This thesis explores the future of Amsterdam and the broader metropolitan region, all deeply influenced by a rich history of water management practices. Against this backdrop, the rising challenges of climate change are increasingly threatening the Dutch delta region. Recognising the historical significance and heritage associated with Amsterdam’s water structures, this research aims to strengthen these assets to integrate a resilient water system with a strategy for sustainable heritage development in Amsterdam.
Qualitative and quantitative research have been combined to gain a better understanding of the water problems caused by climate change, enrich the understanding of contemporary cultural heritage values that are associated with the water system and look for spatial potential for urban transformation regarding water-related heritage. The integrated typology forms the basis for the design project, emphasising which design qualities can be improved in which places in the city.
In the design project, the maximisation method maximises the landscape and cultural resilience and by integrating these extremes it is intended to create the most sustainable urban plan. In parallel a pattern language will be developed that aims to generate design solutions that support the design qualities aimed for in this project.
The maximisation experiments and pattern language are combined into the integrated urban transformation plan and integrated implementation on the neighbourhood scale with two example neighbourhoods which show how different neighbourhood types can strengthen their water identity by integrating resilience water management with sustainable heritage development. Ultimately bridging past and future and creating a resilient urban environment.
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With urgent urban challenges such as climate adaptation, energy transition, the continued extraction of resources and pushing urbanisation, the urgency of integrating planning and design with urban engineering increases. The implementation of new technological interventions and the utilisation of the natural system is hampered by the lack of an integrated approach incorporating urban planning and design decisions. Meanwhile, urban and economic growth increasingly competes for infrastructure and environment, affecting the success or failure of the daily operating systems of cities and regions and thereby urban competitiveness. The challenge is to fundamentally rethink the urban landscape in light of transitions, new concepts and new technologies – as material and ecological practices. The question is how to renew existing urbanised areas by integrating parameters of the natural system and technological innovations directly into urban development opportunities arising from spatial planning and design. In order to stimulate and design the synergy between design and engineering the course Infrastructure and Environment Design offers the possibility for urban design and landscape architecture students to get well acquainted with the concepts and language of the technical field on the subject of infrastructure and environment.... ... Read more

Although the industrial release of pollutant substances into North West European river delta has been decreasing over the last decades, The Netherlands still has one of the worst water qualities in Europe. In this strategic regional design we aim to improve the quality, quantity and distribution of water through the concept of sustainable land use. Industrial waste, waste water and increasing demand for land are the main pressures on our river water system. Considering the future risk of flood and drought there is also a big insecurity about our water quantity. There will be a need for more space and fair use of our water system. The goal is to restore the water quality in the North West European river delta and secure a sufficient water quantity for future use, flood protection and a fair distribution of the water available. In this report research by design is used to develop a spatial vision and spatial strategy that will create spatial water justice and with that a healthy river landscape. There are three themes related to spatial water justice: water quantity, quality and distribution. To meet sufficient standards for these three themes there are three important concepts: a circular industrial water system, decontamination and room for the rivers. All of them deal with the broader concept of sustainable land use. Sustainable land use is the fair and balanced distribution of land and environmental resources. This report shows a regenerative decontamination design for the North West European river delta. It is the development of a catalog of interventions that can be used in the whole river basin. Many small changes make a big difference in an interconnected system like a river basin. Every small intervention that will help clean the water, adds to the whole system and changes the whole system into a healthy and just river landscape. Together with this catalog there is a manual where the interventions are connected to spatial qualities of a specific location. The catalog and manual have been implemented for the case of South - Holland / Rivierenland. This example shows how we assure a sufficient water quality, quantity and fair distribution of water in a long-term perspective in the North West European Delta region. ... Read more