The climate crisis will require far-stretching changes to our urban systems, also called a transition. However, the direction in which our society will transition is still deeply uncertain. To become less vulnerable, cities and urban areas need to increase their adaptive capacity, establishing an evolutionarily resilient region. Delta cities in the Netherlands are governed through a decentralised and neo-liberal governance model, giving responsibilities for the long-term to local actors. As a result, climate adaptation relies on being integrated in local urban redevelopment projects to produce the necessary innovations that are needed for the transition.
In the Netherlands, post-industrial port sites are redeveloped into mixed-use residential areas which should have an innovative and adaptive character to function as pilots for the regional transition towards a climate adaptive system. Nevertheless, in many cases short-term responsiveness and econmic values get the overhand, reducing the innovative value of experiments and the contribution pilot projects make for the essential transition. This leaves redeveloped neighbourhoods and the delta region vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis and is predicted to result in a chaotic transition from the existing to the climate adaptive system (Rotmans, 2021).
This urbanism graduation project therefore studies the following question: how can post-industrial port redevelopments contribute to the transition towards climate adaptive delta cities? Comparative case study research of cases in the Rhine-Meuse delta is used first to compose an understanding of mechanisms behind the integration of climate adaptation and industrial and societal transitions in post-industrial port redevelopment projects. Next, the case study lessons for adaptation are integrated with transition principles in a redevelopment strategy for a representative case and regional pilot for climate adaptation: de Staart in Dordrecht. Here, the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways framework (Haasnoot et al., 2013) proves to be a promising methodolgy for making the complex and interdisciplinary transitions more insightful.
An urban design simulation for a section of de Staart shows how the policy pathways should be used in combination with an inclusive process, a spatial framework and a set of dynamic rules to esure that short-term actions contribute to the long-term transition pathway and adaptation under uncertain future contexts remains possible. The strategy for climate adaptive redevelopment of post-industrial sites shows that it can improve local liveability through its inclusive process and accellerate the regional transition by being connected in a regional network. The project shows promising qualities for bridging the gap between ambitions towards realising climate adaptive delta cities and it can be a valuable design and redevelopment strategy for application in practice. Nevertheless, applicability in different context than the Rhine-Meuse delta can be evaluated by performing similar research under different cultural contexts.

To help combat climate change, promote sustainable development and match the goals set in the Paris Agreement, the Province of Zuid-Holland wants to transition to a circular economy. To make this transition successful, the Province ought to adopt an integrative approach, addressing other elements such as socio-spatial inequality, pressure for urban expansion and economic challenges that have to be integrated in the transition strategy. The following report describes these elements and the challenges they bring and proposes a vision and a development strategy based on the sector where these elements connect: the agri-food sector. Zuid-Holland’s agri-food sector is an important link in the global economy, and many of its infrastructures are oriented towards export through the Port of Rotterdam. However, there is an unequal distribution of profit and power related to the agro-food sector, which results in socio-spatial inequality. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis of both the physical and social environment, we conclude that the spatial pressures and existing challenges are most present in the edges of the province’s biggest cities. Hence, the Living Edges project envisions how the linear global agro-food sector can be transformed into a circular regional agri-food sector in a social just way . By designing a strategy in which this transition is detailed in space, the project aims to decrease socio-spatial inequality through bypassing the linear food system with interventions in the edges between the urban and rural areas. It does so by increasing diversity, social cohesion and equitable access to healthy, affordable food. As a result of efficient local circular production, the delta province will have more space for regenerative, nature-based and robust water defense systems. The vision and strategy designed by the Living Edges project provides tools for emancipating the province from the linear global economy towards a local, equitable and circular economy. Through networked governance with a multi-scalar focus, the Province of Zuid-Holland can be an example to other similar regions in Northwestern Europe and promote the idea of a just region.
Dynamic Adaptation Policy Pathways are advised for the strategy in order to incorporate deep uncertainty in the long-term, large scale project. By using stakeholder engagement strategies, including stakeholders in different ways corresponding to the variety of scales and phases.