Imagine, it is the year 2100 and the Netherlands has gone through a transition from exploitation to regeneration. That is the approach of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Thesis Lab 'Generation Regeneration'.
Eight graduating students from different faculties of the universities of Delft, Rotterdam and Leiden and seven students from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam conducted research into the future of the Zuid-Holland Delta in this lab with a 'realistically optimistic' view.
On 2 July, the students presented their projects in the town hall in Spijkenisse, where they were warmly welcomed by the administrators of the municipality, province and water board and regional organisation Zuid-Hollandse Delta. Mayor Cor Lamers of the Municipality of Nissewaard expressed his appreciation for the work of the students.
The students show that we can actively steer towards a regenerative delta, in which the economy, living environment and nature are in balance.'
Lamers on the value of this graduation research: 'The paper of the Thesis Lab "Generation Regeneration" offers a valuable contribution to the conversation about our common future. The students show that things can be done differently and that we should not only respond to changes, but also actively steer towards a regenerative delta, in which the economy, living environment and nature are in balance."
In their paper, the students state: Change is necessary to take new directions, but also to preserve what we have. Climate change and biodiversity loss require a change in the way we use and organize our environment worldwide.
This certainly also applies to a dynamic delta area such as the Zuid-Holland Delta, which is an ideal example area in the backyard of our knowledge institutions to think about possible and desirable solutions.
In the thesis lab, the students worked on cases in the Zuid-Holland delta on the following themes:
- The future food system
- Policy, business activity and well-being
- Dealing with water
Some initial conclusions from the students:
- 'The Rotterdam region can become self-sufficient in terms of food, while the area around Rotterdam will become 99.5% nature! On that 0.5% there are 21 energy-guzzling vertical agricultural towers'
- 'The future of the earth lies between the shelves'
- 'By building floating outside the dikes, not only can more homes be realized, but in the long term it also offers financial benefits'
- 'The region produces clean and fresh water for watering marine clay areas in the South Holland Delta. Other peat polders look with interest and a little jealousy at the development that has taken place here'
The students were able to test their ideas by visiting regenerative practical examples, such as De Bosboerderij and WIJdehorst. During meetings with the Zuid-Holland Delta Region and knowledge partners such as Rabobank and Route Circulair, valuable exchanges of knowledge, experiences and perspectives took place. Students also organised workshops for a diverse group of participants, from farmers and entrepreneurs to policymakers and advisors.
In this Thesis Lab, the concept of 'regeneration' refers to a society that is based on the resilience and regenerative capacity of natural systems for human and non-human life to flourish. It goes beyond nature conservation and limiting exploitation, and can therefore be seen as a step beyond sustainability. Although regenerative principles have their origins in agriculture, they are increasingly being applied in other sectors such as architecture, landscape design, business and material and product design.
Major social challenges come together in this region.'
Arne Weverling, Deputy of the Province of South Holland, states in the foreword: 'The South Holland Delta is a special area. This is where land and water meet. Here, nature, agriculture, recreation and economy go hand in hand. At the same time, major social challenges come together in this region. Climate change, biodiversity, water quality, the energy transition and the future of rural areas require choices that extend beyond tomorrow.'
Want to know more about the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Thesis Labs?
You can follow the activities of the graduates in all LDE Thesis Labs via LinkedIn. Would you like information about the Generation Regeneration Thesis lab? Send an e-mail to Joran Lammers: j.a.lammers@cml.leidenuniv.nl. A question about other LDE thesis labs can be sent to Esther van der Ent: LDE_thesislabs@cml.leidenuniv.nl.
