Deltaschap Zuidhollandse eilanden
11 februari 2010
Prijsvraag inzending deltaschap ZuidHollandse eilanden
The self-sufficient Delta
The self-sufficient city needs to provide for many of its own needs in terms of food, energy and the processing of wastes. To achieve this, the city needs to rely on its surrounding area. There is the need to establish a symbiotic relationship where the city benefits from the hinterland without jeopardizing the inherent qualities of the hinterland. In this interdependency the city and the (rural) region act as equal partners. These days the cities’ interests seem to dominate; therefore we propose a strategy that will trigger a (economic) revaluation of the hinterland and will create this synergetic relationship between the city and the region. We illustrate this by looking at the Delta region near the Dutch city of Rotterdam.
Metropolitan Delta Landscape
The metropolitan area surrounding the cities of The Hague, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent has approximately 3 million inhabitants. It has enormous potential as a habitat as the “Delta City” is physically located directly adjacent to a large ‘natural’ landscape: the Rhine-Meuse-Schelde delta. The spatial combination of the relatively densely populated urban areas with the open (water) environment, on a regional scale, competes with other European metropolises such as the Thames Estuary. This specific combination offers the possibility to address environmental issues and provide sustainable solutions for the supply of energy and food and waste management.
At this point the interests of the city dominate over the interests of the surrounding natural environment. There exists a great disparity between the economic value of the city and that of the delta. The high quality agricultural land of the delta does not appear to hold its own weight against the green beans flown in from South America, or the strawberries flying around the world. The city dweller is increasingly unaware of the origin of his/ her food. In the energy production process there is often a preference for methods that are not always appropriate for the particular characteristics of the delta landscape. The qualities inherent within the delta landscape are still not sufficiently appreciated and, too often, the area is seen simply as a potential building site that can accommodate the overflow of the city.
To ensure that the city and the surrounding countryside take full advantage of each other’s qualities, a mutual “understanding” is required. Only then can a sustainable urban-rural balance between the landscape and the surrounding Delta City, be established. The benefits of cooperation between the various city regions have been increasingly recognised. The value of the cultural and natural landscape for urban areas needs to be redefined: the delta landscape as an energy supplier, as a vegetable garden for the delta city, as a knowledge generator, as provider of small and scenic housing, as recreational landscape and a habitat for animals and plants. All these natural and cultural features must once again be fully realised within the larger context of the estuary and the North Sea and within the Western European cities.
2010-2040
Many policies have been written for the delta area, standards have been established and values discussed; all the above have achieved mixed results.
Natural agriculture
There is much energy invested in ‘nature’. The spatial framework for this is the ecological (prime) structure. However in reality this turns out to be fairly isolated variety of ‘natural sites’. The natural land controlled by the government is located directly adjacent to large-scale agro-industrial plots. Despite the physical proximity, ‘farming’ has become increasingly removed from nature and vice versa. Farmer Jan from Ootgensplaat says: “On the one hand, we designate zones for nature and on the other hand we intensify fertilization to generate extra yield on the decreased amount of farming land.”
This calls for a reestablishment of the relationship between nature and agriculture in order to ensure that a sustainable environment is created.
Water
The water in the delta is currently contained and controlled as much as possible, and the natural dynamics are minimized. Simultaneously the governmental decision to partly open the floodgates aims to return more of the natural dynamics; local and national interests feature interchangeable here. The maintenance of the current landscape, with respect to the water and salt levels, will cost more and more energy and money. This is our view, a disregard of the potential of the estuary.
A robust management system should be established to serve both the agricultural and natural environments and to protect the interests of the land and water. Here, the benefits of a synergy between water, nature and culture are obvious.
The Instrument
Currently all sectors and interest groups, with the best of intentions, attempt in their own way to organise and tackle the existing problems. The area contains a high level of governance; it falls within several provinces and countries and is therefore subject to a variety of different local authorities. The need to take swift action in the interests of the entire Delta, city and country, requires that everyone should be facing in the same direction! In order to balance all interests, provide integral direction and implement action, we proposal the creation of a legal body that transcends the provincial and national borders; this will replace all sectional bodies and independent organizations, and will represent and personify all the interests of the Delta. This Deltaship (Deltaschap in Dutch) represents naturalists, farmers, water managers, residents, businesses, recreational interests etc. The “ship” is concerned with the organisation, regulation and management of the landscape and the water. It will implement subsidisation policies and negotiate with buyers of products from the delta. It is also the mouthpiece of the delta and will communicate with the city and the surrounding ‘higher authorities’.
