Urban Metabolism Rotterdam

8/10/2019 Urban Metabolism Rotterdam

1/75


2/75

How do the fl ows of goods, people, waste,biota, energy, food, freshwater, sand andair function in Rotterdam? What influencedo these flows have on the quality of life inthe city, and how do they relate to spatialdevelopments? Can an insight into themetabolism of Rotterdam help us developinto a sustainable region? And what oppor-tunities are there for a circular economy?

This publication details the results of theIABRPROJECT ATELIER ROTTERDAM.The analyses, the strategies developed andthe specific design proposals detailed,provide answers to the questions posedabove. The results obtained offer not onlythe municipality but also other parties in

the city specific pointers for continuing towork on the metabolism of Rotterdam.

The IABRPROJECT ATELIERROTTERDAM is a collaboration betweenthe IABR and the Municipality ofRotterdam and is one of the focal points ofIABR2014URBAN BY NATURE.

With IABR2014URBAN BY NATURE,the International Architecture BiennaleRotterdam (IABR) is continuing along itspath of research into our urban future, apath it set out on in 2003. We know thatthere is a huge increase in urbanizationworldwide and that the way in which weconstruct our cities is failing to keep pacewith this. We urgently need new ideas,new knowledge, new models and a newparadigm for what a city actually is. We

need new techniques and new workingmethods, new forms of development, fi-nancing, organization and management.We need an agenda for the city.

The IABR, in its role as a cultural organiza-tion, wants to make a modest yet idiosyn-cratic contribution to that agenda for thecity. It is for this reason that it sets up anumber of IABRPROJECT ATELIERS foreach edition of the biennale. In the

Ateliers, the power of design is deployed inorder to work on urgent local and regionaltasks and to add value to s patial policy-making. Each atelier is an open space thatthe IABR, in its role as a cultural organiza-tion, provides to authorities in particularand within which those authorities cansubject their own tasks to an intensive,joint process of design-driven research.The cultural space therefore becomes abreeding ground for innovation.

The idea is that new ways of thinkingshould then lead to new ways of doingthings: the power of the design must beable to be used for actual innovation inpractice. The IABR-Ateliers, which for

many years now have served as successfulcatalysts for design innovation in practicein cities such as So Paulo and Istanbul,are now being used in the Netherlands andresult not only in new visions and plans.The objective of each IABR-Project Atelieris to come up with specific project propos-als, linked to a toolbox for governance: inother words, policy tools that governmentand stakeholders can then use in a practi-cal way.

The results obtained by an Atelier alwaysform one of the focal points of the mainexhibition of an edition of the biennale.The next step is the most important one:the local and regional authorities thenactually start working with the results.

The IABRPROJECT ATELIERS are run by

the IABR in its role as the lead partner inthe Regional and Local Design Dialoguegovernment programme instigated by theActie Agenda Architectuur en RuimtelijkOntwerp (AAARO) programme within theMinistry of Infrastructure and theEnvironment. Their assignment is to stimu-late the timely use of design and de-sign-driven research for local and regionaltasks.

URBAN

METABOLISM


3/75

UR

BANMETABOLISM

sustainable development of Rotterdam


4/75

More and more people are living in ever-expanding urban landscapes. These areareas where city and countryside graduallymerge into one another. Rotterdam is alsosituated in such an urban landscape, theRhineScheldtMeuse delta. That landscapestretches from Amsterdam to Brussels toCologne. Rotterdam is, with its port,ecologically and economically a centralnode.

Like all other deltas in the world, our delta isin transition. The deltas house the majorityof the worlds population and are the mainproducers of food. However, they areextremely vulnerable to the impacts ofclimate change. They now face a majorchallenge: how can further economic growthbe made sustainable?

The sixth edition of the InternationalArchitecture Biennale Rotterdam, IABR2014URBAN BY NATURE, for which DirkSijmons is the curator, starts from theposition that we can solve globalenvironmental problems if we solve theproblems of the city. If we analyse,understand and learn to use the structureand metabolism of the city, we can work

specifically on a resilient city, and thus amore sustainable future. We must learn toregard the city as our natural ecology andthat is why IABR 2014, puts the relationshipbetween city and nature on the agenda. Themore we know about the relationship, thebetter grip we have in the designing,planning and management of our complexurban landscapes. Together with themunicipality of Rotterdam, IABR therefore

established the IABR PROJECT ATELIERROTTERDAM, with which the study of themetabolism of the port city began. AlongsidUrban Development and the IABR, the PBL[Netherlands Environmental AssessmentAgency], the Port of Rotterdam and theRotterdam Climate Initiative were, from thebeginning, actively involved in the designstudy that took place in the atelier. The studwas conducted by FABRIC, James Corner

Field Operations and TNO. This book mapsout the results of the design study: thestrategies developed and the concreteproject proposals. It thus provides a strongimpetus for sustainable urban developmentin Rotterdam, based on its metabolism.

The results of the Project Atelier form one othe anchor points of the main exhibition ofthe IABR2014URBAN BY NATURE, whichcan be seen from 29 May to 24 August 2014in the Kunsthal and the Natural HistoryMuseum Rotterdam. Then comes the mostimportant step. The development strategieswhich the Project Atelier has produced, musbe effectively deployed. The new approach turban planning, as proposed by the ProjectAtelier, must also be tested by means of the

implementation of the projects. This must bedone in the city itself and together with allstakeholders.

Astrid Sanson,Director Urban Quality /Inner city Municipalityof Rotterdam

PREFACE

George BrugmansManaging DirectoIABR


5/75

IABRProject Atelier Rotterdamp. 9

Chapter 1

Urban Flows for a sustainableurban landscape

p. 13

Chapter 2

Nine flows highlightedp. 19

Chapter 3

Four strategies to optimizeflows in Rotterdam

p. 77

Chapter 4

Results, ongoing actions and Follow-upp. 127

Colophon

p. 143

CONTENT


6/75

The International Architecture BiennaleRotterdam has become a genuine Rotterdamtradition. IABR2014URBAN BY NATUREis the 6thedition and the IABR has proven tobe an innovative platform of and forRotterdam, allowing research by design tooutline new perspectives and opportunitiesfor the city on the basis of topical subjectsthat have an impact on our policies. Theeditions of 2005, The Flood, and 2012,Making City, were respectively at the basis

of an innovative approach to water-relatedchallenges (Rotterdam Waterstad 2030), andof new insights into the citys densificationcapacity (Rotterdam: People make the inner-city). Inspired by the Biennale, we in turninspire others by translating acquired know-ledge into visions and new plans for the city.

We know so little about what it really takes,about how urbanization actually works, saidPierre Belanger, landscape architect and

associate professor at Harvard UniversitysGraduate School of Design. This sums upexactly why this biennale is urgent andtopical, given the fact that the majority ofthe world population will soon be living incities, including the Dutch and the residentsof the Rotterdam region.

The IABRProject Atelier Rotterdam, UrbanMetabolism, is one of the three IABR2014

Project Ateliers. The complexity of the city iexposed and studied, and new and unexpected relationships within the city are exploreoffering urgent and relevant challenges andopportunities to the Rotterdam area. Theresearch has led to a compelling analysis ofour unique urban metabolism, resulting in acollection of spatial economic perspectivesideas, and insights that will inspire us whenbuilding on a strong and sustainable futurefor the Rotterdam region.

Urban Metabolismis a response to globaltrends. These trends will have an impact onRotterdam and create opportunities in thecity. Across the globe, densely populatedareas, not coincidentally often located indeltas such as ours, are searching for waysto realize a resilient economic future,pressured by global issues like resourcescarcity, energy and food shortages,environmental issues, and climate change.Deltas are also highly competitive as

attractive habitats, with fashionable labelslike Eco City, Smart City, Sustainable City,and Climate Proof City. To attract and retaintalent and industry, it is crucial to create anurban ecosystem where authorities, know-ledge institutes, businesses, and citizenseffortlessly manage to relate to each other.

Global trends are developing towardscircular economies. This implies a

URBAN METABOLISMIABRPROJECTATELIERROTTERDAM

9


7/75

Of course, these motives apply to the city ofRotterdam as well. Many of the flowscrossing the city (waste, heat, riversediment, and the cargo that transits throughthe port) are huge and will likely yieldrevenue models that combine sustainableand economic prospects for Rotterdam, andhave a great impact on the spatial andfunctional transformation of the city.

Just imagine: before too long, there will be atransition to a s ustainable circular economicsystem with the port as a logistic hub for theimport and export of raw materials, recyclingof waste materials, coupled with an urbanmanufacturing industry that offers greatopportunities for new business andemployment. In the city, innovationfacilitates the building or transforming ofpremises that no longer only consumeenergy, but also produce energy, coupledwith local energy storage concepts or localraw materials production.

These are actual, relatively short-termdevelopments that are also addressed in theIABRProject Atelier, developments that willaffect the usability of the city and willdrastically change its infrastructure. The cityand its partners are already conducting 1:1innovative experiments to developknowledge in the field of sustainable urbandevelopment and its spatial consequences inthe Heijplaat concepthousesproject.

