#Sharing economy

Topic within Citizens & Living
Kate Black, Communications Director at Metabolic, posted

New mechanisms needed to tackle Dutch early-stage circular economy funding gap

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New research reveals a large funding gap for circular economy initiatives in the Netherlands, particularly early-stage circular ventures.

Interviews with city municipalities, entrepreneurs, financial institutions and working groups indicate that the funding gap is especially acute for higher value-yielding circular business models and activities such as reducing, reusing, repairing, and refurbishing.

Entrepreneurs in these areas of the circular economy struggle to find funding even though these activity types have the largest potential to increase the economy’s resource efficiency, and provide high-quality employment opportunities in cities. Research indicates that achieving a circular economy in the Netherlands could create approximately 200,000 new jobs by 2030.

The paper Financing Circular Economy Innovation in the Netherlands authored by Metabolic Institute with support from the Goldschmeding Foundation, highlights a lack of systemic collaboration as a critical barrier to circular innovation, and proposes new approaches to circular economy financing in the Netherlands.

“Blended finance instruments in particular can help to address circular economy related risks, and make the circular economy more investable for the private sector,”’ said Seadna Quigley, Lead Circular Finance at Metabolic.

Public-private collaboration in the form of blended finance works to de-risk circular asset classes by using public or philanthropic capital to stimulate the market, provide proof-of-concept, and draw private-sector capital into the circular economy.

“But lack of funding is not the only problem facing Dutch circular economy entrepreneurs,” said Liz Corbin, Director of Metabolic Institute. “They also lack access to experts and the necessary knowledge to navigate the funding landscape.”

To address current bottlenecks, the paper proposes the creation of a mission-driven investment fund and ‘innovation ecosystem’ that convenes impact investors, philanthropies, and city governments.

Numerous Dutch cities have impressive track records when it comes to circular economy plans, but access to finance is one of their most significant barriers to delivering on these plans.

In addition to systemic impact investing and fundraising, the fund will aim to create an enabling ecosystem that brings together capital, knowledge, and networks of expertise to provide entrepreneurs in the circular economy with the financial and non-financial resources they need to scale up their businesses.

“We believe that circular innovation and job opportunities are created by financing circular entrepreneurs. But financing alone is not enough; we have to build a support system for entrepreneurs on an urban level,” said Birgitta Kramer, Circular Economy Programme Manager at the Goldschmeding Foundation. “The 'Circular Innovation Ecosystem' is a first step towards guiding financiers, entrepreneurs and local governments to collaborate in this approach.”

A call to action

An impact- and mission- driven finance ecosystem has potential to accelerate the transition to a circular economy that equitably distributes prosperity to all and safeguards the natural world.

We invite the following stakeholders to collaborate with us to advance the development of such an ecosystem:

  • Financier or investors with creative ideas and strategies for stimulating early-stage circular innovation in the Netherlands
  • Asset owner or fund managers with the curiosity to develop and test impact-driven frameworks for portfolio management and evaluation
  • Accelerators or incubators committed to supporting Dutch circular innovators and entrepreneurs
  • Circular innovators or entrepreneurs interested in matching higher value circular solutions to the contexts and challenges of Dutch municipalities
  • Municipalities looking for novel ways to deploy finance in service of circularity strategy

To learn more, please send an email to the CIE team at: circularfinance@metabolic.nl

Kate Black's picture #Citizens&Living
Jasmyn Mazloum, Communicatie at Gemeente Almere, posted

Groen & Gezond Almere Podcast: Collectief bouwen aan de toekomst

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In de tweede aflevering van de Groen & Gezond Almere podcast, gaan we door op het thema circulaire economie. Dat onderwerp is ontzettend belangrijk in de stad, maar ook in de rest van het land: in 2050 wilt Nederland volledig circulair zijn ♻️

Onze stad groeit en daarmee lopen wij risico op een grondstoffentekort. De circulaire economie is populair onder het bedrijfsleven en de overheid, waar wordt gezocht naar manieren om anders te produceren en om te gaan met onze reststromen.

Ook in de bouwsector is dit thema terug te zien. In deze aflevering word je meegenomen in de uitdagingen én de kansen die er zijn op dit gebied. Net als in de vorige aflevering, spreekt Nadia Zerouali ook hier een Almeerder van de toekomst, student bouwkunde aan Windesheim Flevoland, Sander Verkade. Ze spreekt Raymond van Dalen & Pepijn van de Staak als ondernemers uit de sector die samenwerken in het Innovatief Bouw Collectief Flevoland. En, Arnout Sabbe spreekt zich uit als expert deze aflevering. Hij is onderzoeker bij de TU Delft en houdt zich dagelijks bezig met circulariteit in stedelijke gebieden voor AMS Institute.

