, 26, 28, 91, 94, 229
Housing, 2, 8, 11, 16, 17, 47, 62, 70, 84, 98,
100, 101, 120, 121, 131, 140–142, 145,
164, 172–177, 184, 206, 210, 213, 215,
219, 228–230, 244
Human(ity), 10, 23, 64, 94, 114–116, 120,
168, 182, 184, 187, 223, 233
Hyperlocal(ized), 12
Hyper localization, 121, 122
I
Idealism, 5–8, 18, 146, 209, 221, 223
Ideology, 6, 211
Imagination, 10, 12, 101, 102, 226
Improbability, 69–78
Improvise, 15, 218, 219, 222
Indigenous
knowledge, 12
traditions, 12
Indistinguishable, 91, 92
Individualism, 4
Influence, 8, 11, 34, 49, 136, 149, 150, 154,
158, 194, 213, 218, 221, 222
Infrastructure, 44, 48, 74, 117, 118, 120, 186,
197, 210–212, 229
Inhabitants, 12, 56, 64, 110, 114, 146, 148,
153, 172, 173, 177, 182, 185–187, 191,
196–198, 223, 246
Inner city, 16, 141, 202, 211, 241, 242
Inner dune edge, 14, 16, 55, 56, 58, 141,
157, 164
Innovation curve, 23
Innovative, 9, 35, 56, 84, 89, 95, 103, 110,
149, 173–176, 184, 194, 196, 204,
205, 247
Inspiration, 49, 79, 194
Inspire, 49, 75, 136, 203, 229, 230
Insulate, 147, 148
Integration, 6, 17, 72, 114, 211
Interdependence, 4, 23
Interdisciplinary, 36, 37
Interest group, 171, 172
Intergenerational, 8, 15
Intuition, 10, 12, 27

Index
Invest, 27, 34, 57, 72, 94, 107, 142, 149, 203,
204, 226
Iterative, 10, 18, 202
J
Jazz, 218
K
Krznaric, 4, 101
L
Landscape
architecture, 97
driven, 166, 204
pain, 241
Land subsidence, 3, 4, 8, 16, 44, 98, 126, 130
Large-scale, 11, 16, 45, 48, 64, 82, 85,
184, 231
Layered approach, 12, 229, 240
Light city, 243
Little step, 27, 182
Livability, 64, 71, 110, 114, 176, 242
Living environment, 3, 6, 12, 44, 57, 63,
69–72, 75, 105, 107, 121, 139, 172,
175, 177, 181, 182, 184, 185, 187, 194,
228, 231
Local, 7, 10, 13, 17, 28, 33, 34, 36, 38, 54, 56,
71, 82, 90, 102, 103, 108, 110, 121,
122, 140–142, 149, 153, 164, 173, 176,
203–205, 228, 229, 231, 235, 246
Logistic, 15, 16, 141, 198, 202
Long-term, 4, 7, 8, 11, 15, 28, 58, 64, 72, 93,
107, 108, 123, 130, 131, 155, 159, 182,
185, 186, 197, 206, 210, 221, 226, 233
M
Master planning, 37
Material, 8, 12–14, 16, 17, 110, 115, 116, 118,
139, 141, 143, 146, 147, 150, 164, 169,
197, 201, 203–205, 215, 235, 240
Mental shift, 37
Metabolic, 94
Metropolis, 108
Migration, 3, 34, 45, 48, 176
Mindset, 22, 24, 36, 38, 91
Mix, 222, 231, 242–244
Mobility, 12, 45, 57, 63, 74, 102, 156, 176,
230, 242–244

