CIRCULAR CITIES
FORWORD
Circularity has become a buzzword. In the corporate world of today, circularity, under the heading of circular economy, is embraced as a new business model by large corporations such as Heineken, AkzoNobel, DSM, FrieslandCampina, KLM, Philips, Shell and Unilever. “The Netherlands could become the circular hotspot of Europe,” these eight companies, which together form the VNO-NCW-supported Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC), claim. In short, in our contemporary times, each company wants to become “circular.” How different that was during the low point of the economic and financial crisis that is now seemingly behind us. The capital has had and still has a relatively young population – often with an international background – who did not resign themselves to the so-called realities of the crisis. A swarm or network of urban and spatial professionals developed initiatives that were concerned with creating added value relating to themes such as energy, biodiversity, society, health and material through a variety of forms.
circular city; you allow it to arise” is the motto of these next-generation spatial urban professionals. Of course, the publication contains a pleasant mix of high- and low-tech (design) techniques, but, in comparison to modern corporate forms like Uber and Airbnb, the disruptive character is not only to be found in the techniques. Thankfully so, because we know all too well what the effects of technique-based disruptive revenue models are on a city. The vision of DELVA, Metabolic and Studioninedots reaches further than that, and as such, they are ground-breaking when it comes to new spatial urban developments. They redefine the role of the designer and recognise a new layer – the Genius Loci – of the post-industrial (and post-capitalistic?) city. These are linked up with smart programming and the operation of the self-renewing circular city, planning tools (ownership and community-building, urban developmental setup, experimentation versus feasibility) and circular applications.
This publication defines a new source code with this – the readable text that is written by programmers in programming The Ceuvel, which opened in June 2014, is the first and a language – for the shaping of the city. As such, this publication successful spatial manifestation of the creativity, perseverance is published under a Creative Commons licence. This and innovativeness of a network of young Amsterdammers. publication showcases an enormous love for the city in terms On top of that, the Ceuvel is an attractive prelude for a of design, technique and community, offering a promising different way of urban development which has become counterbalance to the enormous lust for construction that tangible in projects like “Schoonschip,” sustainable selfcurrently dominates. And as is generally understood, lust is building pioneers and larger developments such as Cityplot something entirely different than love. Buiksloterham. I wish you lots of reading enjoyment, inspiration and wisdom. In this publication, “Circular Cities – designing Post-Industrial And I hope that you will – with this publication in the back Amsterdam, the case of Buiksloterham,” the young firms of your mind, but more importantly, with love in your heart – DELVA Landscape Architects/Urbanism, Metabolic and contribute to the open-source construction and development Studioninedots, outline how they transform their dreams of the post-industrial city. and ambitions into reality: “you do not design a resilient
Jurgen Hoogendoorn
Sociologist and Urban Planner Employed at the Municipality of Amsterdam Twitter: @jrgnhoogendoorn
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