Nieuwsgierig? Luisteren kan via Spotify, Soundcloud & iTunes. We zijn benieuwd naar wat je er van vindt! Laat je horen via onze social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook of Twitter

Jasmyn Mazloum's picture #Citizens&Living
Amsterdam Smart City, Connector of opportunities at Amsterdam Smart City, posted

Speakers confirmed for event 'Sharing data for MaaS systems’!

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On the 18 of February Amsterdam Smart City, together with the Province of North Holland and Datalab, will discuss the sharing of data by private parties and governance to set up Mobility as a Service systems in the region. There is currently no operable MaaS system in place in the region and therefore we aim to learn a little bit more from other cities.

What are their success factors? How did they convince private parties to share data to set up a MaaS system? How did governments reach an agreement on this? We can now confirm the speakers for the event!

Speakers

First up will be Chris de Veer, smart mobility advisor at the Province of North Holland. Chris will introduce the topic of the event and share with you the challenges of the Province when it comes to MaaS.

One of the people who can share relevant information with him will be Juan Corro, CIO at the public transport authority, EMT Madrid. Madrid is one of the cities where we are really interested in. Juan will speak about the system in Madrid and sharing data from the point of view of a private party.

Another city to learn from about MaaS is definitely Helsinki. Helsinki was the first city with a MaaS system. Helsinki made the sharing of data obligatory. Sami Sahala, ITS Chief Advisor at Forum Virium will share how he thinks that MaaS is not a technical issue, but a change of the mindset.

The session will be moderated by Leonie van den Beuken, program director at Amsterdam Smart City.

Join this session of Data Dilemmas on the 18th of February, join the discussion and learn from an international audience!

Images: https://twitter.com/juancorro_, https://twitter.com/SamiSahala, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-de-veer-a070805/.

Amsterdam Smart City's picture #Mobility
Amsterdam Smart City, Connector of opportunities at Amsterdam Smart City, posted

Pitch your best practices at our event ‘Sharing data for MaaS systems’ – 18 February 2021!

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***THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INPUT, THE PROGRAM IS FULL!***

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is about planning, booking and paying for all possible transport via apps. It enables carefree, integrated travel according to your own preferences. To facilitate this, mobility providers have to collaborate. They have to share data and work in a standardized system.

There’s not yet a fully operable MaaS system in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. There are a lot of different mobility parties in our region that collect data and are hesitant to share them. And there are a lot of (local) governments that have a say in the development of MaaS systems.

In some European cities and MaaS systems are running. What are their success factors? How did they convince private parties to share data to set up a MaaS system? How did governments reached an agreement on this?

The Province of North-Holland is looking for best practices to learn from! Therefore, Amsterdam Smart City is organizing an event on this topic on the 18th of February! More information: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/updates/event/data-dilemmas-sharing-data-for-maas-systems

Have you been involved in the development, testing or roll-out of MaaS system in another country than The Netherlands? And would you like to share your experiences? Get in touch!

***THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INPUT, THE PROGRAM IS FULL!***

Amsterdam Smart City's picture #Mobility
Boaz Bar-Adon, Designer at Ecodam, posted

Ecodam, circulair economie education hub, is looking for partners and a location for a pilot lab

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Ecodam is a young initiatief aimed at creating a place where young people will learn about and help build the circular economy. Ecodam is not highbrow and elitair but inclusive, hands-on, fun and accessible. We use design thinking principles, letting visitors operate as designers and makers. Thinking of new solutions for real problems and making new, circular, products.

Ecodam is currently looking for partners to help us realise our dream and a location for a pilot lab.

ideas and tips are welcome!

Boaz Bar-Adon's picture #CircularCity
Yvonne Roos, Smart Health Amsterdam at Smart Health Amsterdam, posted

Smart Health Amsterdam is looking for an intern Communication & Events

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Looking for an internship where you can develop new skills in communications, marketing, PR and event management? Do you have an interest in how AI & data science can contribute to a healthier society and better medical care? Want to work as part of a fun and inspiring team?

