the knowledge ecosystem // emu fall 2014

1EMU Fall-Semester 2014presents

W E S T L A N D G R E E N P O R T

THE KNOWLEDGE ECOSYSTEMTowards a comprehensive knowledge-based spatial development

U R B A N R E G I O N N E T W O R K S

2C O L O P H O N

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COLOPHON

3European Postgraduate Master in UrbanismStrategies and design for cities and territories

Design Studio EMU fall semester 2014 TUDelftUrban Region Networks

European Higher Education Consortium in UrbanismFaculty of Architecture, Department of UrbanismDelft University of TechnologyJuliannalaan 13400WEST250The NetherlandsTel. +31 152.784.430

Studio participants Nashira Covarrubia @ [email protected] de Neuville @ [email protected] Ergamina @ [email protected] Bettisabel Lamelo @ [email protected] Wanseo Park @ [email protected]

Studio Instructors dr. Roberto Roccoir. Daan Zandbelt

The studio is part of the European Postgraduate Master EMU program. The design studio is complemented by compulsory courses in Methodology (Prof. Vincent Nadin and Dr. Dominic Stead), in Technology (Dr. Akkelies van Nes and DI Alexander Wandl) and in Theory (Dr. ir. Stephen Read and Prof. dr. Wil Zonneveld) concerned with Urban Networks and their societal and economic implications.

http://www.emurbanism.eu

4P R E F A C E

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PREFACE

5Knowledge-Based Regional Development: A strategy for the South Wing of the Randstad?

The EMU semester focuses on spatial regional strategies based on ideas connected to the knowledge economy and knowledge-based development, as well as the knowledge-city concept. We will examine the theories and practices connected to knowledge-based development and knowledge economy-driven urban and regional spatial planning. We will also examine the connections between these ideas and the issues of sustainability, economic prosperity and spatial justice. We will investigate the role of spatial planning in conceiving strategies that foster regional and metropolitan development, through the implementation of actions, policies and projects of strategic value in the frame of the emerging knowledge economy.

The objective of this EMUs fall semester is to develop design, research and analysis skills, in order to propose spatial interventions in large metropolitan regions. The semester consists of a design studio and three supporting courses, focusing on theory, methodology and technology. The main theme of the semester and studio in particular is the development of knowledge related spatial strategies.

What is knowledge economy?

The knowledge economy is commonly defined as an economy in which growth is dependent on the production, dissemination and application of knowledge in fostering innovation, rather than the means of industrial production. In other words, the knowledge economy is based on the exchanges and gains of intellectual capital, rather than returns generated by industrial production only. By this token, sophisticated services like higher education, research and development, business consultancy, law, advertising, information technology services and many others are all part of the knowledge economy. Moreover, because innovation is such an important driver of growth, innovation in the form of start-ups, domestic enterprises, creativity and new work in the form of new products and applications, to use Jacobs terminology, must also be fostered.

In the knowledge economy, a significant part of a companys value may consist of intangible assets, such as the value of its workers knowledge. This is called intellectual capital. Similarly, a large part of a city or regions wealth can be measured by the capacities of its inhabitants to generate and trade on innovation and knowledge production, to generate new products and new life styles. The inputs and outputs of the knowledge economy are both tangible and intangible. Tangible outputs consist, for instance, of new products, while intangible outputs are related to managerial innovation, gains in productivity, and efficiency and ultimately gains in competitiveness.

6Knowledge-Based Regional Development: A strategy for the South Wing of the Randstad?

The aim of this teaching component is to reveal what is a strategy in spatial planning and design and to connect spatial strategy making to issues of the knowledge economy.

There are several kinds of strategies associated to fostering a knowledge-based economy. Some of these strategies are spatial or have a clear spatial component, e.g. the creation of special interest zones, knowledge parks or connectivity infrastructure. The creation of prestigious office locations, for instance, is believed to attract knowledge intensive firms looking for distinctive office space. Various strategies associated with university campus design are supposed to facilitate formal and informal knowledge exchanges and spillovers in innovation.

Other strategies are based on policies or actions that promote or facilitate the knowledge-economy or one of its components, like city branding, tax breaks, certain immigration policies that attract skilled workers, or incentives to homeownership in certain areas. The location of research and education institutions and their connection to city life is also of great importance because they attract knowledge workers, they attract funding and generate the spill over effects necessary for innovation to take place. Any effective spatial strategy must include both spatial and non-spatial elements. A good strategy must also cater for multiple objectives (not only those related to knowledge creation or dissemination). These objectives might include essential aspects of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. These dimensions of sustainability and the indicators connected to them might help planners and decision-makers design comprehensive strategies.

A successful example of a knowledge region is the Brainport Eindhoven, in the South of the Netherlands. According to the regional economic development agency Brainport Development, Brainport Eindhoven Region is () a top technology region; a hot bed for innovation and home to world-class businesses, knowledge institutes and research institutions () The region is characterised by a combination of world-class companies (as Philips, ASML, DAF, FEI and NXP), a range of specialized, highly innovative supply companies and a lot of small and medium sized enterprises. A large number of jobs and high R&D expenditure are to be found in High Tech Systems & Materials and Food. Strong interrelated supply chains are anchored in this region where public and private research development, design and sales all take place in close proximity. There is a major technical university; the Eindhoven University of Technology, eight public knowledge institutes, a medical centre, an open university, several universities of applied sciences and dedicated vocational education schools. (Source: http://www.mkwproject.eu/partners/ brainport-eindhoven-region.html).

7In order to develop the Eindhoven Brainport region further and keep it competitive, a strategy called Brainport 2020 was launched. The Brainport 2020- Top Economy, Smart Society is a vision and a strategy along with a tangible implementation programme that is intended to help make the Dutch economy one of the worlds top 5 economies. (Source: http://www.brainport2020.nl/) This strategy is composed by projects, policies and measures that promote interconnections between existing actors and create the spatial conditions for them to thrive. It presents an innovative approach towards partnerships between the public sector, the private sector and several sectors of civil society, who seek synergies to implement the strategy.

Quite some research has been done on theories and practices of knowledge-based development. One example is the European funded Seventh Framework research cluster called Regions of Knowledge.

The Regions of knowledge initiative aims to strengthen the research potential of European regions, in particular by encouraging and supporting the development, across Europe, of regional research-driven clusters, associating universities, research centres, enterprises and regional authorities. It will allow regions to intensify the role of research and technological development (RTD) in economic development and to invest better and more in RTD through cultivating innovative research-driven clusters at a local and regional level. The aim is to increase the capacity of European regions to invest in and develop their commitment in research which can contribute significantly to economic development. (Source: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/regionsknowledge_en.html).

A SEMESTER INTRODUCTION by dr. Roberto Rocco

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CONTENTC O N T E N T

9Knowledge Economy - Theoretical understanding

South Wing - A great Region for Knowledge Economy

The Greenports - A hidden jewel in the South Wing

Westland - Head of the Greenports

Why Westland? What is Westland? Evaluating the Westland The peoples perception Changes of urbanity in the Westland

The Knowledge Ecosystem - Top city of the Greenports

5 Strategic Projects

Westland Horticampus Bio-tech Park Knowledge Showcase Intermodal Logistics Westland Light Railway

Development Timeline & Governance - Evaluation of the Proposals

Conclusions

Bibliography

Introduction & Methodology

Chapter I.

Chapter II.

Chapter III.

Chapter IV.

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P.20

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Chapter V.

Chapter VI.

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P.50P.58P.66P.80P.82

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P.102P.106P112

Chapter VII.

Chapter VIII.

Chapter IX.

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Group of EMU students with dr. Roberto Rocco Day trip in Amsterdam

ir. Daan Zandbelt Source : http://www.dezwartehond.nl

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INTRODUC TION

The Urban Region Networks studio of the fall semester in 2014 as a part of EMU (European Post-graduate Master in Urbanism) program was the core module for this semester. This studio was dealing with Knowledge Economy or knowledge-based development in the South Wing of Randstad. This regional-level approach allowed us to understand how the current economic structure can be inter-related with spatial planning and regional design.

Economic performance is now the major driver to shape urbanism and it will stay this way for a long time. The transformation of economic structure, from agrarian, to manufacture, to service and now to knowledge or creative economy, has influenced heavily the ways of living. Currently, knowledge itself in any economic sector is getting increasingly important, as it contributes massively to economic performance and competitiveness. Thus, it is very crucial to understand what happens in cities for this knowledge to emerge and to be transformed into the new economy.

