InnovationNetwork Foreword One of the major challenges in the field of sustainable development is the closing of cycles. Especially in urban contexts, linear material flows remain a persistent problem. Municipalities collect segregated waste streams, individuals are increasingly opting to generate their own solar energy, and urban agriculture projects abound, but we still cannot point to examples of successfully closed nutrient cycles or true independence from fossil energy. Can we be more successful at closing cycles if we start to see cities as natural ecosystems? This question is central to the ‘Cleantech Playground’ report, which describes a plan made for two locations in Amsterdam North that combines food production, sanitation, and energy systems. One of the sites is a floating residential development (Schoonschip) and the other, next door, an office park on a temporary development site (de Ceuvel). By cleverly combining different technologies, Metabolic Lab designed a system that closes material cycles on both sites. The future users and residents of both developments were intensively involved in the design process. Their involvement was essential as it is these users who will need to invest in the sustainable technologies and be willing to adjust their lifestyles. Achieving independence from fossil energy starts by achieving maximum energy savings, such as those that can be gained through the use of shared facilities, like using washing machines that can take hot instead of cold water as inputs. Onsite food production will require continued effort and maintenance from both residents and users. The first location, the office park de Ceuvel, will begin construction in 2013, hopefully soon to be followed by the floating residential community Schoonschip. Both locations can become a “playground” for clean technology and serve as a blueprint for new urban development, modeled after natural ecosystems. They can thus serve as a source of inspiration for urban planners, architects, and urban agriculture projects that wish to raise the ambition and sustainability of their initiatives. Ger Vos Innovation Network Pagina 6
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