Essential service systems, such as energy provision and wastewater treatment, are important elements within spatial planning as they cater the most fundamental needs of the built environment. The recent rise in decentralized or local systems compared to the common centralized approach have left spatial planners with a dilemma: on which scale level should systems be integrated to develop (partial) autonomy? A similar dilemma is visible in the developing neighbourhood Oosterwold near Almere where inhabitants develop their own wastewater treatment and energy provision systems following an unusual form of bottom-up urban planning. At the moment most inhabitants choose to develop these systems individually. Using the land-use, environmental impact and environmental risks associated with these essential service systems, a case is made for the potential of communal wastewater treatment, the exchange of electricity through a communal smart grid and the implementation of seasonal heat storage. The research highlights the importance of integrated spatial planning when working with local essential service provision.

Governments and private and non-profit organisations from international to local levels have acknowledged the idea that more sustainable systems are required to reduce our ecological footprint (WWF, 2016, Jonkhoff, 2012). The food system is a very important aspect within our lives, socially as well as economically but it is also one of the most important causes of unsustainability. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA), a key player within the global food sector, is also working to a more sustainable system with their focus on a circular economy. This research outlines the fact that in order to reach a more sustainable economy, there should also be an emphasis on resilience. In analyzing the region, there were several dependencies highlighted within the food system. Within the aspects of production, retail and end of life, each are dependent on a handful of controlling and dominating stakeholders as well as unsustainable and uncircular practices. Thus, there is a heavy emphasis on the food system needing to adapt and change to growing demands and trends.

This led to our research question of, How can the food system become more resilient in the AMA to promote a sustainable circular economy? In our research, scenario planning and weather mapping were used to showcase and locate feasible opportunities for our goals and strategies within the AMA. The primary strategies to create resiliency within the food system were to decentralize, diversify and connect aspects related to various urban and agri-food trends. This project envisions a decentralized system that contains a dense network of diverse and independent stakeholders with localized sustainable projects. There is also an emphasis on creating smaller and shorter connections within the chain.This includes incorporating and empowering various smaller stakeholders and actors with positive incentives but also restricting dominating stakeholders with policies and regulations. In addition, through the creation of more transparency through integrated and multiscaled design solutions, this will increase awareness and promote healthy and sustainable practices within the system. Food island encourages a thriving circular economy that is resilient and thus more sustainable.