As Amsterdam’s key network for data- and AI-driven innovation Smart Health Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam & Amsterdam Economic Board) in #the #life #sciences and #health sector, we’re looking for an intern. Interested? Get in touch today.

https://smarthealthamsterdam.com/p/jobs-at--smart--health--amsterdam Smart

Yvonne Roos's picture #DigitalCity
Dimitri Bak, Strategic Communication Advisor at City of Amsterdam, posted

Amsterdam: circulaire stad in 2050

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Amsterdam: circulaire stad in 2050

Ondanks de coronacrisis zijn tal van bedrijven in regio Amsterdam bezig met circulaire projecten, business cases en onderzoeken. Net als de gemeente Amsterdam streven zij naar een circulaire stad in 2050.

Benieuwd? Bekijk de video Amsterdam: circulaire stad in 2050. Voor meer informatie kun je ook kijken op de CACR pagina of op amsterdam.nl/circulair.

Dimitri Bak's picture #CircularCity
Audrie van Veen, Director Strategic Partnerships at Amsterdam Economic Board, posted

Webinar Learning from cities in crises. Metropolitan perspectives on fragility and resilience

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The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how city managers have responded to challenges working with limited resources and frameworks that are not designed to respond to an emergency on this scale. However, by reframing pre-existing plans and policies and finding innovative ways to implement them, local and regional governments have endeavored to respond to the needs of their citizens. There is now a consensus among the international urban and metropolitan community on the need for new and adaptive tools not only to face the pandemic but to prepare for the world to come.

This webinar is part of the Metropolis / UNDP efforts to identify solutions for cities that can help to address specific challenges that are emerging during these tumultuous times. Cities in fragile and conflict-affected settings have been operating under strain for a long time. There is much to learn from local governments that work on extraordinary circumstances such as armed conflicts, natural disasters, or extreme poverty. The pandemic has brought us all together to be under extraordinary circumstances, offering the opportunity to rethink certain things that we used to give for granted.

In many places, the COVID-19 pandemic merely exacerbates existing pressures on governance systems spurred by poverty, unemployment or high levels of informality, rapid urbanization, stressed resources, and social instability. In these contexts, local and regional governments (LRGs) remain the primary interface for the majority of people to access basic services and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives.

When it comes to the metropolitan dimension, further governance challenges arise, and increased coordination between different institutions and between different urban thematics is more needed than ever.

Participants

The webinar will count on presentations by representatives from Ramallah (Palestine) (tbc), Diyala (Iraq), and LSE Cities.

The discussion will be moderated by Amy Gill (Local Governance Policy Specialist, UNDP) with closing remarks from Octavi de la Varga (Secretary-General, Metropolis).

Specifications

It will take place on the 16th February, at 8.30 am (EST) / 2:30pm (CET) and will be held in English.

Registration

Please register here to attend the webinar

Audrie van Veen's picture Online event on Feb 18th
FLOOR HvA, Marketing en Communicatie van FLOOR Cultureel Platform HvA at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, posted

Aan de bar met Julie Ferguson: Amsterdam Urban Commons

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Bubbels zijn er om op te drinken, niet om in te blijven zitten. Pak daarom je drankje en snacks erbij en schuif aan de bar met Julie Ferguson. Julie is gespecialiseerd in sociale netwerkdynamiek in sociale innovaties. Pardon, wat is dat!? Simpel gezegd heeft Amsterdam verschillende gebruikers - bewoners, ondernemers, bezoekers, bestuurders - die allen hun eigen belangen en behoeftes hebben bij de stad. Hoe kun je al die verschillende belangen op een inclusieve en duurzame manier laten samenkomen in Amsterdam? Onze digitale barman Luuk Heezen vraagt om uitleg. Schuif aan!

Julie Ferguson

Dr. Julie Ferguson is als Senior Onderzoeker verbonden aan het Center of Expertise Urban Governance & Social Innovation (UGSI) van de HvA. Julie is gespecialiseerd in sociale netwerkdynamiek in sociale innovaties, dat wil zeggen ze onderzoekt hoe informele relaties tussen verschillende belanghebbenden bijdragen aan sociale verandering. Denk hierbij aan arbeidsmarktinnovatie zoals in het project House of Skills, of bestuurlijke innovatie zoals in het project Toekomstbestendig Evenwicht (TBE). Dit laatste project staat centraal in deze editie van 'Aan de bar met...'.