During the first quarter of this semester, we focused on the South Wing of the Randstad, trying to understand it according to the notion of knowledge economy. We evaluated the region in terms of knowledge city foundations and reflected on how spatial planning can contribute to achieve a knowledge-driven South Wing. During the second quarter, we concentrated on the specific knowledge economic sectors of the South Wing, trying to understand the commonalities and specificities of each. We analyzed the 5 top sectors of: Mainport Rotterdam, water management, creative industry, peace & justice and the Greenports. We chose to work with the Greenports and specifically with the Westland Greenport, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of its 5 greenport dimensions, which were: knowledge & innovation, sustainable environment, livability, logistics & trade and productivity. We also took into account the stages the Westland has gone through and the perception of the people. By doing this, we were able to set a spatial vision and strategy for the Westland, composed by 5 strategic projects.

Our studies related with knowledge economy are not only for the particular region and economic sector, but also have implications to the other economic sectors of the South Wing or even to any sector that is going towards achieving knowledge-based development. Therefore, the analytical framework conducted through this semester is also a major outcome of this studio.

ME THODOLOGY

12Source: www.cablingtechnology.com

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CHAPTER I

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMYTHEORE TICAL UNDERSTANDING

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1414 CHAPTER I . K nowledge Economy

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What makes a region a KNOWLEDGE REGION?Competit iveness based on histor ical ly accumulated local

k nowledge

Knowledge is the most valuable asset in nowadays economy and some regions more than others appear to be enjoying of the benefits and profits of exploiting this knowledge to their competitive advantage.

In that sense, the knowledge economy is the one that encourages its organizations and people to acquire, create, disseminate and use knowledge more effectively for greater economic and social development (Dahlman and Anderson,2000, p. 32).

But this knowledge is not something that can appear out of nowhere, because the knowledge of knowledge regions is strongly path-dependent, which means that it has emerged on the basis of earlier social and economic conditions. Institutions that were created in earlier times and activities especially trade activities- that have been executed for many years strongly influence what a city is today.

The knowledge structure of a region is rooted in local conditions and is the product of an embodied social process, in which knowledge is stored and interpreted in the brains of individuals or in communities of practice (Hepworth and Spencer, 2003).

In this chapter, we will develop a critical review of a selection of theory about knowledge economy and knowledge-based development, in order to back up, justify and enrich our further proposals.

Top Left: London, Top Right: South Wing of the Randstad, Bottom Left: Naples, Bottom Right: ParisSource: ESA/NASA

Theoret ical understanding 15

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Knowledge based economy means economies which are directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information

OECD, 1996

...the idea of knowledge driven economy is not just a description of high tech industries. It describes a set of new sources of competitive advantage which can apply to all sectors, all companies and all regions, from agriculture and retailing to software and biotechnology

New measures for the New Economy, report by Charles Leadbeater, June 1999

the knowledge society is a larger concept than just an increased commitment to R&D. It covers every aspect of the contemporary economy where knowledge is at the heart of value added -from high tech manufacturing and ICTs through knowledge intensive services to the overtly creative industries such as media and architecture

Kok Report, 2004

... one in which the generation and exploitation of knowledge has come to play the predominant part in the creation of wealth. It is not simply about pushing back the frontiers of knowledge; it is also about the most effective use and exploitation of all types of knowledge in all manner of economic activityDTI Competitiveness White Paper,

1998economic success is increasingly based on upon the effective utilisation of intangible assets such as knowledge, skills and innovative potential as the key resource for competitive advantage. The term knowledge economy is used to describe this emerging economic structure

ESRC, 2005

CHAPTER I . K nowledge Economy16

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What is k nowledge economy? Does i t matter?

In order to understand knowledge economy and its relation with spatial planning, we explored to theories and phenomena around it.

Existing literature and economic reports (OECD, 1996; DTI Competitiveness White Paper, 1998; New measures for the New Economy, report by Charles Leadbeater, June 1999; Kok Report, 2004; ESRC, 2005) point out the definition of knowledge economy with slightly different perspectives. After a review of this literature and a selection of key articles and books, we can conclude that the knowledge economy is a contemporary economic structure, based on the intensive using of knowledge in all economic activities, from agricultural and manufacture industries to service industries as well as high-tech and creative industries. Moreover, as Winden (2007) and Brinkely (2006) mention, knowledge itself is a key driver of economic growth, as the knowledge-based / creative industries are the ones contributing the most to economic performance nowadays. Many statistics and indicators that show improvements in the performance of cities and regions are supporting the importance of knowledge economy: investments on knowledge-based industries are increasing; the proportion of knowledge workers in the labour market is rising; and knowledge exportation is growing.

So, what makes a successful knowledge economy?

Currently, the knowledge is one of the most significant assets for the economy and some regions. Many world-famous cities, such as London or Paris, can be represented as strong knowledge city-regions, and this can be explained through their economic sectors: London is leader of banking and financial services and Paris is head of fashion industries. These world-competitive economic sectors are strongly combined with particular knowledge that has emerged on the basis of earlier socio-economic conditions and is very path dependent.

Furthermore, foundations of the knowledge city, suggested by van den Berg (2005), are presenting some key criteria: knowledge base, economic base, quality of life, accessibility, urban diversity, urban scale and social equity, through which one could analyze cities and their potential for knowledge-based development, their capacity for attracting knowledge workers, creating knowledge, applying knowledge and developing growth clusters.

Theoret ical understanding

1818 CHAPTER I . K nowledge Economy18

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Types of k nowledge

When dealing with knowledge, it is crucial to understand the types of knowledge and their forms of exchange.

According to many contributors (Frost, 2013; Bukowitz et al., 1999; Serban et al., 2013; Prusak et al., 2000), the types of knowledge can be categorized by explicit knowledge, embedded knowledge and tacit knowledge.

In the case of Explicit Knowledge, this is the one that is codified and is found in documents, databases, etc. (Frost 2013) that hold the tools and methods (Stoecklein 2013) that we find easy to identify, store, and retrieve (Wellman 2009). For the exchange of this type of knowledge, the most important factor is accessibility to it, as it needs to be available to be shared between different entities (Frost 2013).

There is also the Embedded Knowledge, which is found in processes, products, culture, routines, artifacts, or structures (Horvath 2000, Gamble & Blackwell 2001) and the way of sharing it is achieved through scenario planning and the integration of processes (Frost 2013).

The Tacit Knowledge is the one that is intuitive and rooted in context, experience, practice and values (Frost 2013). It refers to the principles (Stoecklein 2013), skills, capabilities and expertise (Frost 2013) that are harder to communicate than the other types of knowledge, which is why the exchange method in this case is socialization through informal networks and daily interactions, with the provision of unstructured meeting spaces and with the encouragement of unstructured, less-structured or experimental work practices.

Of all three types of knowledge, the tacit is the one that is said to be the best source of competitive advantage and innovation.

Through the theoretical review of the knowledge economy and the types of knowledge, we can recognize that knowledge itself is the centre of current economic performance. Moreover, urban environments take a major role to make a city or region successful in the knowledge-driven economy. Planners, urban designers and architects have a major role in structuring these urban environments in order to host this new type of economy.

Theoret ical understandingLeft: Types of Knowledge. Source: Done by authors, iceberg picture from: blog.nuestroclima.com, text based on the theories quoted in text.

20Source: http://wallpaper-kid.com/

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CHAPTER I I

THE SOUTH WINGA GREAT REGION FOR KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

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2222 CHAPTER I I . South Wing22

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Knowledge Base

Knowledge City Foundations

Economic Base

Quality of LifeAccessibility

Urban Diversity

Urban Scale

Social Equity

The first step was to analyze the South Wing according to the theory of knowledge foundations (van den Berg, L., 2005), to evaluate if knowledge economy is a relevant subject to develop in this region. In this sense, we analyzed and concluded according to these 5 topics:

Knowledge base - Quality of life - Accessibility - Urban diversity - Urban Scale

In order to perform this evaluation, we will take into consideration the indicators that conform each of the foundations. This will allow us to determine the potential of the South Wing as a knowledge region and will show its strengths and weaknesses in relation to knowledge-based development.

On the Left: Base Map of the South Wing. Source: http://maps.stamen.com/. In this page: Diagram made by authors based on Knowledge City Foundations by van den Berg, 2005

K nowledge Cit y Foundat ions : evaluat ing the S outh Wing

A great region for k nowledge economy

24 CHAPTER I I . South Wing

K nowledge Cit y Foundat ions : evaluat ing the S outh WingAccessibility

Indicators good international accessibility (hub airport) good regional accessibility: high-speed-train connections good local accessibility (multimodal accessibility)

The South Wing has a great accessibility, not only within a city or town, but also within the region as a whole. It has also a consolidated and efficient multi-modal network of transportation, as many towns or cities are being served by more than two modes of public transportation, including the intercity trains with high frequency. As a good daily urban system, more than 500,000 commuters can reach everywhere in the South Wing in 45 min.