The outcome of the IABRProject Atelierconsists of a series of inspiring visions,ideas, insights, and proposals for pilotprojects. Two of these are the innovativedevelopment of the heat network that can beof great significance to the Rotterdamregion, and the new prospects for theboulevards on the south bank combiningthe facilitation of the manufacturing industrywith the introduction of innovative, clean

public transportation concepts. Theyconnect to existing networks or provide arefreshing perspective of the future ofRotterdam South. The Project Atelier thusprovides a collection of spatial economicconcepts that will boost the development ofa circular economy system in an attractiveRotterdam region.

The knowledge resulting from the ProjectAtelier is an incentive for a groundbreakingcollaboration between all stakeholdersinvolved in the Rotterdam area. We welcomethe collaboration with stakeholders andbusinesses in Rotterdam, to share knowledgand space to forge new coalitions that willjointly work to achieve a healthy future ofRotterdam. After all, we all benefit from astrong, attractive and resilient Rotterdam.

Ahmed AboutalebMayor of Rotterdam

transformation of the current, lineareconomy, in which raw materials eventuallyend up as waste that is subsequentlydestroyed, into a circular economy, in whichthe recovery of raw materials is maximizedand value destruction minimized. Thisdevelopment will generate new revenuemodels for the city. Increasing values of land,properties, and businesses in an ever-expanding city and port are no longer self-evident. Spatially, the city will develop in adifferent way. In this changing environment,discovering and seizing opportunitiesrequires an open mind.

Rotterdam is aware of this challenge, and ourspatial economic strategies and policies inconjunction with the ImplementationStrategy Rotterdam (June 2013) provide itwith spatial and economical direction. Oureconomic cluster approach focuses on theapplication of innovative technology as thekey to economic and sustainable growth.Clean Tech, Medical, and Food are clusterswe emphasize and which benefit especiallyfrom the influence of innovation becausethey positively impact a healthy urbanenvironment. This way, the ImplementationStrategy boosts the transition toward acircular economy.

One of the keys to a circular economy is tostop thinking in terms of waste and startthinking in terms of commodities. As a result,opportunities for new investments arise; new

jobs that are typical of Rotterdam are createdand will transform the city spatially. UrbanMetabolismadds a valuable approach to ourthinking about the transition of the city andhow to realize it.

This transformation process is alreadyunderway in the region, particularly in areaswhere different economic clusterscollaborate successfully. A striking example

is the heat network (for district heating) thatis created by recovering the waste productheat and giving it back to Rotterdamsinhabitants and businesses. The Port ofRotterdam also provides the important Dutchgreenhouse sector of the Westland with CO.Inseparably connected, the city, the port, theWestland and the river are in flux; they are inthe making and will only become moreimportant in the future.

Urban mining, recovering raw materials, forinstance from sewage, the river, or urbanwaste flows, can provide a real breedingground for agriculture in the region, theWestland or urban agriculture, but can alsobecome a source of materials for urban new-build or provide us with a strong position inthe future commodity market. In the distantfuture, a link with the pharmaceuticalindustry through the recovery of rawmaterials for medical products the sewersare full of them is likely. Partners in thewastewater chain are already activelyinvolved in innovation with regard to thetreatment of wastewater to extract rawmaterials.

There is much to be learnt from the manyinnovative businesses in the region. Large-scale commercial clusters such as theWestland or the Port of Rotterdam showcompetitive strength and innovativeefficiency as they work toward closing theircycles ensuring the recycling of waste into

new raw materials. They enter into newregional partnerships to strengthen theirown position and secure their future afuture that is broader-based than that oftraditional businesses. The Westland, forinstance, is rapidly transforming from a foodproducer to a provider of plant products for,among other things, packaging and medicalcompanies.

10 11


8/75

Theswitchfromananaloguetodigitals

ocietyhasbrought

usontheeveofanewIndustrial

Revolution.

Themanufacturinganddistributionsyste

msofavastmajority

ofp

roductswillbecompletelyo

verhauled.

JorisLaarmanDesigner

In this chapter we will deal with a number of questions about urban(substance) flows. What exactly are substance flows, and how do theyrelate to urban metabolism? How can they contribute to a better qualitof urban life, not only here and now, but also elsewhere and at a laterstage? What are the views of the International Architecture BiennaleRotterdam (IABR2014) on substance flows and urban metabolism,and how does this body of ideas contribute to the concreteimplementation of urban tasks, as in the Project Atelier Rotterdam?

URBAN FLOWS

FOR A SUSTAINABLEURBAN LANDSCAPE

13


9/75

emissions of pollutants and the strain onnature, agricultural lands and biodiversity)increase as a result. At a time when climatechange has become an established fact,there are a larger number of people who wantmore on a diminishing usable surface area,with a decreasing number of raw materials.

Until now, we have not been able to createprosperity without adversely affecting ourliving environment. The effects can be feltaround the world. An increasing number ofcity-dwellers are faced with problemsconnected with this. This also applies toDutch cities! For instance, an increasingnumber of people are now spending 15% ormore of their income on energy. A large partof this income can therefore not be used forpersonal development (e.g. education orsports). This income is therefore also notinvested in the local economy.

A transition to a sustainable urbancommunity is therefore essential! A world,where it is possible to create prosperity witha positive effect on our living environmentand communities. This is an enormous task.Decisions and choices at local and regionallevel can contribute to this to a great extent.But what does this mean specifically for thecity? The city has its own dynamics. In thiscontext, which buttons can we press to bethis attractive and economically successfulcity, with a good quality of life, not only hereand now, but also elsewhere and at a later

stage?

URBAN BY NATUREFor the IABR 2014, curator Dirk Sijmons tookthe idea of the Anthropocene (the Age ofMan), which was developed by geologistand Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, as a pointof departure. A revolutionary new concept.Crutzen suddenly realized that too manythings had changed over the last few

centuries to still be able to talk about theHolocene as the current age: the Holocenehas since been abandoned for a new era,where man intervenes on earth as a force ofnature.

Following on from this, Sijmons concludedthat a new era had dawned, where it was nolonger fruitful to separate man from nature,since town and nature overlap spatially andinteract functionally. Rather than contrastinurban society with nature, Sijmons choosesto place nature in man, in society. He asks:What new terms can we use to talk aboutcities in the Anthropocene? And what newproblem-solving approaches would comeabout if we were to try to consider thewhole network of relationships between thetwo, as opposed to putting either people orthings first?

Thinking about urbanism has long had thecharacter of thinking in terms of innerworlds, including the characteristicbehaviour of passing on problems. Urbanproblems were preferably dealt with bydropping them elsewhere. However, thisapproach has become increasingly pointlessince the human habitat coincides increas-ingly with the urban landscape, within whicurban problems will have to be solved .However, cities are interconnected by flowsFlows enter a city, are reused or stored (ornot), and leave a city again. The metaphor ourban metabolism makes it clear that

although cities can no longer pass on theirproblems, neither can they stand alone.

Sijmons regards the following as the maintasks here: Securing the access of city-dwellers toflows of daily necessities, such as water,food, communication and energy. In rapidlygrowing tropical towns, this literally makesthe difference between life and death.

We use the concept of urban metabolism todescribe the urban system in organic (notartificial) terms, by drawing a parallel withthe human body. Metabolism is therefore akey concept here: the metabolism of theurban landscape. How do the ingenious,interlocking flows and systems in thiscomplex, interactive urban system work,which incessantly works to meet the needsof its residents?

To make this urban metabolism visible, anumber of vital flows will be dealt with. Thisusually concerns physical flows, i.e.substance flows. In the final chapter a linkwill be created to information flows and valuestreams in order to be able to use this ap-proach in daily practice. For the time being,we will concentrate on goods, people, waste,biota (inter alia plants and animals), energy,food, fresh water, air, sand and clay. Althoughpeople and energy cannot exactly be regardedas substance flows, in a way, it also concernsmatter that flows from one location to another.We will also examine building materials,freight traffic and waste. For example, wastemanagement is one of the main cost items ofmunicipalities around the world. Therefore,these flows affect the everyday lives ofindividual city-dwellers and their basic needs.To some extent, there is even a one-on-onerelationship with what our bodys metabolismrequires. They also affect the operation oflarge urban constellations as a whole. Eachof these flows is indispensable to the citys

functioning and well-being. However, theseflows will not remain the same in the decadesahead in view of changing requirements andcontexts. It will often be extremely difficult toallow them to take place whilst ensuringgood quality and greater sustainability. Thisis an enormous yet concrete task, which willbe of interest to designers and planners, butalso to companies, investors, administratorsand concerned citizens.

Although cities have previously beenapproached as a form of metabolism in thepast, urban metabolism has really onlybroken through as a branch of science in thepast decade, following a start in the seventiesin environmental ecology. We can distinguishtwo different schools in the scientific field ofurban metabolism: An environmental school in the traditionof industrial ecology: How does urbanmetabolism work? How do the productionand consumption chains fit together? Whatare their effects on the local economy, thequality of urban life and sustainability? Forexample, think of how raw materials andenergy flow through the city. A sociological school: What purpose doesit serve? What life-forms can it sustain? Howdo the constituent parts fit together? In whatsocial and political context does it exist? Arethere behavioural differences betweenspecific social groups? Largely as a result ofthe emergence of smart phones, anincreasing amount of information isbecoming available, about usage patterns.

The spatial perspective has not yet receivedthe attention it deserves: In what form canwe best apply the characteristics andpossibilities of substance flows to urban lifeby means of spatial design? This is why thisschool is the main focus of IABR2014URBAN BY NATURE.

URBANIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

The world population is expected to increaseto nine billion people by 2050. Emergingeconomies are building at a fast rate.Whereas slightly over 10 per cent of theworld population lived in cities in 1900, thisfigure is now 53 per cent. This is expected toincrease to 70 per cent or higher by 2050.The average level of prosperity is also rising.The use of natural resources and fossil fuelsand the consequences thereof (e.g. the

14 15


10/75

healthy, attractive and economicallysuccessful city, which is prepared for futurechallenges. This means, amongst otherthings, creating the conditions for a caringsociety, where we look out for one another. Acommunity where talent development andcareer opportunities are provided for highlyeducated as well as less educated Rotterdamresidents. In a high-quality livingenvironment where there are opportunitiesfor entrepreneurship. The city as the focus ofthe existing and new economy. A breedingground for innovation, so that we canincrease our competitiveness. But also toprepare the city for socially urgent issues,such as an ageing population, higherhealthcare costs, climate change andprogressively scarce raw materials. Thetransition from the current economic modelto a more circular economy also requiresstructural changes. Can urban metabolismhelp here? In short: Yes. Chapters 3 and 4give a glimpse of possible solutions.

When we consider the theme of this biennale Urban by Nature we will also have to lookbeyond the boundaries of the municipality ofRotterdam and look for solutions where thecity and the surrounding countryside are inbalance, without passing on problems.However, how do we move from potentiallyendless and seemingly unconnected flows toa coherent idea about urban metabolism,which can be used to effect change? TheProject Atelier Rotterdam worked out spatial

designs for the region and (parts of the) citythat take advantage of opportunities for amore efficient urban metabolism, which alsocreates added value in the region.

As previously stated, urban metabolism isanalogous to human metabolism, since thehuman body, just like a city, has a layeredsystem of overlapping networks thatfacilitate flows. Think of the circulatory

system, the digestive tract, the lymphaticsystem, the nervous system or, for example,the skeleton. The flow of blood, nutrients,lymph, nerve signals and the regeneration oour skeletal system not only pertain todifferent networks, but also shows differentrates of flow.

Although the urban flow approach is verystrong, instead of representing this flowmerely as a single living organism a humabeing it would be interesting to regard thecity as a complete ecosystem with substancflows, since the efficiency of an ecosystemdoes not result from the fact that there is nowaste, but from the fact that there is alwayssomething being done with waste.

TNO (the Netherlands Organisation forApplied Scientific Research) has carried ouadditional research into a number ofsubstance flows in the Rotterdam region.Using what is referred to as Material FlowAnalysis and Life Cycle Analysis, theflows were analyzed (from district to regionalevel) and the consequences of the urbanflows were identified. This is important, sincthey can now be linked to urban humanactivity. In the next chapters the urbansubstance flows will be revealed, the effectson the living environment will be calculatedand perspectives and initiatives will bepresented so that the force of urbanmetabolism can be felt.

Although such urgent, global urban problemsseem to be far removed from the Netherlands,much will have to be done here in order to beable to guarantee the quality and availabilityof these amenities in the future in the face ofglobal competition for scarce raw materials.Through in-depth knowledge of the urbanflows and smart, draft strategies for the flowsand their infrastructure based on efficiencyand interaction, the urban landscapesmetabolism will be able to develop into avaluable planning instrument, as a resultof which the circular economy will be ableto develop.

Creating cohesion between urban flows.Every flow has its own infrastructure. Thinkof the electricity grid, water supply network,heat network and transport network.Substance flows do not necessarily have tobe spatial by nature. According to Sijmons,they represent the process side of the urbanlandscape. Technically s peaking, theindividual infrastructures can be increasinglybetter designed and optimized. They can alsobe aligned further. For example, think ofstoring the electricity from solar panels incar batteries. The design of the infra-structure itself should also be mentionedhere (e.g. the glow in the dark roadsconceived by Daan Roosegaarde andHeijmans, where oncoming traffic lights upthe road markings at night so that no costlylighting is required).

Maximizing the positive effects on thequality of the living environment. Those whothink in terms of flows can establish links.We can shorten and connect flows, we canmake cycles come full circle and we can usethe output of one flow as input for another.This is made possible by knowledge anddata, although, according to Sijmons, itrequires a different mode of perception andthought to extract opportunities from the

large amount of data on urban flows.However, with this knowledge and data, wecan considerably improve the environmentalperformance, i.e. the effects of substanceflows and production-consumption chains onthe quality of the living environment.

Taking advantage of the urbanlandscapes spatial order. This order is to asignificant degree affected by the location ofthe infrastructure, such as mobility, utilityand heat networks. Apart from innovationand optimizing existing networks orconstructing new networks for densification(see 5th IABR: Making City), the design ofthe urban infrastructure can be deliberatelyused to drive large urban expansions. Wherecoordination between the construction ofinfrastructure and urban expansion is nowoften lacking in practice, smarterinfrastructural planning will contribute tobetter spatial planning and an urbanlandscape which functions better and isecologically more efficient.Globally, thisconcerns hundreds of billions of euros ininvestments in infrastructure in the decadesahead, which can be spent wisely or poorly,in an ad hoc or sustainable manner,comprehensively or per sector and with a lowor high return. Todays decisions willdetermine the citys future environmentalperformance. It is therefore important tomake sound decisions, which also takeaccount of such matters as employment andinnovation, based on a new and effective

range of draft solutions.

URBAN METABOLISM IN THE PROJECTATELIER ROTTERDAMCan the concept of urban metabolismactually help us to implement the tasksfacing us in cities, in this case Rotterdam? Itis the key question which has been askedseveral times before.Rotterdams objectives are clear: a safe,

1 Sijmons D. , Urban by Nature,International Architectural BinnaleRotterdam, 2014.2 Kennedy C., Pincetl S., Bunje P.,Thestudy of urban metabolism and its applicationto urban planning and design. EnvironmentalPollution 159: 19651973, 2010.3 Hoornweg D., Bhada-Tata P.,Kennedy C., Waste Production must peak thiscentury, Nature, vol 502 p. 615, 2013.4 Barles S., Urban Metabolism of Paris andIts Region. Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol.13, Nr. 6, pp. 898-913, 2009.5 Global Cities Indicators Facility, Policysnapshot no 2. collaboration with Philips,Cities and Ageing, 2013.6 Tillie N.,A sustainable city calls for anew synergy between top-down andbottom-up,Council for the Environment andInfrastructure. (Toekomst van de stad.p 41).,Raad van de Leefomgeving enInfrastructuur, 2012.7 Municipality of Rotterdam, GIS data onincome and energy costs.

8 Brugmans, G., Strien, J. (ed.) (2014)IABR2014URBAN BY NATURE9 Tillie N., Aarts M., Marijnissen M.,Stenhuijs L., Borsboom J., Rietveld E., DoeD., Visschers J., Lap S., (2012) Rotterdam

people make the inner city, densification pgreenification = sustainable city, MediacenRotterdam, 2012.10 Newman P., Kenworthy J., Sustainaband Cities: Overcoming Automobiledependancy. Washington DC Island Press1999.11 The idea that, in theory, ecosystemsrepresent efficient and self-sufficient systneeds further qualification. It requires acontinuous input of energy and nutrients the form of sunlight, nitrogen, CO andoxygen in the air to maintain each ecosystEcosystem cycles are only closed at thelevel of the biosphere, and also on this scacomplete dependency on energy remains ithe form of sunlight.

16 17


11/75

18

NINE FLOWS

HIGHLIGHTED

To be able to investigate how theconcept of urban metabolismcan contribute to the cityssustainable development, ninevital substance flows wereidentified by the Project Atelier

Rotterdam, namely: Goods,People, Waste, Biota (e.g.movements of plants and animals),Energy, Food, Fresh, Water, Sand& Clay, Air.

The course of the varioussubstance flows was examined,and a way was sought to increaseusing these nine flowsRotterdams environmental

performance, quality of life andeconomic vitality. Where doeswaste occur, where can potentialsynergies be put to better use andhow can waste and synergies beturned into opportunities for thecity and region? To complete thepicture as much as possible, the

substance flows were analyzed ontwo different scale levels: thecatchment area of the Rhine andthe city region of Rotterdam.Rotterdam appears to have acharacteristic profile on both

scale levels. These profiles can belinked to current developments atlocal and global level, as a resultof which opportunities arise formaking the urban system moresustainable. An example isrecovering phosphates (asopposed to importing them) fromexhaustible resources, such asphosphate mines. This resulted inseveral perspectives for action

being formed for each flow, whichthe Project Atelier eventuallytranslated into four proposals fortaking better advantage of flows iRotterdam.

Stud

yingthecityasametabolismofitsown

requiresmetabolicthinking:cyclical,iterative,

fuzzy,beyonddenominationsofrightandwrong.

Thatis,thinkingindesignterms.

