Twente 2075
City and Water
Overijssel, The Netherlands
Location | Overijssel, The Netherlands
Year | 2022
Client | Atelier Overijssel
Status | Research by design, Finished
External input | Provincie Overijssel, Waterschap Vechtstromen, TAUW
In the study ‘Twente 2075’ DE URBANISTEN explored possible future scenarios for the year 2075, assuming the most extreme climate scenarios will become reality. We took a look at what is necessary to anticipate possible future floodings, droughts, and extreme periods with heat.
Thinking from the perspective of major climate changes, the water system will increasingly become a shaping force within our cities. We now roughly know for what climate changes we need to prepare in the next 20 to 30 years, but within this exploration, De Urbanisten were commissioned by Atelier Overijssel to investigate what will happen after that period of time. The study ‘Twente 2075’ explored possible scenarios in the year 2075, assuming the most extreme climate scenarios will become reality. We took a look at what is necessary to anticipate possible future floodings, droughts, and heat.
Within this study, we worked on three extreme scenarios that show in different ways how to deal with the new climate extremes. For each of the scenarios we worked out a set of main principles that you can work on, and for an exemplary compilation of a typical urbanized area of the Twente region, we visualized the spatial impact of these principles. This exploration can be used to feed discussions about the potential impact of such measures and to define a path on which Twente as a region is going to focus on in the coming period.
Scenario 1 – Flexible citizen
The first scenario makes an extreme appeal to the adaptive capacity of the citizens of Twente. In other words, it means survival in extreme climate scenarios and embracing the new climate extremes as much as possible. It is important that people adapt on an individual scale or in a self-organized collective.
Extreme rain, periods of drought, and heat stress are accepted as much as possible within the city. Areas in the city that become extremely flooded during extreme rain events can be abandoned in the long term, in these areas one can choose to (re)develop on higher and drier grounds. With any new construction, it is important to build climate adaptively to avoid future problems. So that would mean that no single house gets built anymore in an area that is sensitive to floods, or built these houses in such a way that a flood is not causing any damage. Within this scenario, emergency services are ready for the new extremes and cities have an elaborate evacuation plan. Also, there will be a central climate platform that informs about the aspects of the changing climate. This platform provides a clear insight into places that are prone to floods, informs about the measures that can be taken at the individual level, and provides timely warnings when extreme weather is imminent.
Principles of the Flexible citizen:
Scenario 2 | Technology first
Within the second scenario, the climate challenge is solved entirely with technology. It is an extensive exploration of new techniques and ways to make the city function as a cleverly designed water machine.
We look at the city as an entity with a closed water cycle, which means that water is seen as an important resource and is collected locally, cleaned if necessary, and optimally reused for all kinds of purposes. New buildings can naturally clean locally collected rainwater and store it for dry periods. Also, they can provide locally generated energy and produce food in an innovative way (using aquaponics and UV light in the basements). To solve a lot of the climate challenges with technology, there is a need for more energy. Hydrogen can play an important role in the energy supply, sustainably generated energy (wind, solar energy, or hydropower) is transformed into hydrogen through electrolysis. This energy can be used for public transport, bigger companies, and potentially even for homes. Cleverly designed "weather screens" will also protect citizens in public spaces against extreme rain, long periods of drought, and extreme heat.
Principles for Technology first:
Scenario 3 | Sponge city
The final scenario is a maximum green concept in which the possibilities are explored for the city to retain and reuse its area's own water and to use as much green space as possible for this purpose.
The city will act like a coherent landscape with different zones (wet, dry, open, dense, etc.). These zones differ depending on the present soil types, spatial layout, and location within the larger landscape. The presence of many trees and plants will contribute to the production of oxygen, cooling of the environment, capturing particulates, storage of CO2, and increasing biodiversity. Lower and wetter areas are used to purify water. New developments will be part of this landscape, this means that they will be made out of bio-based materials and that the buildings are built in such a way that they consume hardly any energy. We also take a critical look at the buildings that will no longer be there in 50 years and eventually will be replaced by bio-based buildings. Important is that the vegetation is selected on the availability of local rainwater and that trees and plants are provided with a decent growing place (above and below ground). In a city that functions as a forest, people no longer travel by car. Cars are parked on the edges of the city and people get around mainly by means of a well-functioning light rail that reaches every neighborhood. In addition, people move through the city only by walking, cycling, and using light vehicles. The amount of trees in a forest requires a lot of space underground, for that reason the supply of electricity, and water should be designed as compactly as possible under the remaining infrastructure, or in light structures above ground.
Principles for Sponge city:
In reality, the principles from these three scenarios can be combined. To work towards a city in which the future climate challenges can be tackled, we of course think there lies a big opportunity in bringing back nature within the urbanized areas. To make this possible, some of the principles of the other scenarios can be used.