Even though Schiphol Airport is outside of the South Wing, it works as a main international hub for the region and can be reached even from Rotterdam in 45 minutes by train. There is also another international connection, since the Rotterdam-Deen Haag Airport deals with many international flights as well.

Public Transport Networks. Done by authors, data source: Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl

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Indicators size of cities existence of scale economies for firms ability to attract and retain knowledge workers existence of support facilities

Regarding the size of cities, we can say that although there is no big metropolis in the South Wing, its polycentric structure allows it to compete with other big agglomerations.

In terms of firm location and the ability of the region to provide scale economies for knowledge activities, a large market for specialized services and a large common pool of specialized staff and suppliers; this is something the South Wing already has, and is evident in the High concentration of knowledge companies in cities like The Hague, Rotterdam, Delft, Leiden and Rijswijk.

The region is also attractive for many International Headquarters, as it is evident in the map.

In terms of support facilities, the South Wing is very well connected to Schiphol Airport, with direct trains in 30 minutes or less from several points.

K nowledge Cit y Foundat ions : Evaluat ing the South Wing

Urban Scale

Main Universities and Knowledge Companies of the SW. Done by authors, data source: Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl


Knowledge BaseIndicators quality, quantity & diversity of universities, education institutes and R&D activities

educational level of population

The presence of three big universities gives the region a great advantage when it comes to economic perspectives. These are considered Large Size Institutions (Quacquarelli 2015), since they reunite more than 90.000 student and professors.

Also in the region, two science parks, -the Science Port Holland N.V. and the Leiden Bio-science Park- have made discoveries in relevant topics, providing a strong base of research and knowledge to the region.

The other strength of this territory, in the Knowledge base foundation, is the specific and strong local knowledge that the South Wing has produced and developed through the history in certain fields, such as water management, design, horticulture, peace & justice, and port & trade activities.

Main Universities and Knowledge Companies of the SW Done by authors, data source: Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl

27A great region for k nowledge economy

The South Wing has a high quality of built environment, since it is part of the Randstad Region, which is clearly the creative and cultural epicenter of the country (Cross Media Monitor, 2008). However, the cities of the South Wing have to strengthen their international profiles to be able to compete with the North Wing.

The region has also an unique natural environment, adjacent to the urban areas, what makes it an attractive place to live.

The amount of amenities and the quality of places within the South Wing is high, in comparison with other areas of the country, and the region offers great public space, transport, recreational facilities, and good quality affordable housing (OECD 2014).

Quality of lifeIndicators attractiveness of the built environment, housing & natural surroundings

variety of cultural institutions research.

Access to landscape from the cities of the South Wing. Dons by authors based on Access to landscape (2009) by dutchwaterdesign.com

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Urban diversityIndicators diversity of inhabitants & types of economic actors: by ethnicity, nationality, gender

& sexual orientationcity diversity: mixed uses, small blocks, mix of buildings of different ages & concentration of people (Jacobs, 1961)

The South Wing is a growing melting pot, with an increasing tendency of having mixed uses in city centres, relatively less big blocks than other cities in Europe, and a certain harmony between aged and new built environments.

As a weakness, this melting pot causes growing conflicts between different ethnic groups, particularly in Rotterdamand The Hague. There are also some mono-functional areas and sleeping towns.

Percentage of Immigrants. Done by authors, data source: Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl

CHAPTER I I . South Wing

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What can spat ia l p lanning do?

After this evaluation of the South Wing, we reflected briefly about how planning can contribute to improve the region in each of the foundations. Nevertheless, this approach was considered still too general, for the task of understanding the potential South Wing as a Knowledge Region. For this reason, in the next chapter we will go deeper into 5 top economic sectors of the region, to get a better insight about the economic base.

Accessibilityenhance public transporation

networks more interwoven, henceachieve higher frequency

achieve high efficiency tointerchange among multimodal

transportation networks

Knowledge Basepromote a cluster to combinesimilar affiliation of education,

work, business and R&D

Quality of lifepreserve and improve the natural

environment

enhance amenities in small andmedium cities

upgrade and create more middleand high level housings

Urban Scaleenhance a balanced polycentric

structure of the South Wing

improve the accessibility toRotterdam-the Hague airport

promote sub-cultural environmentsand events

Urban Diversitypromote more integrated spatialplans at regional level for social

cohesion


30 CHAPTER I I . South Wing30

a unique region with a great amount of knowledge, produced in its 5 TOP Economic Sectors:

And as top sectors of the Dutch economy, they share some commonalities:

- They are all key drivers of the South Wings economy as well as Dutch economy

- They are geo-politically encouraged from Dutch history and are stimulated to have a solid exchange between businesses, knowledge institutes and the government (the golden triangle)

- They also have strong knowledge base with high levels of creativity and several educational institutes specialized in each topic.

- They have international reputation and are globally expanded

but because each sector targets a different topic, they are spatialized differently in the South Wing and their knowledge structures vary. In the next pages we will describe the unique characteristics of each top sector.

Creative Industry

Water Management Greenports

Peace& Justice

Mainport Rotterdam

THE SOUTH WING OF THE RANDSTAD

RIght: South WIngs Top Sectors. Done by authors. images sources: 1. Port of Rotterdam (meetmrholland.wordpress.com), 2. Peace Palace (www.abolitionforum.org), 3. Polder (www.orrazz.com), 4. Greenport (www.wageningenur.nl), 5. Rotterdam (ronaldpuma.wordpress.com), 6. Delta Water Works (beeldbank.rws.nl)


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3

4

5

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31done by authors


MAINPOR T ROT TERDAM

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Main Port Rotterdam is Europes largest port and logistic hub, being the fourth-largest worldwide. Its strong competitiveness is given by its strong cluster of more than 400 companies and around 20,000 employees, its strategic location that makes it ideal for any type of cargo, and the many universities and institutions such as: TuDelft, Leiden University, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, CIV (MBO), CIVOM (MBO), RDM (MBO) and STC BV- that support the knowledge creation and dissemination in the sector and that offer a great variety of degrees specialized in the subjects of logistics, trade, port economy, chemicals, bio-fuels, etc.

This Main Port is characterized by two activities that work complementarily: the Energetic Port and the Logistics & Trade Activities, both active not only in the production and trade, but also being strong on knowledge production.

The Energy Port is the biggest producer of energy in the country. It is a large-scale business in production, storage and trade of products, and also in the production of knowledge of different energy commodities. This innovation is fostered by the strong cluster that these industries have established, with more than 125 companies working in synergy, exchanging knowledge and sharing facilities.

On the other hand, the Trade & Logistic Activities are related to the largest container port in Europe. The sector provides shipping and forwarding of cargo to many places in Europe and has a good accessibility, flexibility and efficiency, getting instant insight in available services and connections from and to the port of Rotterdam.

An important component of this top sector is the Cool Port, which is the 2nd largest cooling and freezing logistic facility in Europe and a convenient choice for the refrigerated and frozen cargo of the continent. Its proximity to Westland Greenport makes it an attractive stop for short-sea operators, as large volumes from southern Europe are destined for these areas. Source: Port of Rotterdam Authority

Energy Produc t ion - Logist ics & Trade

Legend Container Cargo L ine Dr y Bulk Univers i t ies L iquid Bulk MBO / HBO Cool Por t Headquar ters of Companies


On the Left: Port Activities and Knowledge. Done by authors based on research.


PEACE & JUSTICE

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The Hague is well-known as the capital of Peace and Justice in the world. The city is the home of more than 160 IGOs and NGOs in terms of peace and justice, such as the International Court of Justice, NATO Communications and Information Agency, Europol, etc. In addition to this, more than 100 embassies are located in the city.

This unique knowledge intensive sector is very historically accumulated. In this sense, there are 3 reasons why the city has become a host for world justice: politics, geography and experience.