ChrisvanLangen,

Director,RotterdamAcademyofArchitectureandUrbanDesign

18


12/75

AgriculturalProducts

Petroleum Products

Textile

Electrotechnicaland Electronic Products

MachinesTransport

Furnitureand Other Products

Petroleum ProductsChemicalProducts

Specific BuildingMaterialsBasic MetalProducts

MetalProducts

Quarrying(excludinggas)

FINISHEDPRODUCTS

AgriculturalProducts

Petroleum Products

Textile

Electrotechnicaland Electronic Products

MachinesTransport

Furnitureand Other Products

Petroleum ProductsChemicalProducts

Specific BuildingMaterialsBasic MetalProductsMetalProducts

Quarrying(excludinggas)

SEMI-FINISHED

PRODUCTS

2.286kton

3.114kton

2.850kton

7,0kton

88kton202kton

157kton

47kton

2,8kton13kton41 kton0,1 kton

-2.187kton

- kton

1.010kton

-52kton

-20kton-178kton

-410kton

-52kton

-4,9kton-87kton-36kton-0,2kton

417kton

4.816kton

600kton

18kton-24kton0,3kton0,1 kton

87kton9,0kton

23kton

96kton

0,4kton0,1 kton0,1 kton0,7kton

4.890kton

7.930kton

1.240kton

42kton59kton

195kton389kton

590kton

195kton

12kton100kton

77kton1,0kton

CARGOIMPORT TURNED INTO WASTE FURTHER PROCESSED AND PRODUCED EXPORT

RESOURCES

Electricity

LargeWaste(excl thefollowing)

SmallWaste(excl thefollowing)

GFT

Glass

Constructionand DemolitionWaste

Paper

Meatand Fish

Gas

CityDistrict Heating

Fuels

Potatoes etc

Cereal

Diary

Other Food

35kton

17kton

27kton

47kton

375kton

145kton

- kton

- kton

- kton

- kton

67.500TJ

- kton

163kton

152kton

111 kton

139kton

58.727TJ

99.228TJ

52kton

- kton

- kton

- kton

- kton

992TJ

67.500TJ

- kton

69kton

152kton

111 kton

139kton

99.228TJ

992TJ

58.727TJ

20.396TJ

52kton

ENERGY

FOOD

WASTE

OTHER FLOWSIMPORT TURNED INTO WASTE FURTHER PROCESSED AND PRODUCED EXPORT

WATER

CARGO

IMPORT TURNED INTO WASTE FURTHER PROCESSED AND PRODUCED EXPORT

Rain Water

Drinking Water

Cargo Transit

Resources

Semi-Finished ProductsFinished Products

Energy

FoodWaste

Sewage Water(from rain and drinking water)

Ground Water(from rain water)

Cargo Transit

Resources

Semi-Finished ProductsFinished Products

EnergyFood

Waste

691.860 kton

58.082 kton 58.082 kton58.082 kton

220.000 kton 220.000 kton

366.127 kton

383.815 kton

14.060 kton

1.470 kton190 kton

157.955 TJ

617 kton

179.343 TJ

4,9 kton215,4 kton

5.833 kton - 1 177 kton

-736 kton-128,1 kton

68.492 TJ

523 kton

47.104 TJ

646 kton

519 kton56,9 kton

8.250 kton

Flowchart of water, goods, energy, food and waste through Rotterdam.

The width of the energy flows are based on natural gas equivalents (1 TJ = 0.0264 kt)

2120 2120

MATERIAL FLOW ANALYSIS OF THE CITYOF ROTTERDAM, ROTTERDAM BASELINESTUDY. The region has a multitude ofmaterials and energy that flows through thecity: approximately 37 kilotons per person(more than 5,000 adult elephants) per year.By far the largest flow of all physical flows, isriver water (98 per cent). The material flow of

Metabolism Rotterdam

Rotterdam covers 200,000 kilograms ofmaterial per year (of which 93 per centimmediately is exported from the area). Thisfigure shows the relative size of the differentphysical flows through the region.


13/75

GOODS

The transit trade through the port ofRotterdam, one of the largest transit ports inthe world, amounts to 220 million tonnes ayear. However, the regional economic spin-off from the port of Rotterdam is considerablysmaller than that of nearby ports (e.g.Antwerp, Hamburg, Le Havre, Helsinki).Although the transit trade through the portof Rotterdam is twice that of Antwerp, theRotterdams employment rate appears to beonly 17 per cent higher. Measured by thedirect added value per tonne of transit cargo,that in Antwerp comes in approximately 10per cent higher. The freight flows throughRotterdam therefore largely pertain to goodsmanufactured elsewhere which usually

bypass the city. Furthermore, manycompanies in Dutch cities that are able tocreate added value have relocated to low-wage countries.

International trends that have a significantimpact on the physical quality of cities are:

the increase of scale in the retail sector andthe decreasing popularity of fixed retailoutlets; as a result of online shopping,consumer products are increasinglydelivered directly at home. Shops are slowlydisappearing from city streets as a result.

Limited economic spin-off and a smaller rolefor the retail sector results in emptier citystreets, with a reduced market and socialvalue. Can this be turned around? Looking atthe flow of goods, the question ariseswhether it is possible to use a small part ofthe enormous flow of goods which nowlargely bypasses the city more efficiently inorder to create added value in the city itself?

22 23


14/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Container terminals

Cargo hubs

Cargo main flows

Shipping routes

LEGEND

24 25

regio kaart 124%


15/75

N

Z

W

1:100 000

Oil and oil products

Chemicals, biofuels and edible oils

Container terminal

Gas and power, coal and biomass

Ship intensity

Motorway intensity

Harbor bussiness in central Rotterdam N

Z

W

1:100 000

LEGEND

26 27


16/75

People have many different reasons for mo-ving. The most common reasons have to dowith work, education, family and friends, butalso shopping, recreation, cultural and otherfacilities. One third of the world populationwill probably move from the countryside tothe city in the decades ahead, seeking abetter existence. It is therefore expectedthat over five billion people will live in citiesby the year 2030. Entrepreneurial freedomand access to jobs are some of the importantconditions on the way to this betterexistence.

Car access to Rotterdam is good. An analysisof the citys access structure using thespace syntax method shows that there areresidential areas and commercial districts inSouth Rotterdam where access for cyclistsand public transport commuters is lessself-evident. For instance, the east-westlinks in South Rotterdam for public transportcommuters and cyclists are definitely

underdeveloped. Most commercial districtsand training centres are situated to the northof the Maas, but access to the commercialdistricts in South Rotterdam is also inade-quate for people without a car. This hasresulted in a form of mobility deprivation.The question is: How can we improve regio-nal and municipal access to work and educa-tion, particularly for South Rotterdam?

PEOPLE

1 Saunders, D. (2011)Arrival City: Thefinal migration and our next world.

28 29


17/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Main airport connections

High speed train connections

Data Center

City indexes top 10

Signal Strength strong 3G+4G-weak

Backbone Network

Universities

Top employers

LEGEND

30 31


18/75

N

Z

W

1:100 000

Signal Strength strong 3G+4Gweak

Elementory school

VMBO

HAVO and VWO

MBO

University

Reachable jobs within 45 min.

Problematic neighborhood

LEGEND

32 33


19/75

WASTE

Waste can be defined as throwing awaypreviously processed raw materials.Because they are compacted or transformed,they do not look like raw materials. However,appearances can be deceptive. There isgrowing awareness that the citys wastecontains raw materials, disguised as consu-mer electronics or food. It may be worthwhileto use these raw materials more efficiently ina circular economy. Therefore, in theory, thecity may be regarded as an enormous mar-ket-place of usable raw materials. An impor-tant observation, considering that Europe

depends on other continents for a largenumber of raw materials, and that raw materi-als are becoming progressively scarce andexpensive as a result of global populationgrowth, rising levels of prosperity and theexhaustion of various resources. It is there-fore useful to regard the city as a new minefor extracting essential raw materials.

On average, Dutchmen throw away 530 kilos

a year. In Rotterdam, 49-75 kilos of this isfruit and vegetable waste, which is currentlyincinerated (for district heating). In additionto organic waste, 3.4 kilos of electronicwaste is collected for each Rotterdam resi-dent every year, a substantial part of which ismobile phones. 1 tonne of telephones yields140 kg of copper, 3.14 kg of silver, 300 gm ofgold, 130 gm of palladium and 3 gm ofplatinum.

Because the techniques for recovering rawmaterials from household waste, sewage

water and electronics are rapidly being deve-loped, we are increasingly often able torecover raw materials from waste, i.e. upcy-cling. Just as it applies to recycling, therecovery of raw materials starts at home.However, the question is: How can we organi-ze our living environment for this?

2 Bastein, T., E. Roelofs, E. Rietveld,A. Hoogendoorn (2013), Opportunities for acircular economy in the Netherlands , TNODelft.

34 35

179%


20/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Environmental park

Second hand shop

Coolrec

Glass company

Maltha

Recycling of municipal waste 90%10%

Italian waste

Wood A+B

Package glass

Clean waste

Wood C

Metal

Paper and cardboard

LEGEND

36 37


21/75

N

Z

W

1:100 000

Old paper and cardboard

Recyclation of household waste 100%0%

Glass packaging

Discarded equipment

Organic waste per neighborhood 140020 ton/year

Metal

Wood waste A+B

Wood waste C

Residual household waste

Containers

Coarse garden waste

AVR waste incinerationl

Van Gansewinkel

Van Gansewinkel Minerals

Sita

Sita Ecoservice

Van Gansewinkel NL B.V.