Index
Modular, 14, 120
Monetary, 8, 14, 86, 116, 124
Multiplicity, 12, 13, 92, 241
Multi-use, 123
Municipality, 18, 85, 140, 148, 150, 171, 172,
177, 188, 192, 196, 218, 221, 223,
228, 244
Mutability, 92
N
National government, 214, 228, 244
Natural disaster, 2
Nature, 5, 8, 10–12, 16, 22, 27, 28, 33, 36, 38,
43, 44, 49, 51, 52, 56–58, 63, 64,
70–72, 74, 81–83, 85, 90–92, 102,
105–108, 110, 122, 128, 131, 132, 136,
142, 168, 171, 181, 182, 184–186, 188,
222, 223, 230, 231, 240
Nature-rich
living, 184, 185
Netherlands, 185
Natuurrijk Nederland, 240
Negotiation, 15, 63
Neighborhood, 22, 39, 86, 90, 108, 146, 147,
149, 172, 173, 184, 222, 223, 242,
243, 245
Network, 15, 16, 49, 52, 107, 131, 149,
176, 210
Networked governance, 120
Nitrogen, 8, 11, 16, 55, 70–72, 106
Non-linear, 13, 76, 202
Non-western, 34
O
Optimism, 175, 176, 225
Oral learning, 12, 15, 21–28
Organic, 7, 12, 13
Organism, 10, 15, 16, 89, 95, 154, 186
P
Participants, 7, 218–223
Participation, 6, 11, 15, 17, 47, 63, 146, 218,
219, 222, 223
Partnerships, 18, 56
Passive, 121
Path dependency, 75, 185
Pattern, 11, 15, 25, 33, 36, 94, 95, 114, 115,
119–121, 126, 127, 229, 244
Peat
land, 99, 128, 130
Peripheral, 16, 47, 140

253
Permit, 149, 186
Perspective, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 17, 26, 31,
49, 58, 62, 76, 82, 83, 91, 94, 99, 101,
103, 107, 115, 120, 123, 130, 137, 154,
158, 159, 169, 172–175, 181, 182, 188,
215, 229, 240, 246
Physical, 3, 25, 92, 118
Pixel, 142, 143
Placemaking, 21, 28
Plants, 12, 82, 136, 138, 157, 223
Polarization, 34, 36, 138, 231, 242, 244
Policymaking, 10, 63, 71, 73, 107, 194, 214
Political, 6, 8, 16, 31, 34, 38, 63, 85, 90, 99,
114, 115, 120, 123, 130, 141, 173, 187,
211, 214, 215, 218, 228, 241, 244
Population, 4, 23, 45, 48, 62, 99, 115, 128,
149, 167
Power, 8–10, 15, 34, 38, 63, 98, 108, 115, 116,
182, 211
Practical, 16, 62, 142, 149, 203
Pragmatism, 137
Precipitation, 4, 9, 99, 126, 130, 229
Prefab, 8, 141, 235, 237
Private, 11, 12, 61, 63, 110, 166, 213
Professional, 7, 14, 15, 36, 38, 116, 117, 119,
169, 173, 177, 220, 221, 223
Professional citizen, 15, 116, 118–121,
123, 124
Property, 107, 114, 149
Public
space, 14, 54, 63, 64, 126, 132, 155, 156,
164, 191, 192, 228, 231, 242
Q
Quality, 12, 16, 34, 58, 63, 64, 86, 93, 98, 102,
110, 130, 131, 138, 141, 153, 157, 159,
163, 182, 184, 186, 202, 206, 210, 214,
218, 223, 225–231
Quality of life, 8, 11, 138
Question, 2, 4, 9, 10, 16, 23, 28, 34, 36, 38,
44, 45, 48, 54–56, 58, 62, 71, 75, 86,
92–94, 101, 108, 115, 119, 121, 123,
138, 145, 148, 153, 155, 164, 167, 172,
173, 176, 177, 192–194, 196, 202, 204,
210, 214, 215, 219, 223, 226, 229, 241,
244, 247
R
Rain
water, 126
Raw material, 11–14, 16, 17, 75, 197,
203–205, 235