Politically speaking, the Netherlands took the neutral position during WWI, setting foundations for its Peace & Justice role; and geographically, the country had a very good accessibility by land or by sea, what made it capable of holding various conferences about international law, like the Conference on Peace & International Law in 1899. This event was the starting point of the city as the centre for peace and justice, which got stronger with the completion of the Peace Palace in 1913, a facility that functions not only for the international law court -the Permanent Court of Arbitration, International Court of Justice- but also has education and knowledge facilities -The Hague Academy of International Law, the Peace Palace Library. As a snowball effect, many inter-governmental organisations followed the Palace, such as NATO, the International Criminal Court, Europol, Eurojust, etc. and this attracted lots of non-governmental organisations that located around them.

This sector keeps attracting many peace & justice knowledge workers, which are supported by the general facilities; knowledge, education and research institutions; international schools; international conferences; embassies;and wide range of services that the city of The Hague offers. Thus, the planning of this sector is promoted by national, regional and local governments and strategic areas are designated as an International Zone to enhance and support it in this Peace & Justice function. Sources: Guide to International Organisations in The Hague, 2013. - Structuurvisie Den Haag 2020, 2005.

Emblematic Cluster of IGOs & NGOs

Legend: P&J Organizat ion P&J Educat ion I nternat ional Schools Embass ies


On the Left: Peace & Justice Facilities. Done by authors based on research.


CREATIVE INDUSTRY

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The Creative Industry in the Netherlands is one of its Top economic sectors, with a growth rate of 6 percent per year, 43000 companies, 172000 employees, and share of more than 2% of GDP. It is represented by design, media & entertainment, fashion, gaming and architecture; and it makes cities more attractive to tourists, businesses and residents. Initiatives like Dutch Design, architectural structures and music festivals boost the profile of the Netherlands abroad.

The common denominator of all these disciplines is that there is constant renewal focused on the end user and also that they have few employees, with 87% of total creative companies having less than five workers, 12% having from 5 to 50 and only 1% having more than 50. This, plus the small scale and urban diversity of the South Wing, fosters the growth of the sector in the region, occurring faster than other sectors, which is of crucial importance for the ability to innovate.

This Creative Industry is characterized by a Strong Architecture Cluster in Rotterdam that emerged due to the measures and instruments that stimulated entrepreneurship, established commercial and social networks of entrepreneurs and created a chain of education, design, production, marketing, distribution. This cluster is influenced by existing big international companies (OMA, MVRDV, West 8, KCAP) and is encouraged by policies that are people and business oriented.

In this sense, Rotterdam offers affordable work places in old buildings and high quality of life due to the housing policies, which provide the cheapest apartments in Netherlands. In addition, the city offers a localized labour pool and shared habitats -education history, interests and dress-code- among other things that are attractive to architects. Due to the cultural policies -distributing municipal subsidies over cultural institutions and initiatives- Rotterdam became an attractive place not only for locals, but also for tourists: it became a Festival City. Source: R.Kloosterman Creative knowledge cities: myths, visions, realities Archdaily

Rotterdam Architec ture Cluster


Legend: Architec ture Studios West 8 Studio Univers i t ies / HBO KCAP MVRDV Studio OMA Studio

On the Left: Architecture studios in the South Wing. Done by authors based on data from Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl.

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WATER MANAGEMENT


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The Dutch excel in the fields of water technology, including water production, distribution, wastewater and sewage treatment, and sanitation. They are renowned for their ability to design and build storm surge barriers and levees, as well as reclaim land through high-tech dredging. They are the best at river engineering and they are the pioneers on climate adaptive construction. Dutch are heavily invested in innovation and R&D. Therefore they are world leading positions in maritime engineering, dredging and spatial planning. The biggest issues for this sector are climate change, sea level rise and urbanisation. In Holland, 21% of the area and 21% of its population are located below sea level; therefore the main purpose of water management is solving global water challenges.

Using innovative wastewater treatment techniques since 1970, 99,9% of Dutch households can benefit of clean drink water. Also, most of Dutch companies are involved in the sustainable development of low-lying urban agglomerations in countries like Jakarta, Bangladesh and in coastal development like in Dubai, Vietnam and Romania. Around 2,000 companies are active in the Dutch water sector, with 1,500 companies in water technology and 500 companies in delta technology. The top sector keeps innovating, as it is involved in several projects, such as the room for the river project, researches like innovation in smart flood control, and also large scale experiments like the aqua dock project or the sand motor project in Katwijk Coastal Defence.

Because climate change and sea level rise, water management needs to keep innovating and researching in the Netherlands. It is a constant challenge and it is important to understand the system in its aspects of distribution of water, safety, excess of water and shortages, drought and salinisation. It is also important to know which issues and bottlenecks are expected if climate change persists. Sources: Water management in the Netherlands , Rijkswaterstaat, ministry of infrastructure and the environment - www.cleantechdelta.nl/www.hollandtrade.com - www.dutchwatersector.com - www.publiekprivaatsamenwerken.nl/home

Wor ld renowned exper ts

Legend: Water Management Projec ts

Companies Related to water management


On the Left: Water management in the South Wing. Done by authors based on research.

40

THE GREENPOR TS


41

The Greenport sector is the worlds market leader in flowers, plants, bulbs and propagation material and the number three world exporter in nutritional horticulture products. It forms the heart of an international horticulture network and this high competitiveness is given by the proximity to logistic hubs like Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam Port, its strategic location in Europe that allows them to have a large amount of consumers and specially its strong focus on innovation and the development of new techniques, which keeps them at the top.

According to Holland trade (2014), the greenports provide 50% of the worlds floricultural products and 24% of the worlds horticultural products, they produce 80% of the worlds bulbs and the total horticultural production amounted to 8.6 billion (in 2011). They produce 4.32 billion tulip bulbs each year and from that amount, 53% are grown into cut flowers. The Greenports are also the worlds biggest exporter (in value) of fresh vegetables and the worlds largest exporter of seeds. In terms of logistics, the worlds largest auction company for cut flowers and plants is Dutch, as it has 4,100 employees and sales of about 4 billion (in 2010). They also are a source of power and produce 10% of Hollands needs.

The Greenports are at the same time clusters of production & innovation, as they concentrate businesses and research institutes that work together to generate innovation in the areas of R&D, logistics, infrastructure, production and sustainability, among others.

As an innovative sector, they have worked on new ways of improving the process and the elements involved in the process. This includes intelligent greenhouses that can float on water, moving platforms, robots, innovative lighting, water- and waste-recycling, and greenhouses that generate more energy than they consume and that contribute to a reduction in CO2.

From 6 Greenports that exist in the Netherlands, there are 4 located in the South Wing and its surroundings: Westland-Oostland, Boskoop, Aaslmeer, Duin en Bollenstreek. These Greenports concentrate a large amount and variety of higher education institutions, research and development facilities, demonstration centres and advanced business services that make them a strong knowledge top sector that stands out in the region of South Wing. Source: (Dutch Horticulture Board, Flora Holland, Greenports Nederland, LEI, Plantum, Bloembollencentrum, HBAG) Quoted in Holland trade.

A h idden jewel in the South Wing


On the Left: The Greenports of the South Wing. Done by authors based on research.

4242Keukenhof - Source: http://www.shelovesglam.com/

43

CHAPTER I I I

THE GREENPOR TSA HIDDEN JE WEL IN THE SOUTHWING

43

44

2

4

6

1

3

5

CHAPTER I I I . The Greenpor ts44

45

WHY THE GREENPOR TS?An opportunity for the future

We are choosing to work with the Greenports because we see this sector as an opportunity for the future. By developing our knowledge strategies for the Greenports we would be:

1 Dealing with global challenges, because the continuous growth of the population demands that quality and quantity of the food production is targeted as an answer for future scarcity.

2 Collaborating with other top sectors, as several actors and stakeholders are directly and indirectly involved in the horticulture production chain.

3 Dealing with economic uncertainty, as this sector has the potential to change its mono-functional character into a diversified economic base that takes advantages of the crossovers with the other sectors. The exportation of the knowledge produced in different fields (logistics, sustainability) and the development of new products to improve the productivity of the sector (glasshouses, seeds, lighting) causes that the Greeports economy is not dependent just on the exportation of products, which is a powerful tool for developing resilience.

4 Promoting the Netherlands image which is something that the sector already does in some of the greenports but that could be reinforced.

5 Encouraging education and employment at all levels of skill and in every segment of the chain: as this sector offers a large amount of jobs (low-middle-high-qualified) and represents one out of 10 jobs in the Netherlands.

6 Dealing with the large footprint of its urban form, as the glasshouses and their increasing size have severe environmental impacts.

