How do we build a flood-resilient future?
Our director Professor Anne Loes Nillesen attended the #SSPEED conference on Flood Resilience organized by Rice University Houston, Texas. Top experts from the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands presented on topics such as flood and coastal protection, nature-based flood solutions, and future perspectives. Anne Loes presented Dutch examples and concepts of approaches to flood mitigation. It was an honor to represent Dutch expertise with colleagues Raymond Hofer (Dutch Water Prevention Boxbarrier BV), Stan Vergeer (Policy Developer Water & Climate, Gemeente Kampen) and Pieter Janssen (Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland) and Baukje “Bee” Kothuis (NBSO Network Houston).

Our colleague Mona zum Felde joined a meeting with Hugo de Jonge alongside other urban designers and landscape architects. They talked about how the strength of design can be incorporated and utilized better in the current policy and governance landscape of existing and future spatial transitions and challenges. The meeting was organized by BNSP and NVTL.

Foto: Corstiaan van Pelt

“Als we op lange termijn in deze delta willen blijven wonen en werken, dan moeten we echt andere keuzes maken. Er is meer ruimte nodig voor water. Ook moeten er toekomstbestendige (locatie)keuzen voor nieuwe woon- en werklocaties worden gemaakt.” Els Otterman van Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden.

Anne Loes Nillesen schreef voor Vakblak Bodem van Bodembreed Academie een artikel over de geschiktheidskaart voor woon- en werklocaties die Defacto maakte. Bodembreed Academie is een initiatief van Stichting Bodembeheer Nederland SIKB – Kennis van kwaliteit in bodem en archeologie en KOBO-HO.

Our Founding Director Anne Loes Nillesen and Tess Broekmans were interviewed on their new appointment as Urban Design professor at TU Delft.

“TU Delft plays a crucial role in tackling major societal challenges. We need good designers for that.” As the new appointed Urban Design professors, Anne Loes Nillesen and Tess Broekmans will bring valuable insights to the academic world and vice versa with their practical experience.

“We face major, societal challenges and changes that require long-term strategies that can in time adapt,” says Anne Loes Nillesen. And Tess Broekmans states: “Urban design is a slow process. A design must be able to respond to changes.”

Read the full interview here.

During the second edition of the ‘Dag van de Ontwerpkracht’ (Day of Design Power) our colleague Mona zum Felde gave a pitch at the Masterclass ‘Op waterbasis: wat betekent het als we water en bodem echt sturend maken?’ (Water-based: what does it mean when we make water and soil truly guiding?). The pitch, together with pitches from Stijn Koole (BoschSlabbers landscape architects) and Marco Hoogvliet (Deltares), was input for a panel discussion that focused on the importance of water and soil as guiding principle, what that means for developments, and how design can both contribute and benefit from this.