International Urban Planning Congress
Toespraak: Minister Cramer at the International Urban Planning Congress
2 oktober 2009, Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam
Ladies and gentlemen,
[introduction]
Going by the list of speakers today, standards at this Congress are high. I shall do my best not to disappoint. But I promise not to keep you too long. You have had a long day, and I can imagine you're looking forward to a drink.
[main text]
15 years ago I wrote a book called 'Towards a sustainable city'. It was an exploration of the steps needed to achieve a sustainable society. My premise was that human activity should be compatible with the natural environment. I said that this was not about going 'back to nature' and radically reducing production and consumption, but about rethinking the relationship between people and nature.
And during my lifetime, it has become of vital importance to rethink this relationship. The world population has doubled in the past fifty years. There are now 6.7 billion people on the planet. And over half - more than three billion of us - live in urban areas.
In 20 years' time, that number will have reached five billion.
The urban population of Asia and Africa has doubled in size in less than one generation.
These figures are mind-boggling, and present us with daunting challenges. The choices we make and the solutions we come up with will lead to either sustainable urban development and quality of life or increasing poverty and rapid deterioration of our living environment. Obviously, the latter is not an option.
The importance of cities and urban regions is increasing. They are the engines that drive our economies. And they account for more and more of our production and consumption.
The city magnifies the challenges we face. It is the place where all challenges come together and where confrontation leads to growth and innovation. It is where climate meets segregation, quality meets unemployment, innovation meets mobility, creativity meets recession and economics.
Sustainability is an enormous challenge for our cities; it is not only about adapting buildings, but also about planning neighbourhoods and districts. Climate-proofing needs to be linked to energy conservation.
Imagine this: Cities with plenty of space. In parks, people are enjoying the spring sunshine. Electric cars and buses hum along the streets, powered by electricity from wind turbines on rooftops and on the edges of town. Office buildings no longer depend on energy companies, but generate electricity with solar panels, wind turbines and seasonal thermal storage systems. Every flat roof has a lawn, and every wall a vertical garden. The streets are no longer filled with the noise of cars accelerating, but with the hum of electric vehicles, birds singing, and insects buzzing. People live near their work. Offices share buildings with homes, and on the edge of the city lies a sustainable industrial zone that is easy to reach by public transport, bicycle and electric car.
This is within our reach. To those who think I am a dreamer, I say this: we can send people to the moon, we can explore our ocean floors, we can build sustainable cities.
Policy papers and studies tend to focus on the familiar issues: housing, work and infrastructure. But this is no longer enough. Food, energy, waste, religion, leisure time and health will all influence the urban environment. It is essential to take an integrated approach to these issues. Everything is interconnected.
For me, the main priority is more intense use of space, but with the proviso that quality is key. What matters is designing cities to be sustainable so that they can be vibrant. Cities as flashpoints of cultural and economic activity.
This is not hollow rethoric. In Rotterdam between the Erasmus Bridge and the Benelux Tunnel lie the City Harbours. Once the Second Maas Plateau is completed, it will take over the deep sea container transfer now situated in the City Harbours. This creates space within the city and creates possibilities for waterfront real-estate. De harbours shall retain their industrious character and yet offer high quality, climate proof and sustainable housing and office space. Transforming sites such as the city harbours into prime real-estate locations, is good news for the green, open areas on the outskirts of the city. These can be left as they are: green.
This urban rejuvenation is in part made possible by government funding and policy. My department acts as a benefactor, if you will. As a partner to all parties involved in this project, my department's role is objective and geared towards a rapid and succesfull result. With our involvement in this particular project we are letting others know our dedication to sustainable urban development is not just a case of keeping up appearances. We mean business.
Of course there are more examples such as these in The Netherlands, but I promised to not keep you too long.
In closing, I would like to leave you with an analogy.
As a biologist, I see cities as living organisms. Pulsating bodies made up of new and dying cells and kept alive by the people flowing through their arteries. Cities grow, swell, change shape, absorb and eject. This is not about cities with a heart, but about cities as a heart; pumping oxygen and fresh blood into the greater metropolitan areas.
The world has changed radically since my book was published. But I still believe in its basic message. Human activity should be compatible with the natural environment. And in twenty years' time, when five billion people are city-dwellers, all these cities - all these hearts - will need to be in good health. We simply cannot afford a global heart attack.
Thank you.
More information: http://www.nirov.nl/Home/Agenda/Agenda_Items/Dag_van_de_Ruimte__Morgen-Tomorrow__2-daags_congres_.aspx?mId=10438&rId=214