254
Realism, 5–7, 18, 209, 210
Reciprocity, 246
Recreation, 16, 109, 128, 182
Recycling, 13, 164
Redevelopment, 31, 64
Reflect(ion), 26, 63, 93, 102, 131, 215, 223
Regenerative, 11, 12, 14, 21, 22, 89, 114
Region, 5, 10–12, 14, 16–18, 31–41, 43, 47,
58, 71, 83, 84, 93, 126, 127, 130, 137,
139–142, 163, 164, 172–174, 192–194,
197, 210, 213, 228, 244, 247
Regional
plan, 10, 35, 229
scale, 3, 10, 16, 35, 38, 39, 89, 103, 108,
121, 192, 244, 245
Regulations, 7, 13, 17, 71, 118, 148, 150, 166,
203, 204, 218
Reimagine, 11
Relational(ity), 7, 12, 23, 25
Research by design, 10, 18, 91, 245–247
Resilience, 5–7, 10, 15, 21, 37, 62, 93,
114–116, 120, 121, 123, 154, 176,
186, 191
Resource, 107, 119
Responsibility, 13, 63, 158, 166, 172, 177,
192, 194, 209, 226, 228
Restoring, 22
Retrofit, 90
Reuse, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 141, 162, 164, 203,
204, 235
Reversed engineering, 11, 182–184
Rewilding, 11
Risk, 8, 9, 37, 39, 44, 54, 62, 75, 94, 108, 125,
163, 193, 194, 228, 229
Rituals, 12
S
Salinization, 54, 55, 130, 141
Salk, 5, 23, 25
Salt water, 54
Sand engine, 182
Scale, 7, 11, 12, 15, 36, 39, 48, 64, 71, 82, 90,
91, 93, 114–116, 120–122, 138, 141,
145, 161, 222, 235, 241, 245
Scarce(ity), 9, 127, 173
Scenarios, 3, 9, 10, 48, 70, 73–76, 78, 93, 140,
211, 215, 246, 247
Sea level rise, 2, 4, 44, 54, 55, 86, 126,
182, 197
Seepage, 58
Self government, 177, 219
Self-organising, 12
Sense of urgency, 98, 140

Index
Sensors, 238
Sewage, 156, 186, 192, 198
Sketch(ing), 82, 103, 158, 159
Skills, 4, 7, 14, 15, 27, 36, 37, 47, 63, 94, 122,
158, 159, 188, 221, 223, 235
Social cohesion, 8, 15, 242
Society, 8, 12–15, 17, 21, 23, 34, 45, 62,
70–74, 85, 86, 98, 101, 108, 145, 149,
155, 164, 166, 167, 169, 172, 173, 175,
176, 202, 209, 215, 219, 225, 242
Soil, 10, 11, 15, 63, 93, 99, 102, 110, 128,
130, 131, 138, 139, 211, 213, 222,
229, 240
Spatial
interventions, 10, 38
perspectives, 218, 219
planning, 47, 58, 102, 210, 211, 218, 219,
221, 228, 241
rules, 210
Species, 136, 223
Stakeholders, 26, 28, 33, 159, 187,
193, 241
Storage, 16, 99, 126–128, 130, 140, 222
Stories, 8, 10, 12, 25, 26, 71, 73, 75, 82, 102,
166, 173, 175
Story(telling), 28
Strategy, 9, 26, 27, 64, 99, 116, 131, 137, 140,
159, 171, 193, 213, 241
Street
profile, 149, 156
scape, 223
Subsidiarity, 120, 122
Sustainability, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 21,
26, 37, 58, 62, 83, 94, 139, 145–148,
203, 204, 214, 244
Synergy, 11, 12, 114, 156, 157, 164, 169, 184,
229, 231
Synthesising, 19
System, 4–8, 10–12, 14–16, 23, 25, 37, 43, 54,
56, 57, 71–73, 82, 86, 90, 92–95, 101,
103, 107, 110, 114–117, 119–123, 126,
131, 156, 157, 164–166, 168, 169, 176,
182, 186, 192, 215, 228, 240, 242, 244
T
Teaching, 4, 10, 21, 26–28, 31–41, 63, 94,
117–120, 140, 161, 177, 203, 222
Technology, 7, 8, 12, 16, 33, 119, 122, 142,
147, 148, 168, 176, 201–203
Temporary
ality, 31, 32
iness, 12
use, 11, 16

