It is 2020. On the edge of a channel off of the river IJ in the Northern part of Amsterdam is a thriving and unique neighborhood. Schoonschip, a floating residential community, is largely resource self-sufficient, producing all of its energy and most of its food on site. The neighborhood is overseen by a board that coordinates collective investments and operates a few of the local businesses. Beautiful, clean, and full of community spirit, Schoonschip is widely known as one of the best places to live in the Netherlands. SCHOONSCHIP IN 2020 When entering the Schoonschip community, visitors step onto a jetty surrounded by floating plants and flowers. Greenhouses reflect sunlight from rooſtops throughout the site, and plant walls grow up the south-facing walls of the houseboats clustered around each jetty. It is Saturday: one of two large communal areas is busy with residents doing their laundry as they keep an eye on children climbing through an adjacent playground. As they wait for their laundry and their children play, residents enjoy a coffee from a small community managed café housed in one of the community-owned buildings, serving mostly food produced on site. The community management system is enormously successful, showcasing the power of a group of people with busy lives to not only share a unified vision but to operate one. Depending on what the community desires to eat, the community board decides each year what will be planted in the greenhouses. Some food from the greenhouse is sold at a local market, while most is processed and stored in the community pantry. Some members have begun a successful food processing business, making locally branded jam and tomato sauce—products that are becoming known in Amsterdam North for their quality and local origin. Half of the profits are recycled back into the community. The Schoonschip bed and breakfast has become a popular destination in the city, especially for groups coming to learn about the functioning of zero impact developments. Local urban farmers and distributors have used Schoonschip as one of the starting points for a city-wide network of locally grown produce, powering a successful urban farming exchange for city markets and home delivery. Pagina 60
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