Climate Change, Water, Land Development, and Adaptation (The Netherlands)

Climate Change, Water, Land Development, and Adaptation (the Netherlands)Embracing the motto, \”Water is Our Enemy, Water is Our Friend,\” the Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management is sponsoring this studio, which will explore the expansion of Almere, a new town in the Amsterdam metropolitan region, that is being considered to increase by as many as 40,000 residential units and 34,000 new jobs in the next 20 years. The studio is timely in that the government is expected to make decisions on the \”increase in scale\” of development and supporting infrastructure for Almere in 2009. We will perform analysis and prepare a plan based on scenarios for development both inside and outside the existing dike.Almere presents a rich field on which to plan for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change while strengthening the town\’s urban quality and connectedness to Amsterdam, the Randstad, and the wider world. A range of infrastructural interventions will be evaluated, including flood resilient building strategies, advanced information and communications technology, and a possible new rail link.The studio must also respond to the natural values of the site, as the area outside the dike supports significant biodiversity and is subject to the Bird and Habitat Directive. Students will have an opportunity to travel to the Netherlands over Spring break, where we will meet with Dutch experts and officials; guest lecturers will be invited to Cambridge as well. Students from all GSD departments are welcome.