DIMI Stories

Sustainable design: less protocol, more collaboration

Designing safe and future-proof cities in delta regions requires close collaboration between disciplines and a key focus on the natural system. Fransje Hooimeijer, associate professor in Environmental Technology and Design, tells us how important interdisciplinary design is and explains how to facilitate effective collaboration between different fields.

Scenarios for safe and habitable deltas

Whereas, over the years, we have learned to tame the Dutch delta, delta regions in countries abroad are often still unrestrained systems, making them extremely vulnerable to flooding. And climate change is exacerbating the situation. Chris Zevenbergen and his research team have initiated the project ‘Redesigning Deltas’ to help countries draw up long-term visions for safe and habitable deltas.

Sustainable area development requires selection and cooperation

How can you create added value for the environment in area development while at the same time ensuring that the public-private cooperation runs smoothly? Researcher Tom Daamen brings together process and content in urban area design projects. For the redevelopment of the Rotterdam Ring Road he discovered – together with the parties involved – the most promising approaches for solutions while the project was still in the research phase.

Creative solutions for safe and liveable delta regions

Good water management includes the provision of clean drinking water and protection from flooding. This can be quite a challenge, particularly in vulnerable delta regions. At the Delta Futures Lab, students, researchers, and parties from the field work together on solutions for sustainable, liveable and safe deltas. Martine Rutten, who is in charge of the Lab, explains why collaboration often produces the best ideas.

Restoring port culture to the city

For centuries, ports have been important to cities and to the hinterland. Yet the maritime mindset has disappeared from many port cities, researcher Carola Hein has concluded. This development represents a danger for the future of ports. She is applying historical research in an effort to restore the link between port and city. “We cannot design a sustainable future without considering the past.”

‘As a student, you simply cannot get closer to the professional field’

Fitting new infrastructure into our densely built-up country is becoming increasingly complex. The Integrated Infrastructure Design minor teaches students how to handle this complexity. “This helps us to train a completely different type of engineer,” says minor coordinator Hans de Boer.

Dutch lessons in the Chinese Pearl River Delta

The Pearl River Delta in the province of Guangdong in southern China is one of the most rapidly urbanising deltas in the world. More than sixty million people now live in an area approximately half the size of the Netherlands. The pace of developments, combined with the consequences of climate change, are creating a complex set of issues. How can a small country like the Netherlands help out?

Sustainable aviation starts on the ground

Flying needs to become more sustainable, quieter and more efficient.
For this you need to think far beyond the aircraft itself: airports for example, can contribute as well. In the newly launched Airport Technology Lab, TU Delft researchers are testing their ideas, from better weather forecasting models to faster baggage handling. All of these ideas contribute to improved efficiency in aviation, and a more sustainable industry.

There is still room on the water!

Freight transport by water is cheaper and uses less energy than by road. What’s more, there’s more room on the water than on our congested roads. We could fully exploit these benefits by first solving a few notorious bottlenecks, such as container ships that aren’t loaded to capacity, suboptimal vessel navigation and congested locks.

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