inaugural lecture bluerevolution
DESCRIPTION
This is my Inaugural Lecture about the Blue Revolution. It shows that we need to ralize urban expansions on the water and combine this with floating food production and floating algae biofuel production to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Much of the work was developed with my colleagues at DeltaSync. We want to collaborate with people all over the world to develop pilot projects and expand on the water in a sustainable way. it goes much further than being self-sufficient. The purpose is to create a symbiosis between cities on land and water. Floating cities could use the waste CO2 and nutrients of land based cities in a productive way, providing at the same time affordable flood proof housing for the people. Most of the building blocks are there. We need to bring it together to make the next step. Because only a small part of the ocean is needed, the rest can become a nature reserve giving marine ecosystems a long term perspective on survival. A perspective that is currently lacking. We look forward to receive comments and ideas. Best regards, Rutger de GraafTRANSCRIPT
a perspective for human development in the 21st century
Inaugural lecture, Rutger de Graaf, Tuesday 6th November 2012
– Introduction
• Before we start
• A family moment
• Thinking about the future
– Problem overview
– Adaptive urban development on water
• Key characteristics
• Research agenda
– Implementation
– Conclusion
Contents| Lecture outline
Introduction| RDM in the 1960’s
Introduction| A family moment
Introduction| A family moment
PROBLEM
OVERVIEW
“You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.” - Heraclitus
NASA
Global city light image
Earthzine, 2010
Manila, Philippines
Natural weather catastrophes
Munich Re
Photo: Charles Sykes, AP
Sandy, New York City
Population exposed to flooding in 2007 and 2070
Source: OECD, 2007
Source: Piet Dircke, 2012
Effects of land subsidence, Jakarta, Indonesia
Land shortage | Business as usual
Land shortage
≈ 22 mn km²
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
Land shortage | Business as usual
Land shortage | Best case scenario
Land shortage:
≈ 12 mn km²
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barnard's_Galaxy.jpg
http://www.mega-tapety.info/krajobrazy-polaipustynie-1414.html
Desert? : water resources are lacking
Space?? : still too expensive
Where to go?
http://www.philipp-winterberg.com/galerie/mexico_wallpaper.php
The Ocean !
ADAPTIVE
URBAN
DEVELOPMENT
ON WATER “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.” - John F. Kennedy
Floating Cities| l’Ile a Helice (Jules Vernes, 1895)
Floating Cities| Triton City (Richard Buckminster Fuller, 1966)
Walt Disney, 1984
Floating Cities| Sea City of the Future (Walt Disney, 1984)
Floating Cities| GREEN FLOAT (Shimizu Corporation, 2010)
On water 50 times more efficient
Less than 0,2 % of the oceans
needed
One third of the current
agricultural area
will become available
Enough space
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
DeltaSync, 2012
Conventional city Conventional + Floating city
‘Linear metabolism’ ‘Cyclical metabolism’
Concept | Closing the cycle
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
Concept | Closing the cycle
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
Concept | Case study
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
Concept | Producing food and fuel from algae
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
44% of the world food demand can be met by using the
available (waste) nutrients and CO2 from current cities
A total floating area of the size of Madagascar (585.000
km2) would be enough .
In the optimal ratio, 13% of the population would live in
the floating cities.
Global potential
Source: DeltaSync, 2012
DeltaSync, 2012
Building blocks| Floating platforms
Building blocks| Floating buildings
Building blocks| Floating biofuel production
Building blocks| Floating food production
Source: Aquaponics.blog
Source: Nederland in Beeld
Building blocks| Wave protection
Source: FDN Engineering
Building blocks| Wave protection
Building blocks| Artificial reefs
Source: Reefballs.org
Building blocks| Floating wetlands
Source: Floating Islands International
Source: DeltaSync, 2008
Building blocks| Utility units and infrastructure
Project Knowledge Gaps
Floating structures and utilities Integrating technologies and up scaling from
house to neighbourhood and city level.
Integrating floating aquaculture innovations in
floating structures.
Urban design of floating cities Urban design instruments specifically
accustomed to floating cities, including public
space, separation, identities, mobility and
possible ways of living in floating cities
Realizing floating urbanization Development of new economic models, new
methods of collaboration between research,
government, companies and SME’s, starting
pilot projects
Impacts on water quality and
ecology
Data and understanding about water quality
and ecological impacts, establishing design
guidelines based on this understanding.
Rotterdam as entrepreneurial
water en adaptation showcase
Role of showcases in the development and
transition process of water cities
RESEARCH AGENDA
IMPLEMENTATION
If at first an idea isn't absurd, there's no hope for it.”
-Albert Einstein-
Implementation| From vision to mission
DeltaSync, 2006
DeltaSync and Public Domain Architecten, 2009
Implementation| Defining a short term step
Implementation| Building Process
Implementation| The Result
1. Political importance
2. Collaboration
3. Window of opportunity: WE Shanghai 2010
4. Time pressure
5. Process approach vs blue print
6. Network of change agents
7. Ambition
8. Temporary functions
Implementation| Succes factors
Implementation| Citizens as project developers
Floating Houses Harnaschpolder Implementation| Building process
Implementation| Ambitions for Rotterdam
Source: Municipality of Rotterdam
Implementation| Municipal policy
Source: Gemeente Rotterdam
Implementation| Developing the building blocks
Stichting Rijnhavenpark, Stad op het Water & DeltaSync, 2011/2012
Stichting Rijnhavenpark, Stad op het Water & DeltaSync, 2011/2012
Source: RDM Campus, 2010
Source:RDM Campus, 2010
A fundamental new approach to urban development is needed for the challenges of the 21st century
Cities on land should be transformed into flood proof ecocities
Floating city expansions combined with food production can accommodate future urbanization without sacrificing land
At the same time this strategy provides global food security and reuses waste of conventional cities
Much research is still needed but, at the same time, also fast implementation
Conclusions
“Because the people who are crazy enough to think they
can change the world, are the ones who do.”
- Steve Jobs