Irado

Roteb Service

LEGEND

38 39


22/75

Rotterdam lies at a point where river, pe-at-meadow and dune landscapes converge.Because of the urbanization that has takenplace over the past few decades, only a fewgreen and blue structures are linked up.As a result of fragmentation and more inten-sive farming methods, many of the speciesmonitored in the peat-meadow areas havedecreased considerably in number. Otherlandscapes show a similar trend.

The spatial reservations which businessesmake for security reasons or with a view to

possible future expansions create emptyspaces in the port of Rotterdam. When theseareas are left alone, spontaneous naturerehabilitation takes place there, with interes-ting types of plants, amphibians, reptiles andmammals. A similar s ituation occurs aroundpower stations and below high-voltage lines.Because of regulations, no human activitymay take place there. As a result, there aremany square kilometres of empty space in

the region of Rotterdam that could well beused to strengthen nature in qualitative andquantitative terms. Because nature rehabili-tation often meant that landowners had todeal with numerous restrictions in the past,many businesses have adopted a policy thatprevents nature rehabilitation. However,changing insights, particularly on the side ofenvironmental protection organizations,show that temporary nature can be veryvaluable. In other words, spontaneous naturerehabilitation and spatial reservations forfuture use are not necessarily mutually ex-

clusive. In fact, it is more a matter of how thespace that cannot be used for human activitycan serve as a stepping-stone for biotawithout frustrating economic interests.

BIOTA

3 Ottburg, F., Schouwenberg, E., (2005)Nature in peat-meadow areas a matter ofchoice, Peat meadow shown 25 times , AlterraWageningen

40 41


23/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Rhine delta

Rhine estuary

Eels migration route

Bird migration route

Migrating smolts from river to sea

Migrating salmon from sea to river

Bird directive protection area

Habitat directive protection area

LEGEND

42 43


24/75

Adult fish from sea to river

Young fish from river to sea

Wintering birds

Seal movement

River gradient salt-sweet

Park and forest

Powerline

LEGEND N

Z

W

1:100 000

44 45


25/75

On average, a Dutch household consumes466 gigajoules of energy per year. The rawmaterials for this come from all over theworld: coal from Australia, gas from theNetherlands and Russia, petroleum fromSaudi Arabia, biofuel from Brazil andelectricity from Germany.

Modern coal-fired power stations realize areturn of at most 46 per cent, i.e. 54 per centof the raw materials are not converted intoelectricity but are released as residualproducts in the form of heat and carbondioxide.

When we add the residual heat from otherindustrial processes to this, we are talkingabout a large amount of residual heat: everyyear, more than twice the equivalent of allthe energy generated on the Dutch s ide ofthe North Sea by wind turbines. Dependingon various calculations and assumptions, weare talking about 80160 petajoules. A largepart of this excess energy is not yet used indistrict heating, but is discharged into the

surface water in the form of heat.The annual CO emissions in Rotterdam nowamount to approx 29 megatonnes, over 85%of which comes from the manufacturingindustry and energy generation in the port-industrial complex. It is a missedopportunity, both in economic and ecologicalterms, to continue to waste heat in this way.This was already recognized in 2007 by theRotterdam Climate Initiative, which set itselfthe task of cutting CO emissions by 50 percent in relation to 1990. If we wish to achievethe Kyoto carbon dioxide emission targets orthe objectives of the province of SouthHolland, we will have to intervene. And as for

heat, it is not likely that we will be allowed todischarge heat on this scale for very muchlonger. For example, it is already forbidden todischarge heat in the Copenhagen Malm Helsingborg region. In other words, animportant task for us as far as this substanceflow is concerned is to take better advantageof the residual products of energygeneration.

ENERGY

46 47


26/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

European HOTspots heat surplusand demandGeothermal resources

GasOil or gas pipeline

CoalLight pollution

Wind energy (potential)PowerplantsGlobal irradiation1600 kWh/m1000 kWh/m

Wind turbine park

LEGEND

48 49

Energie


27/75

Powerplants

Heat source

CO emitters

Powerline

Pipeline

Cretaceous aquifers,

about 2 km. deep,

50% chance: 5 to 20 MWWindmills

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

71 Maasvlakte, 80 MW, E.ON

Maasvlakte, 1052 MW, E.ON

AVR-Botlek, 124 MW.

Rijnmond Energy, 820 MW.

Galileistraat, 209 MW, E.ON

Roca, 269 MW, E.ON.

Pergen, 300MW.

Enecogen, 830 MW.

Centrale Rotterdam, 300MW.

LEGEND

N

Z

W

1:100 000

50 51

Energie


28/75

When we talk about food, we largely refer tonutrients in this flow. Other aspects of thisflow that affect daily practice will be dealtwith in Chapter 4. Nutrients are essentialmaterials for living organisms. Some of thesenutrients (e.g. phosphates) are essential forour survival but, like fossil fuels, areexhaustible.

In the agricultural sector alone, 28 milliontonnes of phosphate are emitted (in the formof fertilizer) in the Netherlands every year,which is currently drained into groundwaterand surface water. These nutrients aretherefore not used, and often result in local

over fertilization, thereby adversely affectingnature. However, valuable nutrients are lostat many other points along the entire foodproduction-consumption chain.Approximately one third of all the nutrientsare eventually lost during our foodproduction. Because the largest part of theNorthern European farmland drains directlyor indirectly into the Rhine, this riverrepresents Europes largest open-air

drainage channel of nutrients. All theseunused nutrients flow to the sea through theport of Rotterdam, after which they canhardly be detected, except as a breedingground for excessive algae growth.

582 tonnes of phosphorus are discharged inRotterdam every year, half of which into thesewage system. Less than 2 per cent of thisamount is recovered.According to the leastoptimistic estimates, global phosphatesupplies will last us for approx fifty years. Ifwe let these supplies drain into the sea, foodproduction will eventually come underpressure. Phosphate prices are expected to

rise. We can and should do somethingabout this.

FOOD

4 Smit, A. L., Curth-van Middelkoop, J. C.,van Dijk, W., van Reuler, H., de Buck, A. J.,and van de Sanden, P. A. C. M. (2010). Aquantification of P flows in the Netherlandsthrough agricultural production, industrial

processing and households. Plant ResearchInternational, Wageningen University andResearch Centre, Wageningen

5 Kirsimaa, K. Internship report City OfRotterdam: Urban farming in Rotterdam: anopportunity for sustainable phosphorusmanagement?Wageningen University andResearch Center, 2013.

52 53


29/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Fertilizer input (soil)Chlorophyl concentrationNutrient catchment and transportNutrient sink (consumption)Waste water treatment plant

LEGEND

54 55

Voedsel


30/75

Wastewater treatment plant

Phosphate per neighborhood

Nutrient loss in river

Agriculture

Urban agriculture

Unilever R&D

Unilever R&D

Unilever NV

Unilever BV

Spaanse Polder

Waalhaven

Groenpoort Barendrecht

Lekhaven

Merwedehaven

R&D, Office Core areas

Food processing company

Water overflow

Wastewater pump

Incineration plant

Soyandedible oils

ADM Soy

EBS Agri

EBS Agri

RBT Agri

OIO Loders

ADM Edible Oils

Cargill Edible Oils

LEGENDA

N

Z

W

1:100 000

56 57

Voedsel


31/75

The catchment area of the Rhine is the mainwater system in North-western Europe. Thedynamics of the river, which is called (the)Maas in Rotterdam, has caused safetyproblems for centuries. Moreover, the natureof this river is changing. Until recently, theRhine was a glacier river. However, over thepast few decades, the river has increasinglychanged into a rain-fed river. This meansgreater discharge peaks and lows. From afairly constant average discharge of2,300 m/sec. to 18,000 m/sec. for peaksand a mere 620 m/sec. for lows. The

probability that Rotterdam will be affected byflooding and floods has increased as a result.

Moreover, the combined effect of sea levelrise, deepening the New Waterway forshipping traffic, increasing dischargedynamics and the increased likelihood of dryperiods make Rotterdam vulnerable tosalination. This not only means an immediatethreat to flora and fauna, which largely

depend on fresh water; it also poses a threatto the agricultural and horticultural sectors,and even to the citys drinking-waterproduction. The question is therefore: Howcan we guarantee the availability ofsufficient fresh water in Rotterdam in thelong term?

FRESH WATER

58 59


32/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

Salt water

Soil salinisation

Riveroutside Rhine catchment area

RiverRhine catchment area

Annual precipitation

Saline and Sodic soils

LEGEND

60 61

Zoet water


33/75

River gradient salt-sweetFresh water basins Overflow outlet points

Salination (in m. below NAP)

Secondary pumps

Primary pumps

LEGEND

N

Z

W

1:100 000

62 63

Zoet water


34/75

Rotterdam lies at a point where the coastaland river landscapes converge, where thewatercourses are naturally shallow.Although, centuries ago, the dynamics ofriver and sea provided relatively securedaccess to the sea, the same dynamics nowpose a threat to one of the largest deep-seaharbours in the world: siltation!

Direct access to the port of Rotterdam is animportant competitive advantage.Nevertheless, this sea link cannot be takenfor granted. In fact, the route was divertedseveral times in Rotterdams past in order tosecure access.