2

4

6

The hidden jewel of the South Wing

Images Sources: 1. airroad.com.au , 2. Frans Lemmens/Hollandse Hoogte Redux @ www.nytimes.com, 3. https://www.floraholland.com, 4. blog.nofy.co.il, 5. http://fleurmagazine.be, 6. www.wageningenur.nl

46

THE T

OURIS

TIC A

TTRAC

TOR

THE L

EISUR

E LAN

DSCA

PE

THE P

RODU

CTIO

N-OR

IENTE

DTHE H

EAD

OF G

REEN

PORT

S

THE F

LOW

ER G

ATEW

AYCHAPTER I I I . The Greenpor ts46

Above: Greenports of the South Wing, done by authors.Greenport Images Sources: Aalsmeer (http://www.layoveramsterdam.com/ ), Boskoop (www.rtvbodegraven.nl), Duin & Bulb (http://hello-georgia.com/), Oostland (www.rtvdrenthe.nl), Westland (http://www.wageningenur.nl/)

47

The Greenpor ts of the South Wing

Characterized by its massive

production and exportation of flowers and its

proximity to Schiphol airport which is crucial

for this function.

The greenports of the South Wing have some similarities, like for example having strategic locations, which provides them of good road accessibility, especially to their auction centres and making them well connected to the international market as well. At the same time they suffer from the same problem of not being able to expand due to the lack of available space and the adjacency of urban areas, buffers and protected spaces.

However, they are also specialized in different types of products and are influenced by the context and the history. This makes them perform different roles within the system.

Characterized by the attractive

productive landscape of

its floriculture cluster. Its open field character

offers an opportunity for

leisure.

Characterized by its flower production that attracts thousands of

tourists each year.

Its the expansion of the Westland and was created

to increase its production

capacity.

Its the oldest, most diversified and innovative

greenport. It is also the one

with the biggest footprint and impact on its

surrounding living environment.

AalsmeerThe flower gateway The leisure landscape The touristic attractor The production oriented The Head of the

Greenports

Boskoop Duin & Bulb Oostland Westland

Commonalities & Differences

The hidden jewel of the South Wing

48Westland - Source: flickr leo.roos

48

49

CHAPTER IV

THE WESTLANDTHE HEAD OF THE GREENPOR TS

49

50 CHAPTER IV. The West land50

51

WHY WESTLAND?The head of the Greenports

As we previously said, knowledge is very path-dependent and this is definitely the case of the Westland. In 1647, grape cultivation was introduced in the Westland by Pastor Francis Verburch and by 1800s it was the main product of the area. This was the starting point for what we know now as the largest and most important center of horticulture under glass in the world.

Naaldwijk was the core, where the major festivals and events were held and it all started in small glasshouses that produced the grapes that were later transported in barges and cars to the auction centers. From the beginning it had a strong family business orientation and an ability to foster social interactions.

The Competition from southern countries and the emergence of more profitable crops, such as tomatoes and later many other vegetables, flowers and plants, made the Westland cultivation diversify, which increased the competitiveness of the greenport.

BECAUSE WESTLAND. . .i s h istor ica l ly accumulated k nowledge

Lef t : Socia l I nterac t ionA group eat ing grapes f rom the coffers of JK Hoekstra , West land, 1932.

Source: http://w w w.geheugenvanneder land.nlThe head of the Greenpor ts

52

Family buss iness :Family J . Van Der Wel l in De L ier, June 29, 1928

Source: http://w w w.lwkoppenol .n l/del ier.htmCHAPTER IV. The West land5252

53The head of the Greenpor ts

Logist ics in histor y :Barges going to the auc t ion a long N ieuweweg, Poeldi jk

Source: http://w w w.rondvaar t west land.com/histor ie.htm

Construc t ion Tradit ion:One of the f i rst West land Glasshouses 1888

Source: http://w w w.lwkoppenol .n l/

54

The h

ead

of th

e Gre

enpo

rts

CHAPTER IV. The West land

Production of the GreenportsDone by authors, data source: http://agentschapnl.kaartenbalie.nl/gisviewer/viewer.

Nursery Crops

Cut Flowers

Vegetables

Bulbs and tubers

Gardening

Horticulture Products

54

55


The h

ead

of th

e Gre

enpo

rtsThe Westland is today the biggest cluster of production and innovation, with a concentration of more than 1500 companies of the horticulture sector and more than 10.300 jobs. Of the studied greenports, the concentration of companies in the Westland represents 43% of the total number of companies and they occupy 25% of the sum of the studied greenports area; this confirms the high density and concentration of horticulture activities, as almost half of the selected companies are clustered in one quarter of the greenports land.

Westland has also the most diversified production of all Greenports, since it is an important cultivator of nursery crops, growing bulbs, tubers, cut flower, vegetables, and specially of horticulture products; while Aalsmeer is just specialized in cut flowers; Duin en Bollenstreek in growing bulbs, tubers and pot flowers; Boskoop in nursery crops; and Oostland in growing vegetables.

BECAUSE WESTLAND. . . i s the most divers i f ied agglomerat ion of hor t iculture

The head of the Greenpor ts

Density map of Horticulture Companies in the South Wing. Done by authors, data source: Better Airport Regions, A. Wandl

57


The most distinguishable feature of Westland, compared with others, is that this Greenport is very strongly inter-related with living environments. Because of that, great series of Greenport economic activities like production, marketing & sales, trade & logistics, R&D and APSs are shaping the existing living environments.

Moreover, Westland has the most strategic location of all Greenports in relation with the international network system as it is just 30 km away from Rotterdam Port and its Cargo Train Line -export/import-, 20km away from the Cool Port -export/import refrigerated food products-, 55km away from Schiphol Airport and it is very close to the highways E19, A20 and A4.

BECAUSE WESTLAND. . . i s an urban hor t iculture centre


These are the reasons why we are choosing the Westland as a case study. We believe that by working with it, we would be setting the foundations for knowledge development not only of the other Greenports but also for other top economic sectors.

Left: Westlands strategic location Done by authors. Image Source: Google Earth

58

Hoek van Holland

s-Gravenzande

Monster

Heenweg

urban area in 1980s

current urban area

boundary of Westland

Naaldwijk

Honselerdijk

Kwintsheul

Wateringen

Poeldijk

De Lier

Maasdijk

CHAPTER IV. The West land58

59

WHAT IS WESTLAND?The head of the Greenports

In 2004, Westland merged with 5 others municipalities in order to become one coalition. Since then, it has followed socio-economic and spatial trends that have made it the stronger horticulture in the South Wing. In fact, this coalition produces half of the national production and exportation. Nevertheless the number of employees is reduced while the population is gradually increasing. Furthermore, there is a lack of space to expand the urban area. Another trend is that the number of glasshouses is decreasing while their size is getting larger. The land pressure in the Westland is significant and its landscape is changing.

WESTLAND IS . . .one ent i t y of 5 merged munic ipal i t ies

Left: Changes in the urban tissue 1980s and today. Source: Done by authors, based on data from watwaswaar.nl/Above this lines: Numbers and trends in the Westland. Source: www.gemeentewestland.nl

Socio-economic and spatial Trends

Gradually increasing population

Steadily expanded urban areas

Strong horticulure economy

Reducing number of employees

Decreasing number of glasshouses

Getting larger size of glasshouses

103,241 (85,143 in 1981) 40,246 (29,954 in 1988)

7,563 (13,126 in 2002) *firms getting bigger

2,448ha (3,051ha in 2002)

840ea (1,885ea in 2002) *size getting larger

44% of national production

48% of national export


61


WESTLAND. . . I s i t urban, industr ia l or rura l?

TYPICAL URBANSCAPE

GLASSHOUSE

INDUSTRIES

RURAL AREA

BEACH

PORT

The different patterns in the area make the Westland an unique type of city that mixes compact city, glasshouses, logistic and business clusters, and is surrounded by varied landscapes like the crops, the port and the beach. This makes it hard to define as a rural village, an industrial polygon or an urban area. Image Sources: Google Earth


62 CHAPTER IV. The West landWestland - Source: flickr leo.roos

62



The landscape of the Westland is scattered and diversified. In fact, it is a mix of rural, urban, natural and industrial areas with large high glasshouses and some specific landscapes like the port or the beach. In reality, it is very difficult to say that Westland has one coherent image because it is a complex urbanscape.

WESTLAND IS . . . a d ivers i f ied and complex urbanscape

Pictures taken in the field trip to the site

64 CHAPTER IV. The West land

DISTRIBUTION CENTER

AUCTION & TRADE CENTER

MOBILITY

ROTTERDAM PORT &

SCHIPHOL AIRPORT

MBOHBO SCHOOL

The process of the Westland


MOBILITY

PROCESSINGINDUSTRY

WHOLESALE CENTRE

Knowledge & Innovation Logistics & Trade

Productivity Sustainable Environment

Livability


After the understanding of the landscape and morphology of the Westland, we focused on the horticulture process, trying to understand how the elements are connected and work together to deliver the final products.

