Reflection. Research, design, making something

Urban design in the context of delta landscapes is quite a challenge. By nature, deltas are highly dynamic environments. Despite all the risks they pose to people, over many centuries they have provided favorable conditions for intensive agriculture and human habitation. Always heavily used, in our time deltas throughout the world are coming...

Introduction. Urban Deltas: An international issue

The position of the Netherlands as a highly urbanized delta region is by no means unique in the world. Far from it. In fact, all around the world, deltas are sites of strong urban and economic growth. What is unique about the Netherlands, however, is the high level of flood protection, which has ensured that no serious flooding disaster has...

Introduction. Lake IJssel - The IJsselmeer

The IJsselmeer, or Lake IJssel, represents the northern flank of the Dutch Delta. In several aspects, this region is quite different from the South West Dutch Delta and the Rotterdam Rijnmond region. For one thing, as a delta landscape, it is less dynamic then the other two delta regions. Also, as an urbanized area dominated by the city of...

Introduction. The Southwest Delta: Space for 'controlled dynamics'

The Southwest Delta is perhaps the most dynamic region in the low-lying Dutch Delta, both in terms of the dynamics of the relationship between water and land, and in terms of the dynamics of urban and economic growth and their consequences for land-use.

Reflection. The open delta city: Designing with different dynamics

In his lecture ‘The Open City’, Richard Sennett (2006) pleads for an approach in urban design and planning which creates conditions for an evolutionary city. In his view, the current generation of designers and planners is still too focused on the city as a closed system. As a result, many cities become frozen entities, unable to cope with...

Dialogue hydraulic engineering and spatial design

In practice, the disciplines of landscape architecture/urbanism and hydraulic engineering have become more specialized during the last decades, gradually growing apart. The gap between governance and ecology seems to have become even larger. This leads to discussions about who should take the lead in a design; and, if the design approach is not...