Sea access seemed to be guaranteed since

the digging of the New Waterway (towardsthe end of the 19th century). However, toaccommodate the increasing draughts ofships, harbour activities shifted towards theWest. Moreover, there is a constant need todredge. To maintain the gateway toRotterdam at a depth of at least 30 metres sothat the port can continue to accommodatethe largest ships in the world, over 20 millionm are currently dredged from the port every

year. This amounts to a large daily transportof harbour sediments to the sea.

The largest source of sediments used to bethe catchment area of the Rhine but, as aresult of restricting the flow of the river, theNorth Sea is now the main source of sand,which accumulates on the river bed andharbour basins (approx 14 million m fromthe sea, compared with approx 8 m from theRhine). Dragging sand from the port to thesea is an endless and costly process. It isnoteworthy that transport largely determinesthese costs, since transport costs make up90% of the cost of depositing 1 (one) m ofsediment into the sea.

The question is: How long can we continue towork against the current, and would it not bewiser to use the natural process of landformation more strategically?

SAND & CLAY

64 65


35/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

1 Ameland 12,7 mln m2 Terschelling 2 mln m3 Vlieland 3 mln m4 Texel 30 mln m5 Noord-Holland 42 mln m6 Rijnland 1 6 mln m7 Delfland 20 mln m8 Maasvlakte 10 mln m8 Voorne 0,8 mln m10 Goeree 3 mln m11 Shouwen 8 mln m12 Walcheren 16 mln m

Shallow delta and valley areaRhine river with old arms

Tidal undercurrent and surface currentCoastal aggradation

Rhine fluvial process

Coastal erosionSediment deposit area

Flow directions in the Rhine delta

LEGEND

66 67


36/75

Sea depth (-2 m. / -20m.)Disposal route

Ship roadSediment dump site routes

Zones land subsidence0m. / 5m.

BNPOTop EuropoortOeverbosPlas van HeenvlietBroekpolderGeluidswal Heerlijkheid

Golfpark RotterdamParkstadGeluidswal CarnisselandeRMO

Goeree (20 million mcoastal protection)Voorne (0.85 million mcoastal protection)Delfland/21 (3.2 million mcoastal protection)

LEGEND

N

Z

W

1:100 000

68 69


37/75

A pleasant urban living environment is to animportant extent determined by the air(wind) flows, heat and the ground-level airquality. It is becoming increasingly clear thatthe ground-level air quality has a directimpact as far as our health is concerned.Major causes of air pollution on a Europeanscale are: the manufacturing industry, motortraffic, shipping traffic and farming. Eachsource has its own distribution pattern.Motor traffic along arteries through andbetween cities. Shipping traffic causesdeterioration in the so-called backgroundconcentrations, the blanket that hangsover a region. In the layer of air up to analtitude of 10 kilometres, the highest average

concentrations of air pollution in North-western Europe can be found above CentralEngland and the Ruhr Area. Inland andocean-going vessels produce substantialemissions on shipping routes. These routesare therefore clearly marked on theparticulate matter map of Europe.

The distribution pattern for industry lies inan area surrounding the source, but often at

higher altitudes, sometimes also over cities.The effect of industry in the port area on theair quality has decreased considerably overthe past few decades. There is neverthelessstill much to be done. As in other majorcities, there are a number of areas inRotterdam where the number of healthyyears of life of residents is lower thanaverage in the Netherlands; in part, this isstill a result of air pollution. For instance,monitoring calculations from the National AirQuality Cooperation Programme show thatthere are a number of persistent bottlenecksin Rotterdam, especially along busy through-roads. Therefore, there is a less positive sideto the good vehicular access to the

Rotterdam city centre. A map showing theemission of NOx makes this less perceptiblebut clear effect of motor traffic on the city airvisible, since the main traffic arteries clearlystand out. The question is therefore: How canwe organize access to Rotterdam in such away that it will have a positive effect on thecitys air quality?

AIR

70 71


38/75

505 100 km

N

Z

OW

500 largest NOxemitters Europe

500 largest SO emitters Europe

Fine dustdomestic shipping

Fine dustinternational shipping

Fine dustroad traffic

Life expectancy

LEGEND

72 73

Lucht


39/75

SONOx

NO2 in g/m (>5025)Fine dust

Fine dust in g/m (>40.016.0)

LEGEND

N

Z

W

1:100 000

74 75

Lucht


40/75

FOUR STRATEGIES

TO OPTIMIZE FLOWS INROTTERDAM

The IABRPROJECT ATELIERROTTERDAM examined thequestion of how the urbanmetabolism idea can contributeto increased sustainability in the

development of the city. Kennedyet al. point out that up until nowthis has only been done in rareoccasions and make a case forstudies of urban material flows,becoming an integrated part ofdesigns made by architects,engineers and planners for the

metabolism of a sustainable city.This challenge was picked up bythe IABRPROJECT ATELIER.This chapter will examine theresults produced by the atelier

and will show how variousstrategies can contribute to anurban metabolism that has fewernegative and more positive effecton the quality of life.

Energy=Space,

Withoutthosehandylittlepackagesofgas,

oilandcoal

frombelowthesurface,wec

anonlygetenergy

fromsourc

esonthesurface.

Becauseofthelowenergy

densityaboveground,thisswitchrequir

esradicalnewways

ofthinkingin

termsofurbanplanningand

thedevelopmentof

thebuilt-upenvironment.

AndyvandenDobbelsteen,

ProfessorClimateDesign&Sustainability,

DelftUniversityofTechnology

7776


41/75

Various studies have indeed shown thatthere are many options open to cities forimproving the efficiency of their materialflows while decreasing the negative effectson sustainability. An analysis of materialflows in Amsterdam, for example, showed,from an environmental quality andsustainability point of view, that the urbanmaterial flows of goods, building materials,food and electricity production are the mostrelevant in that city. Due to the main portposition of Rotterdam, the transportation ofgoods, raw materials and semi-finishedproducts also plays an important role hereand making this more sustainable cancontribute to an improvement in local qualityof life and reduce the impact on theenvironment.

SPATIAL DESIGN AND PRODUCTION-CONSUMPTION CHAINSVarious strategies can be implemented forimproving urban metabolism and these canroughly be divided up into two approaches.

Using the first approach, the geographicalproximity of material flows and other flows isused and a conscious attempt is made tolook for the synergy between the variousflows by linking them to each other at locallevel or by making more exchanges betweenflows. Spatial design can make a significantcontribution to this by creating thepreconditions for combining flows andimproving the way they relate to each other.

In the second approach, the focus is on adifferent way of setting up material flows inthe production-consumption chains that area part of the urban metabolism. Rotterdam isa huge jumble of chains (such as the water,goods or energy chains) and these chainscannot be seen as being separate from eachother but they can be optimized individually.In literature that examines the transition to acircular economy, re-use, redesign,

innovation and substitution are generallyseen as being guiding principles forimproving the sustainability of the use ofmaterials in production and consumptionchains (Ellen McArthur Foundation, 2012).

In the design-driven research that was donewithin the Project Atelier Rotterdam, variousdesign strategies for improving therelationship between flows were looked at, aswell as strategies focused on more efficientproduction-consumption chains.

This resulted in four principles that areapplied to spatial design, namely thecountering of waste through catalyzinghigh-value flows, the channelling of residualwaste flows, the recovery of raw materialsand the reduction of transport movements.Translated to the context of Rotterdam andin concrete terms, this means the followingurban design s trategies: CatalyzingRe-Industrialisation, Channelling (Energy)Waste, Collecting Resources and CreatingBiotopes.

1 Kennedy C., Pincetl S., Bunjue, P.,Thestudy of urban metabolism and its applicationsto urban planning and design. IIn:Environmental Pollution 159, pp. 19651973,2011

2 Verstraeten-Jochemsen, J. , Rover, V. ende Vos-Effting, S., Kennis Investerings ProjectStedelijke Ketens Verkenning naar eenmethode om de footprint van een stad tebepalen. TNO, Utrecht, 2013.

78


42/75

1Theis

sueoffoodisthepremierto

pictoreturn

circularthinkingtothecity...Forthecity

rev

olvesaroundpeople,andpe

opleneed

toeat

.Goodfoodgrowsongoodsoil,requiring

good

waterandnutrients.

Alsobe

causeofthe

ongo

ingurbanisation,theseingr

edientswill

becom

eeverscarcer.Unlessthec

itywillstart

toth

inkintermsofclosed,organ

iccyclesto

replacetheindustrial-agenotionof

linearproductionchain

s.

JanWillemvanderSchans,

WageningenUniversity

COLLECTING RESOURCESObtaining raw materials from waste and food

STRATEGY8180 81


43/75

At regional level, raw materials can be ob-tained by harvesting nutrients from the seaby cultivating shellfish or seaweed innutrient-rich areas. When it comes to horti-culture, there are opportunities for the pro-duction of bio-based materials in the

horticultural centers, Westland andOostland. And e-waste can be collected andprocessed on a large scale.