By doing this we could recognize 5 Greenport dimensions which are: Knowledge & Innovation, Logistics & Trade, Productivity, Sustainable Environment and Livability.

By looking at the chain and the specific elements and actions that take place in it, we figured out how these 5 dimensions overlap and interact at different moments of the chain.

If we take the glasshouse as an example, we could say that it is the production unit of the Greenports. However it is as well a place where innovations are put into practice and it is a key element in the search for environmental sustainability.

WESTLAND IS . . .a process of inter t wined dimensions

The process of the Westland

66

Knowledge & Innovation

Logistics & Trade

Productivity

Sustainable Environment

Livability


67

E VALUATING THE WESTLANDStrengths and Weaknesses of Westland

The Westland is not only considered as the head of the Greenport but also as the core of these 5 dimensions.

In that sense, we analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of each dimension, in order to achieve a knowledge-driven region. Furthermore, we will also reflect on how planning can contribute in order to enhance the knowledge economy in the Westland. For this part we will focus on the explanation of the weaknesses only, as we think there is room for improvement so they can be transformed into opportunities.


68

University HBO MBO MVBO Companies with strong R&D focus Other R&D Institutions Growers Associations Organization Meeting/Working Facilities IDC Innovation Demostration CenterOther Innovation Showcases


69

KNOWLEDGE & INNOVATION


In the case of Knowledge & Innovation, we recognized as a problem that the knowledge facilities in the Westland are scattered and not forming a cluster.

We know from literature research that a cluster is a structure that facilitates the rapid dissemination of knowledge by increasing the learning capacity of proximate firms and therefore, giving this cluster competitive advantages.

In the map, we can observe the location of different knowledge facilities; from Universities, HBOs and MBOs, to some companies that specialize in research that appeared during the research, organizations that promote knowledge exchange, and even demonstration and showcase centres.

In addition, we can see that, in the case of the Oostland Greenport or in Delft, there is a clear cluster of knowledge facilities, but this is not the case of the Westland as the facilities are spread all over the area and this prevents them to enjoy the overall benefits of clustering.

Co-operation with knowledge institutions Innovative enterprises with R&D

Less benefits of clustering because of scattered facilities and functions

Strengths and Weaknesses

Left: Knowledge Facilities in the Westland

70

TO/FROMSCHIPHOL

COOL PORT

to France and Belgium

to Germany

CARGO TRAIN LINE

CARGO BY SHIP

Highway Cargo line


71

TO/FROMSCHIPHOL

COOL PORT

to France and Belgium

to Germany

CARGO TRAIN LINE

CARGO BY SHIP

There are several weaknesses in the logistics & trade dimension. On the one hand, the transfer of cargo within the same mode of transport, on the other, the poor connection between the main highways, glasshouses and auction centres, which causes important delay in the transportation of products to the main ports. There is also lack of coordination between the different transport systems and strong road dependency . All this generates a network highly congested, inefficient and unsustainable for the mobility.

Moreover, it seems that the logistic sector is not taking enough advantages of others transportation initiatives like the Fruitport and the Cool Port from Rotterdam Mainport, the Fresh Corridor and the Greenrail.

LOGISTICS & TRADEStrengths and Weaknesses


Adjacency of highway to mainportsCentre of auction and trade

Huge truck dependency and congestion Lack of transmodality

Left: Highways and Cargo lines of importance for ligistic activities


Growing activitiesWhole sale activities, import and export

companies, grading companies, packing centres, transport companies,

cold storage companiesTrade

72

73

PRODUC TIVIT YStrengths and Weaknesses


By exploring the structure of the area, we noticed that the importance of the productivity is based on growers associations. The increasing power and influence of some associations leads to pressure on individual entrepreneurs, which are perceived as free riders or competitors. In that sense, individual farmers struggle and look to gather in order to benefit from sharing facilities and to gain greater competitiveness among associations, whereas most of the others growers are focused on growing vegetables instead of integrating facilities and diversifying their economic activities.

Therefore there is a lack of creative places in order to share knowledge or to benefit from common services between the different growers associations. Also, the behaviour and the competitiveness among each other leads to a fragmented image of the Westland.

Innovative production waysSupportive associations

Lack of diversified economic activities Fragmented image

Left: Production activities in the Westland

75

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTStrengths and Weaknesses


As we know, the glasshouses are not only a consumer of energy but also a producer. By collecting the rainwater, by using the solar and the geothermal energy and by recycling the CO2 produced by the main port, the glasshouses are already quite sustainable.

Nevertheless, Westland wants to become the most sustainable horticulture centre of the Netherlands by 2025. In order to achieve this objective, they will need to produce a more durable product in a more sustainable way. In that sense, the inefficient plant waste management or the lack of an energy recycling plan needs to be reviewed and enhanced.

Strong focus of R&D on sustainability Glasshouse as energy supplier

Inefficient waste managementNo energy recycling plan

Left: Water, energy and CO2 management in the glasshouses


35to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Hoek van Holland, station Haven via `s-Gravenzande and Monster86to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Schiedam Centrum via Naaldwijk

30to Zoetermeerfrom Naaldwijk via Rijswijk

32to Delftfrom Naaldwijk

33to Naaldwijkfrom Maassluis

427to Den Haag Lozerlaanfrom Flora Holland

31to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Naaldwijk

34to Monsterfrom Naaldwijk

35to Hoek van Holland, station Havenfrom Den Haag Leyenburg via `s-Gravenzande and Monster

`s-Gravenzande

Naaldwijk

De Lier

Maasdijk

Poeldijk

86to Schiedam Centrum via Naaldwijkfrom Den Haag Leyenburg

Monster


77

LIVABILIT YStrengths and Weaknesses


In terms of livability, we can say that the region is massively served by private-car. Currently there are only two modes of public transportation, which are the bus and the train, but both modes have very low frequency and it is really difficult to get to adjacent larger cities, such as Den Haag and Rotterdam, in a short time.

Considering the bus transport, there are no direct lines to go to Den Haag or Rotterdam and this makes the journey difficult and inefficient. Also, the train stops are not even connected to the main city centres.

Benefits from larger citiesAttractive natural environments

Excessive car-dependencyPoor quality of public transportation

35to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Hoek van Holland, station Haven via `s-Gravenzande and Monster86to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Schiedam Centrum via Naaldwijk

30to Zoetermeerfrom Naaldwijk via Rijswijk

32to Delftfrom Naaldwijk

33to Naaldwijkfrom Maassluis

427to Den Haag Lozerlaanfrom Flora Holland

31to Den Haag Leyenburgfrom Naaldwijk

34to Monsterfrom Naaldwijk

35to Hoek van Holland, station Havenfrom Den Haag Leyenburg via `s-Gravenzande and Monster

`s-Gravenzande

Naaldwijk

De Lier

Maasdijk

Poeldijk

86to Schiedam Centrum via Naaldwijkfrom Den Haag Leyenburg

Monster

Left: Bus routes in the Westland and Train line in Westland border


78

3to Zoetermeervia Den Haag C

2to Leidschendamvia Den Haag C


9to Den Haag Zwarte Pad(beach)via Den Haag HS, C

17to Den Haag Statenplein(international zone)via Den Haag HS, C

Monster

`s-Gravenzande

Naaldwijk

De Lier

Maasdijk

Poeldijk


79


2to Leidschendamvia Den Haag C


9to Den Haag Zwarte Pad(beach)via Den Haag HS, C

17to Den Haag Statenplein(international zone)via Den Haag HS, C

Monster

`s-Gravenzande

Naaldwijk

De Lier

Maasdijk

Poeldijk

LIVABILIT YStrengths and Weaknesses


This map shows the existing tramlines that end in The Hague. It highlights the break of public transport between the city of The Hague and the Westland. It fact, it also reinforces the car dependency for most of the inhabitants that want to travel from one place to the other.

This is why the mode of transport needs to be improved and adapted to the inhabitants of the Westland Greenport, in order to enhance the mobility within the municipality and in that way improve the livability conditions of the area.

Benefits from larger citiesAttractive natural environments

Excessive car-dependencyPoor quality of public transportation

Left: Tram routes in The Hague and Train line in Westland border

80

I moved in here for working from Den Haag

7 years ago.Most of my colleagues

live in Westland.