Index
Time, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 23, 27, 28, 33–35,
38, 43–45, 47, 48, 57–59, 62–64, 71,
74–76, 79, 82, 86, 90–94, 98, 103, 107,
114, 119, 121, 122, 126, 127, 130, 131,
146, 153, 154, 158, 169, 172, 173, 175,
182, 185, 196, 206, 210, 213, 215, 218,
221–223, 228–230
Transformation, 2, 8, 14, 17, 27, 31, 35, 44,
121, 140, 156, 164, 242
Transition, 4, 6, 8, 16, 17, 23, 25, 27, 71, 90,
98, 140, 142, 156, 157, 173, 184, 185
Trees, 107, 136, 149, 155–157, 164, 223
2050, 16, 54, 92, 119, 121, 192, 194, 196, 205
U
Uncertainty, 6, 9, 13, 14, 37, 38, 58,
73–76, 93, 117, 173, 174, 176,
186, 202, 241
Underground, 12, 130, 155, 159
Understand(ing), 6, 9–12, 15, 26–28, 31, 33,
36, 38, 45–47, 55, 63, 94, 95, 103, 107,
114, 117, 119, 120, 122, 123, 149, 150,
198, 202, 215, 218, 219, 228, 229, 241
Unknown(s), 10, 38, 73, 99, 101, 154,
210, 239
Unprecedented, 114, 117
Unpredictable, 4, 8, 73, 114
Urban
design, 10, 12, 17, 31, 37, 38, 48, 65, 66,
70, 89, 92, 93, 108, 110, 114, 115, 121,
122, 159, 161, 166, 171, 211, 241
development, 8, 10–13, 16, 43, 45, 48, 64,
70, 107, 108, 113–115, 122, 154, 166,
171, 211, 225, 244
landscape, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17, 43, 57, 65, 66,
91, 92, 94, 105, 107, 108, 110, 118,
122, 127, 137, 167, 211, 244
planning, 8, 10, 17, 31, 37, 43, 48, 70, 115,
117, 122, 130, 136, 138, 171, 229,
241, 244
professional, 14, 15

255
Urbanity, 3, 11
Urbanization, 62, 70, 212
V
Value, 4, 10, 11, 13, 15, 22, 23, 34, 57, 71, 94,
98, 103, 110, 115, 117, 120, 123, 142,
162–164, 174, 176, 181, 182, 210, 211,
213, 214, 225–230, 244
Vision, 4, 7, 9, 11, 15, 16, 23, 28, 35, 75, 76,
82, 99, 131, 148, 149, 154, 187, 192,
197, 221, 226, 229, 230, 240, 241, 246
Visualization, 70, 103, 138, 195
Vocal(ity), 153, 155, 158
Vocational, 119
W
Water
management, 3, 8, 102, 125, 126, 130, 230
shortage, 16, 47, 54, 157, 173
system, 8, 13, 16, 47, 54, 89, 107, 110,
125–127, 130, 131, 157, 173, 192,
193, 230
Well-being, 8, 13, 62, 120, 182, 185, 191, 244
What-if, 9, 58, 93, 116, 121, 140, 247
The Why Factory, 142, 205
Wicked problem, 75, 241
Wild nature, 82, 108
Wind turbines, 139–141, 148
Wood, 8, 13, 105, 108, 146, 235, 236
Work patterns, 33
Worldview, 7, 13, 23, 25, 26, 28, 244
Y
Young, 11, 16, 23, 43, 45, 48, 49, 158, 201,
203, 222, 235
Z
Zero-carbon, 22, 26, 27, 121