Over het onderzoek

Het TBE-onderzoeksteam zoekt met een groot partnernetwerk (KHN, NV Zeedijk, Gemeente Amsterdam, MKB Nederland, etc.) naar nieuwe vormen van samenwerking tussen bewoners, bestuurders, ondernemers én bezoekers, naar een evenwichtiger gebruik van Amsterdamse winkelstraten. Deze gebieden kun je zien als gemeenschappelijk bron, die iedereen tegelijk benut, maar vanuit heel andere belangen en percepties (wat een Wallenbewoner wenselijk vindt voor zijn of haar buurt is heel anders dan hoe een feesttoerist daar tegenaan kijkt!). Hoe kan je ondanks alle verschillen toch samenwerken aan een duurzaam en inclusief gebruik van die gemeenschappelijke bron? Deze vraag staat centraal in dit 4-jarig onderzoek, waarin de HvA een experimentele leeromgeving ontwikkelt met en voor haar partners. En, wat betekent de covid-19 pandemie voor dit alles? Het is duidelijk, dat er in Amsterdam grote behoefte is aan nieuwe manieren om de stad aantrekkelijk te houden voor en met haar grote en diverse populatie van bewoners, bezoekers en ondernemers. Julie nodigt FLOOR barbezoekers uit om ideeën, suggesties en kritische vragen met haar en haar team te delen.

Aanmelden
Dit evenement is gratis en iedereen is welkom. Laat weten dat je erbij bent door je aan te melden via de link hieronder.

Online event on Mar 16th
Amsterdam Smart City, Connector of opportunities at Amsterdam Smart City, posted

Data Dilemma’s: Sharing data for MaaS systems

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MISSED THE EVENT? CHECK OUT THE RECAP AND VIDEO HERE: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/updates/news/check-out-the-recap-of-the-event-data-dilemmas-sharing-data-for-maas-systems

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is about planning, booking and paying for all possible transport via apps. It enables carefree, integrated travel according to your own preferences. In MaaS apps, mobility such as buses, taxis, trains, metros, shared or rental bicycles and cars, charging stations, parking spaces and more, will be fully accessible. It helps users to get tailor made options varying by modality, time and costs to get from A to B. To get there, mobility providers have to collaborate. They have to share their data and work in a standardized system.

There’s not yet a fully operable MaaS system in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. This is mainly due to two reasons: there are a lot of different mobility parties in our region that collect data in various ways and are hesitant to share them. Besides the big amount of private parties, there are also a lot of (local) governments that have a say in the development of MaaS systems. To ensure a level playing field, these governments have to play an important role in setting up standards and uniform preconditions.

In some European cities, the situation is different and MaaS systems are running. What are their success factors? How did they convince private parties to share data to set up a MaaS system? How did governments reached an agreement on this? Which steps are the most difficult to implement? How are decisions for further development made?

Time to expand our horizon and learn from international best practices! During this session, Amsterdam Smart City, together with the Province of North-Holland and Datalab Amsterdam, are looking for answers and best practices from an international audience.

Join this session of Data Dilemmas on the 18th of February!

Program: Online event
Date: 18th of February 2021
Language: English

15.50: Digital walk-in
16.00 – 16.05: Introduction by Amsterdam Smart City & Datalab
16.05 – 16.10: Introduction to challenge by Province of North Holland
16.10 – 16.45: Presentations + Q&A
- Juan Corro, CIO EMT Madrid (public urban transport Madrid)
- Sami Sahala, ITS Chief Advisor, City of Helsinki & Forum Virium
- TBA

16.45 – 17.15: Plenary discussion and wrap-up

About the Data Dilemmas series
Mobility as a Service solutions show us that possibilities of using data and new technologies to address mobility challenges are endless. We use the data to make cities safer, cleaner and more accessible. But do we really need the data in all cases? What happens to all the data that is collected? Which choices did people make and why? Which dilemmas can be encountered? These questions are important for everyone; for governments, knowledge institutions, residents and companies. Amsterdam Smart City likes to explore with you which decisions are needed for responsible use of data. Data Dilemmas is a collaboration between Amsterdam Smart City and the City of Amsterdam’s Datalab.

Sign up:

Amsterdam Smart City's picture Online event on Feb 18th
Henrike Slob, Marketing Communications Lead at Impact Hub Amsterdam, posted

The Impact Entrepreneurs, a masterclass series brought to you by Amsterdam Impact, Impact Hub Amsterdam, Social Enterprise NL.

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(English below)

Volg een online cursus over impact ondernemerschap. Schrijf je vandaag in en krijg kosteloos toegang tot experts van Business Model Inc, Growth Tribe, Rainbow Collection, The Startup Coach, Roustlaeven en Social Enterprise NL door middel van online masterclasses en live Q&A sessies!