I live in Massdijk, and I use a car for

commuting....Public transportation

here is very poor, we have to useprivate cars.

Here, public transport is very

inconvenient. Its frequency is

terrible.

Westland has changed to more industrial region,

becoming a city, but it breaks our atmosphere. I

miss the oldfeeling of Westland.

Westland is well-knownplace to work in

horticulture, and many young people work

in here.

CHAPTER IV. West land

Im quite frightened, because local

people know each other very well.

This atmosphere cant be found

in big cities.

Interview from a lady that has moved to Westland because of her job in ABC Westland

Interview from a lady that grew-up in

Wesland, now working in

Florahollad

01

02

81

REALIT Y OF WESTLAND BY INTER VIE WS

In order to get a deeper understanding of the place, we took into consideration the peoples perception. From our visit to the site, we had the opportunity to interview two ladies, each of them commenting on the ambiance of the place.

The first interviewee commented that she moved to Westland due to her job and that still today she is astonished by the social familiarity between locals, which she thought cannot be found in large cities and seems to be a unique characteristic of this place. She also highlighted the poor public transportation service, commenting that even though her house is relatively close to her working place, she still needs to use a private car to move inside Westland most of the time.

The second interviewee was born and raised in the Westland. She also believes that the poor public transportation service and lack of urban amenities are big problems of this place. In addition, she feels that Westland is becoming more and more of a city and that the feeling of locality is getting lost. However, she also thinks that Westland offers great job opportunities for young people and this is positive.

We can see that their perception supports our evaluations of the weaknesses of the place. This makes us reflect on the importance of taking into consideration people oriented developments, to have not only a better economic performance of the Westland but also that provide better livability conditions for the workers and people in general.

Real i t y of West land by I nter v iews

The Peoples Perception

82 CHAPTER IV. West land

83

Urbanity is a condition that exists when a city welcomes people and in the way these people appropriate of space. The elements that interact to create urbanity are the people and their activities, the buildings and public space; together they create the urban scene. This opening or welcoming can be done in the main street, in a historical core, etc all these places will have different types of urbanity, and these types are felt, perceived, loved and hated, etc. In that sense, perception is very important, because urbanity is also an experience; its something hard to describe or map. Because it is an experience it is also very specific and depends on the place.

For the case of the Westland, we can see that it has been transforming since its origin. If we look at the periods it has gone through, we can recognize 3 different stages, each with a different type of urbanity.

At the beginning, the Westland was an agricultural society, with local economic family-based activities. However, with the evolution of technology and the increasing demand on food production, it began a process of industrialization and it became a horticulture machine supplying for a regional, national and global market.

Today, the Westland is again in transition period from horticulture machine to knowledge-driven urban area. The urban cores are currently and continuously expanding and the Westland is becoming a city that cannot erase its industrial past. At the same time it is transforming due to the economical changes that are moving towards a knowledge-driven type of economy.

We, as planners, see this transition as a big opportunity to structure the place and to give a spatial configuration to it. In this sense, the aim of this proposal is to organize this transition spatially, in order to accommodate this new stage at the same time that we can preserve and enhance the valuable characteristics of the area. With this, we are also trying to achieve a new type of urbanity, where the interactions between people and the new spatial configuration are fostered by our proposal.

Changes of Urbanit y in West land

CHANGES OF URBANIT Y IN WESTLANDCurrently in the transition period to a Knowledge-driven urban area

84Westland - Source: flickr leo.roosWestland - Source: flickr leo.roos

84

85

CHAPTER V

THE KNOWLEDGE ECOSYSTEMTOP CIT Y OF THE GREENPOR TS

85

86

I n 2 0 4 0 We s t l a n d w i l l b e. . .

THE KNOWLEDGE ECOSYSTEMTOP CIT Y OF THE GREENPORTS

CHAPTER V. The K nowledge Ecosystem86

87

With the idea of structuring the transition of the site into a knowledge-drive urban area, our vision is that in 2040, the Westland will be a Knowledge Ecosystem, where its 5 dimensions coexist and make synergy, taking advantages of a strong knowledge base and economy, consolidating itself as the top city of the Greenports.

It is called an ecosystem, since the terminology refers to the network of interactions, between organisms and their environment (...) ecosystems are dynamic entities, invariably (Molles, 1999).

Our proposal will involve the interactions between the greenport dimensions, with interdependency as its base. The organisms will be the projects and the environment is the Westland with its pre-existences.

This vision will be achieved through a spatial strategy, which will be supported by 3 main actions: clustering, connecting and intertwining.

Top Cit y of the Greenpor ts

THE VIS ION

88

...in order to reinforce the existing clusters of the Westland, aggregating new facilities, activities and infrastructures. Through this, we expect the greenport to take the competitive advantages of agglomeration, not just in the traditional definition, such as inter-linkages between firms and industries, or specialized labour markets for a specific knowledge (A. Marshall); but also the contemporary advantages, such as better exchange of untraded interdependencies, like tacit knowledge and know-how (M. Storper) and the creation of institutional thickness (Amin and Thift).

CLUSTERING CONNECTING...in order to make better physical connections among the clusters, as well as between them and the living environment. This will foster the interactions between the different dimensions, at the same time it will improve the efficiency of the system and the livability of the site.

++

CHAPTER V. The K nowledge Ecosystem

SPATIAL STRATEGY

88

89

INTERTWINING...in order to thread these economic and social activities along a corridor. This knowledge corridor will be a clear organizational structure that will shape the economic development. Corridors enhance a better integration and communication between firms, in order to achieve greater efficiencies into their knowledge exchange, production and distribution. We understand this Knowledge Corridor as a linear cluster of clusters. It is the backbone where clustered activities are interweaving and it is the legible structure of image representing Westland as Greenport.

Through this spatial strategy we expect that the Westland will take advantages of its existing infrastructure and spatial configuration, at the same time it will incorporate the new dynamics of the knowledge economy.

+ =


THE KNOWLEDGE ECOSYSTEM

Towards the k nowledge - dr iven urban area

89

90 CHAPTER V. The K nowledge Ecosystem

Hor t i -showcase

West land L ight-ra i l

B io -based tech Park

West land Hor t icampus

I nter-modal Logist ics

90

91

The strategy is at the same time shaped by 5 strategic projects, each of them tackling the problems of the 5 greenport dimensions and working complementarily to achieve the vision of the Westland as a Knowledge Ecosystem.

These strategic projects are:

the Horti-Showcase as the productive cluster that attracts business and tourism,

the Bio-based tech Park as the intervention for a sustainable environment,

the Westland Horticampus as the knowledge & innovation cluster,

the Inter-modal Logistics as the multi-modal system for cargo,

and finally, the Westland Light-rail as the new public transportation system.


5 s t rategic projec ts

91


92

93

CHAPTER VI

STRATEGIC PROJEC TS

93

94 CHAPTER VI . 5 Strategic Projec ts

01WESTLAND HOR TICAMPUSUsed Images Sources: Schiphol Trade Park (www.wageningenur.nl), People (www.immediateentourage.com), People in the cafeteria (vintagetrinkets.blogspot.com), Buildings (www.trendir.com, sakhli.blogspot.com, www.wtoutiao.com, kienthucduhocanh.com, www.landezine.com, galleryhip.com), Crossroad Sign (www.canstockphoto.es)

95Westland Hor t icampus

01WESTLAND HOR TICAMPUS

01

95

96 CHAPTER VI . 5 Strategic Projec ts96

97

Westland Horticampus main aim is to attract new talents and to lead the transformation of the Westland into a Knowledge-Driven Urban Area.

The intervention has two main components, one is the Welcome Point and Knowledge Hub, which will encourage internationalization, and will serve as a local innovation node in the network of knowledge production and sharing, within and beyond the Westland. This will be the gate to the Greenport knowledge, as it will network with the already existing knowledge facilities. This part of the Horticampus will be located at the very core of the Westland, in order to foster the interactions with the other key interventions. By doing this, the proposal aims to generate synergy among researches of different but related topics.

The second component is the Greenport University, which could be a satellite of the Wageningen UR, a collaboration between the WUR and local knowledge centres or an independent institution. It will provide the higher level of horticultural education that is now lacking in the Westland. This part of the Horticampus will be more integrated with the city, thus it can generate a vivid environment that feeds from city dynamics.