From many possible points we focus on three key points contained within the main agenda of the Deltaship. These points aim to make the landscape stronger in relation to the city, and the two combined, more self-sufficient.
1. Economic vitality
The area will form the Vegetable Garden of the entire metropolitan region. There is the possibility to allow the first-rate agricultural land to produce high quality organic agricultural and horticultural products for the Delta City. This will reduce the travel time between production and consumption and is better suited to the landscape characteristics; furthermore it will provide the farmer with more revenue per square meter, thus making it feasible for farmers in the salty parts of the delta to convert to other types of farming.
We propose a landscape that is more robust and responsive to the ecological and saline processes within the Delta, while simultaneously providing areas for intensive agricultural protection. By applying a zoning system we utilise the existing potentials to generate value for the city and the delta itself.
The entire area within the historic ring dykes will be designated for large-scale agricultural production. Outside of these older polders, the newer polders offer the space for smaller and more diverse types of farming. This area is wetter and creates a more natural landscape; it offers enough pressure to withstand the entry of the salty groundwater thus enabling that the fresh water within the historic polders to be kept pure more easily.
The farms will become more versatile: landscapes will become more natural, recreational, contain healthcare and educational functions and allow parts of the agriculture sector to be more labour intensive. Through a monitored system, the natural environment can be utilised by farmers as “natural harvest” or growth rooms for mussels and fish. Cattle will be able to freely roam within the ‘natural areas’; their grazing on these landscapes will be beneficial for efficient maintenance as well as the production of high quality meat. The salty tidal landscapes outside the polders provide a unique environment and the opportunity for the delta to position itself within global niche markets. Together with new knowledge commodities, products for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry can be produced, such as sponges used for cancer drugs; the cultivation of organic crops and opportunities for saltwater farming also exist here. The new farmers include: the sponge-farmer, the wild-farmer, the saltwater farmer, the high-tech farmer etc.
2. Slow and exclusive housing environments
The Delta area is a unique and characteristic landscape that is strongly shaped by its past relationship with water (Luctor et Emergo). The dynamics of the relationship between land and water initially formed a small scale ‘constructed landscape’. Agricultural intensification and the ‘fight against water’ have changed this landscape. Nevertheless, the current characteristics of the area, with the villages and rural scenery, depict a very specific dwelling and landscape type that also contributes to the character of the surrounding urban areas. Exclusive residential communities of the delta comprise of compact forms of housing in the villages and towns, spacious living on large plots, or living in a direct relationship to the water. Whereas the Delta-city is built up with high urban densities and excellent accessibility, living in the delta is characterized by relative inaccessibility and exclusivity. A slow network on the water, consisting of small boats to transport people and goods, can establish physical relationship between the delta and the city. The economic revaluation of the delta area will remove the necessity of simply importing suburban types of residential communities to the area.
3. Characteristic energy for the delta
There exist many opportunities to effectively generate energy within the delta. Initially the delta can be energy neutral and in the long-term, can become a supplier to the Delta City. In the industrial (water) areas of the Delta City there exists sufficient space for large-scale energy generation. The area is already firmly engaged in the production of wind energy but the inhabitants are resistance to the scale of production and the image created by these turbines. The industrial nature of the turbines is also not entirely suited to the dynamics and the nature of the estuary and there exists the possibility to look into more suitable forms of energy production for the delta region. These include osmosis and the utilization of tidal energy. Tidal pumps area used to create power and to generate fresh water for agriculture. Waste products from urban areas and agriculture can be fermented into methane and heat and the by-products can be converted, by algae cultivation, into biodiesel, biomass, oxygen and clean water.
Connecting
contrasts
By 2040 the Delta Landscape will have achieved symbiosis with the surrounding area. The Delta Landscape provides food, high quality products, energy, recreation, knowledge, work and ecological qualities. The Delta City is a player in the global economy and home to many people, institutions and businesses. The space created by the delta offers opportunities to further intensify the city. The characteristics of both the City and the Delta are further strengthened and their qualities magnified, creating the opportunity for a vital, thriving metropolis and a more self-sufficient environment.
Key Concepts
- Balancing the cities and the hinterland - Enhancing symbiosis
- A more natural and robust agriculture - Making better use the estuary