COLLECTING RESOURCESregionThe extraction of raw materials fromwaste and food

82 83

Van Ganzewinkel minerals

Avr afvalverwerking

Sita Ecoservice

AWZI Harnaschpolder

AWZI Nieuwe Waterweg

AWZI DokhavenAWZI De Grote Lucht

AWZI Hoogvliet

AWZI Kralingseveer

Van Ganzewinkel

Sita

A

A

B

C

F

F

D

D


44/75

Agriculture

River

200mWindturbine

Kelp Production

Fish Shelter

Phosphates from manurewash out with ground waterand end up in the big rivers

Seaweed (kelps) in largeaquafarming rings captures

the nutrients and grows up tohalf a meter per day

Biomass Refinery

Nearshore Transport

The seaweed is harvested andrefined in the Rotterdam harbour

into a range of products

A

B

C

BiomaterialCascading

The Greenports are notonly producing food

products, but also medicineand bio-materials

Bio-based materials can be usedin building construction andrenovation, and can be easily

recycled afterwards

A

DAQUAFARMINGThrough agriculture alone, 28 million tons ofphosphate are lost in the Netherlands on anannual basis. But valuable nutrients are also

lost at many more points along the entirefood production to consumption chain.Ultimately, most of the nutrients are washedout to sea, after which they can barely betraced. By using existing and plannedoffshoreinfrastructure on a larger scale toharvest not only energy but also nutrientsfrom seawater using aquafarming techniques,it will be possible to recover these losses inthe future.

BIO-BASED GRONDSTOFFENIncreasing numbers of discoveries are beingmade in the agricultural sector to show that

plants are also suitable for non-foodapplications. The bio-basedmaterials projectlinks the production of organic materials inWestland and Oostland to the new, up-and-coming bio-basedproduction of, for example,plastics, medicines and cosmetics. Thisreally is a process of transformation that,alongside recycling and upcycling, isessential if we are to continue to meet ourfuture needs for raw materials.

84 85


45/75

COLLECTING RESOURCEScityThe extraction of raw materials fromwaste and food

Recovering raw materials from the city is to alarge extent dependent on collecting wastethat has been segregated so that materialflows do not mix. The segregation of waste isonly successful if it is made very easy forpeople to do. For example, if vegetable andfruit waste can be washed down the drain,

and if e-waste becomes a part of dailyshopping. Buildings, too, are an accumulatioof materials flows in the city. A remedialoption, such as large-scale, sustainablerenovation instead of demolition and newbuild, can offer significant advantages froman urban metabolism point of view.

86 87

Protein CollectiveOude NoordenG

Protein CollectiveCarnisse

Protein CollectiveKatendrecht

Protein CollectiveZuidwijk

Protein CollectiveHet Kasteel

Protein CollectiveBeverwaard

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

E

E

Protein CollectiveHordijkerveld

Protein CollectiveDe Hey


46/75

Canals

Toilet

Sewage Treatment Plant

E

F

At the sewage water treatmentplant, phosphates can be

substracted...

... and finally is transportedto the greenhouse industry

through its canal systemLocal Food Market

Urban Farming

Proteine Tanks

Kitchen Garborator

Unused Rainwater Pipe

G

A garborator can shred kitchenwaste, so it can be transported

through the sewage system

Unused rainwater pipes canbe used to grow larvae, which

can serve as animal food inurban farming projects

PHOSPHATE RECOVERYStocks of phosphate are finite, just as stocksof rare metals are. It is therefore important torecover phosphate from the five waste watertreatments in the Rotterdam region usingproven techniques.

PROTEIN COLLECTIVESBy designing homes so that they makesegregating waste more attractive (throughthe use of waste chutes and garburatorsforexample), the vegetable and fruit waste inour household waste can be used forbreeding insects as a source of protein.Appropriate sites for starting to set up

owners association-type protein collectivethat meet their own protein needs might beplaces in Rotterdam with a segregatedsewage system that could transportvegetable and fruit waste to a site in thedistrict where the protein is produced andcan be used for urban farming.

Human faeces is rich ofphosphates, a key part of

articifial fertilizer, requiredfor our food production

88 89


47/75

Neighbourhood Supermarket

MarktplaatsAcademie

Etsy Labs

Unusedppliances

People can pickup their onlineorder, or bring

back old productsEverybody hasunused electronics

lying around thehouse

The supermarketbecomes an exchangepoint for old and new

products

Traditionally, the building industry inparticular also creates a lot of waste

including packaging materials as well asplastic, wood and concrete. But moreimportant is the energy we use for heat andelectricity in built-up environments as thesehave a much greater impact on ourenvironment. If the building sector in theNetherlands were to formulate the ambitionto renovate half of the homes in Rotterdam,this would lead to considerable benefits forthe environment.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR ALTERNA-TIVES TO PROTEIN FROM FISH AND MEATThere are many environmental gains to be

made in the production of food. We eatapproximately 510 kg of food per person peryear. Meat and fish make up approximately5% of this amount. At the same time, this 5%is responsible for approximately 50% of allcarbon emissions from food. By opting foralternative sources of protein, such asprotein from insects/larvae for example, theemission of carbon dioxide as the result offood production can be drastically reduced.

RESIDUES SUPERMARKETThe supermarket at the centre of a local,easily accessible network, at which you can

get back a deposit on your old smart phoneand other forms of valuable waste, representsthe next link in the collection and processingchain for valuable residues. This means thatthe food supplier for the local supermarketneed not drive back to the distribution centrewith an empty truck, but instead loads upwith reusable materials that are then takenfrom the distribution centre to recyclingcentres in the port in large quantities.

Impact of housing renovation on ei ght relevant themes

Insects are an alternative protein source, and emit around 2/3 less CO2 per kilo than meat and fish

Impact90 91


48/75

2

STRATEGY93

CREATING BIOTOPESImproving urban nature by local use of

freshwater, sand and clay

We

cannotlivesafelyinourcitieswithout

nat

ure.

Andoureconomycannotprosper

withoutit.

Werelyonnatureto

growfood.

Andw

epreserveournaturalheritagebecause

it

addsvaluetocitiesandmakesthem

attra

ctiveplacestolive.

Sowhenwelookat

ourc

ities,weshouldalwaysconsidernature

anditsdynamics.

MinisterSchultzvanHaegen

92 9393


49/75

Rotterdam is situated in a delta. Besidessafety the dynamic of sea and river lead totwo other processes that pose a threat to thestatus quo. The first is silting, the second issalinization. The deepening of the port in-creases the inflow of saltwater during dry

periods. And freshwater is quite simplyessential for agriculture. By using the formative power of geological processes at strategic points, opportunities for the developmeof new natural environments arise.

CREATING BIOTOPESregionImproving urban nature by local use of freshwater, sand and clay

94 95

F

A

B

B

B

B

C

C

C

D

DH

H

H

G

GG


50/75

Seasonal Storage

Peak Storage

Private Storage

Fresh water supply

InfiltrationZone

Pump

Pump

Peat River

By storing rainwater fromthe city in the outskirts,

salt intrusion can becountered in dry periods

Agriculture

City

Water Storage

A

B

C

C

D

The 160 meter wide corridorunderneath the powerlines can be

used for ecology and recreation

WATER LANDSCAPESThe current creed adhered to for water in thecity (infiltrate store drain away), whichfocuses on surpluses, is tackled in designprojects. Instead of throwing water awaywhen it is in abundance, the water is savedup outside of the city ready for dry periods.By storing rainwater at sites aroundRotterdam by using water squares andexisting waterways, water can be broughtback again during dry periods and urban

green areas can be given freshwater so thatirreversible salinization can be prevented.The new storage areas then also take on arecreational or ecological value. The wetenvironments that are created form thesolution for the lack of natural watermeadows around Rotterdam. A productivelandscape can also be created from these,and they can also be used for recreationalpurposes.

ECOLOGICAL ENERGY NETWORKRotterdam lies at a strategic junctionbetween river and coast landscapes.Currently, there are few green and bluestructures that are fully connected to eachother, meaning that 71 of the 100 monitoreddune landscape species and 18 of the 28monitored species in the peatland pastureare in decline.

The reservations in terms of space made by

businesses for safety reasons or with a viewto possible expansion in the future mean thata lot of the empty space in the port cannot beused. This also applies to the 160-metre-wide zones running under the high-voltagelines. But this remaining space can alsofunction as a stepping stone for biotathrough designing these zones to beecological connecting zones, or anEcological Energy Network

96 97


51/75

Harbour parkMerwehaven

Harbour parkWaalhaven

Harbour parkMaashaven

Waterfront parkDe Veranda

Waterfront parkStormpolder

Waterfront parkDonckse Griend

Harbour parkRijnhaven

Harbour parkEemhaven

Waterfront parkPernisse Waterkant

G

G

G

G

HH

H

H

H

Sedimentation is still seen as being wastethat gets in the way of port activities. It is forthis reason that more than 20 million cubicmetres of sediment are dredged from the portevery year, meaning daily transportation ofdredgings from the port to the sea.

Transportation accounts for every 9 out ofthe 10 euros it costs to dredge one cubicmetre. Local use of silt from the port couldmean savings of 7 per cubic metre.

CREATING BIOTOPEScityImproving urban nature by local use of freshwater, sand and clay

98 99


52/75

DRINKING WATER

MIXED SEWAGE RWZI

INFILTRATION IN SOIL,

LAKES AND RIVERS

RAIN WATER SYSTEM

SEASONAL STORAGE

SURFACE WATER

RAIN AND SNOW

NORTH SEA

In order to tackle the problem of salinization,we need to let go of the current creedadhered to for water management (infiltrate- store - drain away). Instead of drainingexcess water off to the river or the sea asquickly as possible, we can also store itoutside of the city so that the urban greenareas can be supplied with freshwater fromthis buffer and salinization can be prevented.By collecting 1% of all rainfall in a seasonal

store, the equivalent of approximately 16hours of rain can be stored for use during drsummers. In addition to being functional, thnew storage areas are also of recreationaland ecological value.

