The constant manipulation of the Dutch delta system and the resulting creation of hard borders between the natural river landscape, the harbor and the city has led to a destabilized delta system(Hein, 2021; Meyer et al., 2015). The spatial and ecological challenges resulting from population growth and the resulting urban growth, as well as climate change, are becoming increasingly urgent. To densify already urban areas, municipalities are transforming more and more inner-city port areas, which as a result of the relocation of the port to the North Sea are increasingly becoming available. However, this trend presents increasingly apparent challenges as these areas are outside of dike protection and exposed to natural influences (Breś & Krosnicka, 2021). On the one hand, they offer the opportunity for housing, which is urgently needed in Rotterdam, but on the other hand are highly vulnerable due to the enhanced risk of flooding resulting from sea-level rise and higher river discharge. 
The research project "Accepting the current(s) - A porous approach for the revitalization of a former port area in the Rhine-Meuse Delta" explores a new nature-based approach for these areas. The resulting design aims to combine the natural and urban processes in an adaptive and urban tidal landscape, working with and benefiting from the natural processes of the Nieuwe Maas and the Delta. It seeks to balance the various entities by enhancing the natural environment in the urban delta.
The permeable approach enables the provision of a collaborative zones for different flows and connections. This facilitates a transition from water to land and from port to city, where people, resources and ideas can move smoothly (Höller, 2021). Leading to better exploitation of potential and a better activation and integration of the previously segregated outer dike areas into the urban context. An adaptive hotspot is created within the dynamic landscape that is continuously evolving and able to accommodate future changes. In addition, the creation of tidal habitats provides an important natural habitat for different species of animals and plants that have been displaced by the previous water management of the region, thus creating a place of migration. For both humans and animals.
The work includes a design catalog for the creation of an urban tidal landscape to show decision-makers the various options available to create an adaptive wetland neighborhood. It allows the project to be more comprehensible and regionally transferable. In the end the suggested design strategies are applied to the study area of the waterfront of Nieuw Mathenesse/Merwe-Vierhavens to give a more specific outlook and to better demonstrate the potentials the design is intended to offer. ... Read more

The future poses a major problem of feeding 9 billion people by 2050, while the current system of agriculture in itself is unsustainable and demands resources which exceed the planetary boundaries. Further continuing this trend of exploitation and destruction of ecology will only worsen the planetary stresses the Anthropocene has established. Hence emerges the urgent necessity to reorganize and reinvent our current food system towards a sustainable and circular one to sustain life on our planet. Accordingly, the primary goal of this project is to achieve sustainability in the food sector, thereby achieving circularity and food security. The Netherlands has an extraordinary position in the global market and is globally leading in agricultural research, technology and innovation. Therefore it could prove to be fruitful to develop a regional sustainable agricultural model that could become a role model for sustainable agriculture globally. The vision is to reduce the spatial impact of our food system while discontinuing the destruction of new habitats. To achieve this, a healthy diet must be embraced, which not only proves to significantly improve our health but also facilitate a transition towards a healthier planet. By evaluating the spatial, environmental and health impacts of the current model, the negative externalities at each stage of the food sector are investigated. The diversification of the crops to be grown within South Holland is crucial in order to facilitate the transition from a food exporter to a self-sufficient region with respect to the food sector. To encourage more sustainable food production and enhance the relationship between people and their food production, it is invaluable to invest more power in the producers. Finally, the various steps involved in the food systems and the gap between people and the source of their food are reduced by initiating big food retail corporations to focus on food production. Thus, the transformation of the food industry through the integration of a sustainable agriculture model and reshaping the public’s perception of food consumption and dietary needs, will ultimately create a more healthy and balanced landscape, while aiming towards the collective goal of mitigating climate change. ... Read more