West land Hor t icampus

Clustering+Networking+Interacting

Industry

University

Tech Park

AdvancedServices

R&D

MBOsHBOs

WESTLAND HOR TICAMPUSStrong Knowledge & Innovation Cluster,

integrated with urban areas


Used Images Sources: People (www.immediateentourage.com), Buildings (www.virida.nl, Eva Lucas Segarra Behance project: Concurso Parque y Centro de Exposiciones y Convenciones, www.westlandgreenhouseprojects.com, es.yoyowall.com, Calais cranes by Marek69 in wikipedia.com, Lufa Farms in inhabitat.com, Lufa Pprototype Farm in www.foodurbanism.org, Detroit Lofts in detroit.curbed.com), Glasshouses (www.archiexpo.com, www.agrosur.com.pl, sackermann-foto.photoshelter.com)

02BIO -BASED TECH PARK

99Bio -based tech park

02

99

02BIO -BASED TECH PARK

101

People-Planet-Prosperity+Balance+Efficiency

Bio -based tech park

The Project is an opportunity to add value to existing facilities, such as Flora Holland Trade Park and ABC Westland Business Park. It is also an opportunity to create new economic activities, to improve the sustainable image, to lead to a better position in the field of bio based economy and to decrease the cost of waste recycling. The project also includes a power plant to process the energy and an alternative pipe lines to exchange C02 with Rotterdam Port.

According to studies of Lei Wageningen UR, there are several choices for the location of a bio-based park; however, in our project it will take place at the south of the corridor. This location is strategic as it is connected to the existing companies, such as Flora Holland, in order to make the exchange of material easier and faster. In addition, this location could improve future cooperation with the port, since it is close to the proposed Logistic Hub.

Its important to recall that the process of setting new levels of environmental friendly techniques are long and expensive, which is why it will require governmental financial help and the implementation of specific policies to encourage industries and associations to participate.

BIO -BASED TECH PARKEnergy recycling with waste & CO2 managementA sustainable way of Greenport complementarity

Source: www.nizo.com


Used Images Sources: People (www.immediateentourage.com, https://www.floraholland.com), Buildings (Elisa Iturbe - Advanced Design Studio: Aureli on Behance, Philips Exhibition Stand by Bair Tsyrenov on Behance, http://www.landezine.com/)

03KNOWLEDGE SHOWCASE

103K nowledge Showcase

03KNOWLEDGE SHOWCASE

03

103

105

Diversity + Exchange + Scale

The Knowledge Showcase is formed by small-scale expo-pavilions, combined with different amenities for leisure, fun, and idea-sharing through formal and informal communications among actors. The objectives are to create diversity to local economy by attracting not only the enterprises attention and investments but also tourism, and to create space for interactions between the local entrepreneurs and the growers associations, in order to foster productive economic activities.

The project includes a Main centre for showcase, as well as an area for further development along the corridor. The location of the Showcase is strategic; in the way that it is situated close to The Hague and this physical closeness will help to attract tourism, as well as it is an opportunity to use the citys facilities -like hotels and main train stations- for those who come from abroad.

Furthermore, integration with ABC Wesltand the existing Business Park- is important, as both will get mutual benefits from being next to each other. Nevertheless, some policies are needed to make the project work, such as seasonal knowledge festivals promoted by national and regional mass media that would attract people and make the place more popular.

KNOWLEDGE SHOWCASEField of activities for visitors, suppliers & businessesSpearhead to improve the image of the Westland

K nowledge Showcase


Used Images Sources: People (www.immediateentourage.com, couverture-capello.fr), Buildings (Top Truck Westland at www.ttm.nl), Glasshouses (invernaderosmexico.com), Ships, Cranes and Trucks (www.geps-techno.com, Fresh Corridor on www.wageningenur.nl, http://www.lkwmodellauto.de/art7c7.html, www.emhcranes.com, www.freshcorridor.nl/, Euro Cargo Rail at www.wisegeek.com, Container at www.gumtree.com) Landscape (Snake River at topwalls.net, ), Fruits and Vegetables (suchen0325.blogspot.com),

04INTERMODAL LOGISTICS

107I ntermodal Logist ics

04INTERMODAL LOGISTICS

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The goal of this project is to develop a more sustainable, integrated and accessible logistic process, in order to tackle directly the problem of road dependency in the goods transportation processes. This project enhances the economic performance of the transport chain, minimizes transport costs and travel time, and therefore, it lessens the congestion in the road network. Moreover it reduces the generation of environmental pollution and it takes advantages of Westlands infrastructure, as the existing rail path can be used for transportation of cargo by train.

This project includes three main interventions: the adaptation of an existing street into an alternative pathway for logistic activities that will connect the highway to the knowledge corridor, an Intermodal Station where the cargo transported by trucks, trains and ships can be interchanged, and a future tunnel to improve the connection to the container ports across the river.

INTERMODAL LOGISTICSLessening truck-dependency,

connecting with the existing system of mobility

I ntermodal Logist ics

Inter-modality

Source: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue

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04 Intermodal Logist icsLessening truck-dependecyConnecting with existing mobility

CHAPTER VI. 5 Strateg ic Projec tsCHAPTER VI . 5 Strategic Projec ts110

111Intermodal Logist ics

cool port

INTERMODAL LOGISTICSLessening truck-dependency,

connecting with the existing system of mobility

I ntermodal Logist ics

The intermodal station is proposed to be located in an empty plot at the river side, in order to take advantage of the existing train that passes near the Cool port and helps to lessen the concentration of trucks.

This is a project that works also outside the boundaries of the Westland, as the overall logistic network of the region is considered, in order to propose some new connections that need to be constructed. We can say that the intervention forms a logistic corridor intersects with the knowledge corridor at the very core of the Westland, and that connects the highway with the existing Trading Parks and facilities, with the new intermodal station and through the tunnel with the cargo line that connects to the container ports.

Public policy is also important in this project, as it should support and promote the use of refrigerated containers to standardize the process and consolidate the intermodal system, making the process of cargo transference easier and faster.


Used Images Sources: Tram (www.scoop.it), People (www.immediateentourage.com), Glasshouses (Paul Philips at Stocksy), Landscape (eco-turizm.net, Oxford and Rugby Railway at www.snipview.com, www.matichon.co.th), All the sources from previous collages)

05WESTLAND LIGHT-RAIL

113Westland L ight-R ai l

05WESTLAND LIGHT-RAIL

05

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WESTLAND LIGHT-RAILExtension of existing tramway to Westland,

serving residents as well as greenport businesses

The project proposes to extend the existing tramlines from The Hague into the Westland. The construction of these two tramlines is not only for the residents convenience, but also to improve the connection among other projects and business activities of the Westland.

In addition, this project takes advantages of the urban scale from the larger cities nearby, connecting the Westland to them to get the scale benefits of these cities and to improve the communications between each other. These tramlines will pass through the different towns in Westland, such as Monster, Hoek Van Holland, Naadwijk, etc; as well as through other key interventions, such as the Knowledge Showcase and the Westland Horticampus.

Connectivity + Accessibility

Westland L ight-R ai l

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05 West land Light R ai lwayExtention of existing tramway to WestlandServing for residents as well as Greenport industries

CHAPTER VI. 5 Strateg ic Projec tsCHAPTER VI . 5 Strategic Projec ts116

117West land Light R ai l

Zoetermeer

Rotterdam

WESTLAND LIGHT-RAILExtension of existing tramway to Westland,

serving residents as well as greenport businesses

This project also proposes to establish a new final destination to the existing train route and a new train station nearby the intermodal logistics point. The proposal will work complementarily with the existing bus transportation system, substituting some of the routes so it can have higher frequency in the remaining ones. This is very important, as the residents suffer the problem of poor public transportation, as it was evident in the interviews we did on the site.

Through this project, Westlands connectivity and accessibility within Westland as well as to adjacent larger cities will be improved and this will consolidate it as a knowledge-drive area of urban consolidated character, with benefits not only for the businesses and industries but also for the regular citizen.

West land L ight-R ai l


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CHAPTER VI I

DE VELOPMENT TIMELINE & GOVERNANCE and E VALUATION OF THE PROPOSALS

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PHASE I.

L A Y I N G F O U N D A T I O N S

PHASE II.

M A I N C O N S T R U C T I O N

PHASE I.

C O N N E C T I O N & I N T E G R A T I O N

CHAPTER VI I . DE VELOPMENT TIMELINE120

121& Governance

Because all the interventions cannot be executed at the same time, a development timeline & govern-ance is proposed, in order to stablish priorities and have a logical order in the implementation of the proposals.

In that sense, the project has been divided into thre

the knowledge ecosystem // emu fall 2014

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