SELF-GROWING MAASVLAKTEThrough targeted initiatives, sediment flowsat sea can be used for creating safety andspace for food production and, in the longerterm, new port activities. Behind a new dyke,a combined process of natural landreclamation and oyster farming is takingplace. The result in 30 years time will be anew Maasvlakte (port area) that has grownnaturally.

SEDIMENTATION BANKS AND LANDFARMINGAt strategic sites, port silt can also be usedlocally in order to soften the steep banks ofexisting dykes. Areas can be set up for landfarmingimmediately behind the dyke. Whilethe dredgings steadily develop to becomeuseable agricultural land in this way, duringthe process a dynamic natural environmentcan come into being.

DOCKSIf we allow unused docks to silt up instrategic places instead of continuallyremoving dredgings, then new biotopes arecreated, forming the important links formigrating fish, among other things. Butallowing docks to silt up is not only good forfish: it also brings opportunities for using thedocks as ecological park landscapes withrecreational value.

Impact100 101

G

H

F

Sedimentation of underused harbourslips creates opportunities for an

ecological waterfront

Instead of continuous dredging,sediments are trapped behind

small dikes to create ecologicalfloodplains

Maasvlakte 2

Oyster Banks

Sediments

Olivine Dike

Dynamic Floodplains

NIeuwe Waterweg

Landmining

New Dike

Water Park

Sedimentation

Old Harbour

An olivine dike outside the SecondMaasvlakte captures both CO and

sediments, creating perfect conditionsfor oysters cultivation and for fish

to reproduce


53/75

3Weknowsolittleaboutwhatitreallytakes,

ab

outhowurbanizationactuallyworks.

PierreBlangerLandscapearchitect

andassociateprofessorHarvardGraduateSchoolofDesign

STRATEGY

CHANNELING (ENERGY) WASTEThe use of by-products of energy extraction

102 103103


54/75

CHANNELING (ENERGY) WASTEregionThe use of by-products of energy extraction

In order to reduce the waste heat and theexcess production of CO, it is important tomake better use of the by-products ofindustrial processes and the generation ofelectricity. Expanding the existing networkto form a heating network on the scale of theSouth Wing of the Randstad conurbation,

will lead to a considerable reduction in COemissions and in energy consumption byhouseholds. Another measure for reducingCO emissions is the expansion of the COnetwork that collects the emissions frompower plants and supplies these tohorticulture or stores them underground3 De Rotterdamse EnergieAanpakPlanning (REAP) elaborates further on this;see Chapter 4

104 105

CB

B

E E

EA

A

AA

CCSCO-HUB Rotterdam

Ecologische verbindingIJsselmonde

StadsverwarmingDen Haag Stadsverwarming

Zoetermeer

GreenportOostland

GreenportWestland

PowerplantsE.ON & GDF SUEZTweede Maasvlakte

HarbourEuropoort

HarbourPernis

StadsverwarmingRotterdam

HarbourBotlek


55/75

Regional HeatNetwork

Geothermal EnergyGrid

Geothermal EnergySources

A

B

E

CO Capture

OCAP pipeline

Northsea Gas Platform

Offshore Pipeline

ShippingTransport

Greenhouses

CO Treatment & Storage

D

C

B

Capturing the CO from emissionstakes a lot of energy, but is

technically already possible

The OCAP pipeline brings the COgas to greenhouse industries, where

it is used to grow plants faster

Rotterdam has the potential tobecome a main player in the future

European CO trade market

By pumping pressured COinto Northsea gas fields, their

revenues can be increased

The geothermal sources also functionas a heat hub, distributing various

temperatures among local heatcascading networks

Geothermal wells bothprovide heat energyin winter and buffer

industrial heat in summer

Industry serves as acontinous source of heat

energy

ORGANIC CARBON DIOXIDE FOR

ASSIMILATION OF PLANTSA start has already been made on linkingdemand for CO to supply. The OrganicCarbon dioxide for Assimilation of Plantsproject (OCAP) links CO production fromthe port to those requesting CO in areaswith greenhouses, using a new and disusedgas pipelines. As the supply of CO outstripsdemand, an important addition to the projectis the storage of CO in the ground,

a process known as Carbon Capture Storag

(CCS). The many empty gas and oil fields atthe bottom of the North Sea can be used forthis purpose. They can be accessed relatively easily using pipelines from Rotterdam. Inaddition to storing CO in the place it origi-nated from, filling empty gas fields alsomeans an increase in the yields from theexisting fields as greater pressure can beused to squeeze them until they are empty.

HEATING NETWORK + GEOTHERMAL HEATThe introduction of a heating network on thescale of the South Wing makes the individual

production of heat by many businesses andhouseholds unnecessary. This not only me-ans enormous savings in energy consumpti-on, but also a considerable reduction in COemissions. By linking the heating network togeothermal heat, a very stable network iscreated that can be developed in both acentralized and a decentralized way. Thisalso makes optimum use of the location ofRotterdam in a unique geothermal heat zone.

106 107


56/75

CHANNELING (ENERGY) WASTEcityThe use of by-products of energy extraction

The varied demand at neighborhood level andthe presence of geothermal heat bring oppor-tunities for creating a heating network that isstabilized by a grid of heat hubs. A smart gridfor heat and cold is being worked towards withseveral suppliers and customers. What areknown as temperature islands or (same tem-perature) heat zones can also be made,

depending on the needs of the district.Rotterdam can also give substance to itssustainability ambitions by including moresustainable sources of energy, such as winand solar power, in its energy mix.4 Rotterdam is a succesful pilotcity withinthe EU Celsius Cities project. www.celsiuscity.eu5 Dobbelsteen, A. van den, Wisse, K.,Doepel, D., Tillie, N., (2012). REAP2 NewConcepts for the Exchange of Heat in Cities,Proceedings of SASBE, Sao Paulo.

6 Carney, S. & Shackley, S. (2009). greenhouse gas regional inventory proj(GRIP): designing and employing a reggreenhouse gas measurement tool forstakeholder use, Energy Policy vol. 37,42934302.

108 109

F

F

F

FF

F

F

FF

F

Heat HubZuidplein

Heat HubSluisjesdijk

Heat HubMuseumpark

Heat HubNoordereiland

Heat HubLaan op Zuid

HeatHubTidemanplein

Heat HubSchiedam

Heat HubSpaanse Polder

Heat HubHillesluis

Heat HubZorgboulevard

Heat HubSlinge

Heat HubRDM Campus

F

F


57/75

Defrozen Bike Path

Heat Exchange

Heavy Industry

Pre-war Housing

Office Buildings

Geothermic Energy

New Housing

Greenhouses

HEAT HUBSHeat hubs form the couplings between

residual heat from the port and geothermalheat at depths of 2 and 4 km. The hubs alsocontrol the cascading of the various demandsfor heat from the immediate environment.This means an extension to the technicalfacility already used in Rotterdam South.The new version of the heat hub also has apublic function with innumerable possibleuses, from watchtower to year-round publicspaces and district sports.

F

IMPACTA heating network on the scale of the SouthWing of the Randstad makes the productionof heat by businesses and households to alarge extent unnecessary, thereby saving onenergy consumption and reducing CO emis-sions. By connecting half of the householdsin Rotterdam to a heating network, the

amount of CO emitted by housing would bereduced by between 70 and 80%. This is thesame amount as is stored by 5000 hectares woodland. This also offers the possibility toprovide relatively cheap energy, to a econo-mically weaker section of the population ofRotterdam, often living in homes that interms of structure and energy are mediocre.

Impact110 111


58/75

4Designisideallyplacedtocritically

int

errogaterealityandtounfoldtillnow

uknownperspectivesandth

inking.

ChrisvanLangen,

Director,RotterdamAcademyofArchitectureandUrbanDesign

STRATEGY

CATALYZING RE-INDUSTRIALIZATIONBoosting the quality of flows of

goods, people and air

112 113113


59/75

By making better use of a small proportion ofthe huge flow of goods in order to generateadded value, Rotterdam has the potential togrow to become the logical business locationfor a new, clean, small-scale and thereforeflexible manufacturing industry. A manufac-turing industry of this kind could be an

obvious partner for the already successfulGerman Industrie 4.0 programme, whichbrings together factories, machines andproducts digitally. At regional level,improvements to the public transportnetwork can facilitate the mobility of people

CATALYZING RE-INDUSTRIALIZATIONregionBoosting the quality of flows ofgoods, people and air

114 115

Greenport HubWestlandA

Greenport HubA


60/75

The regional Lightrailconnects the cities and

the greenports

The Development Zone isdesignated for new innovative

industries

In the Plant Laboratory scientistswork out new biobased resources

Greenhouses

Regional Lightrail

Expertise Offices

Experience Center

A

REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT RINGPLUS KNOWLEDGE AXESBy

Urban Metabolism Rotterdam

Documents

Transcript of Urban Metabolism Rotterdam