Dit project is mogelijk gemaakt door Amsterdam Impact, Impact Hub Amsterdam en Social Enterprise NL ter bevordering sociaal ondernemerschap.

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Take an online course on impact entrepreneurship. Register today and get free access to experts from Business Model Inc, Growth Tribe, Rainbow Collection, The Startup Coach, Routslaeven and Social Enterprise NL through online masterclasses and live Q&A sessions!

This project is initiated by Amsterdam Impact , Impact Hub Amsterdam and Social Enterprise NL to support impact entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, especially now during challenging times.

Henrike Slob's picture Masterclass / workshop from Jan 28th to Apr 30th
Eline Meijer, Communication Specialist , posted

Metropolitan Mobility Podcast: Cycling in Helsinki!

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Do you change your bicycle tires in winter? In Helsinki they do!

In this podcast, Geert Kloppenburg speaks with Henna Hovi (Urban Planner at Helsingin kaupunki – Helsingfors stad – City of Helsinki) and Chris Bruntlett (Dutch Cycling Embassy), about how Helsinki is making their roads winter-proof and their involvement in the EU Handshake Project.

Listen here:
Spotify https://bit.ly/mobilitypod
Website https://lnkd.in/dyH3B4T

#podcast #helsinki

Eline Meijer's picture #Mobility
Audrie van Veen, Director Strategic Partnerships at Amsterdam Economic Board, posted

Inkopen met Impact - hoe start je daarmee?

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Met elke euro die je als organisatie uitgeeft aan producten en diensten, heb je de keuze voor het duurzamer, eerlijker of innovatiever alternatief. Denk aan circulaire en energiebesparende producten en diensten, maar ook aan verantwoorde inzet van technologie. Daarmee is inkopen een belangrijke driver voor een slimme, groene en gezonde toekomst. Budgetten worden anders ingezet en systemen en gewoontes worden zo doorbroken.
De Amsterdam Economic Board heeft inmiddels een heel Insights dossier gericht op Inkopen met Impact. Daarin vind je achtergrondartikelen, maar ook quickstarts die je op weg helpen bij het verantwoorder inkopen van bijvoorbeeld bedrijfscatering, werkkleding of bouw en onderhoud van je organisatie. Je vindt  al deze quickstarts in het dossier Inkopen met Impact. Je vindt er ook links naar hoe je je kunt aansluiten bij activiteiten van de Board die je helpen met beter inkopen.

Audrie van Veen's picture #CircularCity
Het kan in Almere, Marketing at Gemeente Almere, posted

Nieuwe website Onderneeminalmere.nl

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Almere is in ruim 40 jaar een ondernemende stad van betekenis geworden. Er zijn meer dan 18.000 bedrijven gevestigd en er is nog steeds volop ruimte voor groei. De ligging langs de A6, A27 en Hanzelijn en de nabijheid van Schiphol zijn gunstig en de beroepsbevolking is relatief jong. Om dit alles nog beter voor het voetlicht te brengen, hebben de afdeling Economische Zaken en het Ondernemersplein van de Gemeente Almere samen met Almere City Marketing een nieuwe website gelanceerd: www.onderneeminalmere.nl.

Doel van de website is om Almere op de kaart te zetten als dé plek om te ondernemen. De focus ligt daarbij op de sterke punten van Almere als stad om te ondernemen, om zo nieuwe ondernemers en bedrijven te werven en zich te vestigen in de stad. In 2017 won de stad de titel Beste Binnenstad en in 2019 werd Almere gekozen tot MKB-vriendelijkste stad. Almere heeft de ambitie om de economische ontwikkeling van de stad te versterken, zodat een robuuste lokale economie ontstaat. De focus ligt daarbij de komende jaren op ICT- Tech, logistiek, toerisme en recreatie, startups en scaleups en circulaire economie.

Almere heeft en geeft letterlijk en figuurlijk ‘ruimte om te ondernemen’. Hiervoor zijn prachtige verhalen verzameld over ondernemen in Almere. Belangrijk, want er zijn hier geweldige bedrijven actief en de stad heeft op zakelijk gebied veel te bieden. Op de nieuwe website is van alles te vinden op zakelijk gebied. De belangrijke thema’s uit de economische agenda worden belicht, evenals de bedrijventerreinen met de beschikbare bouwkavels. Daarnaast is er een agenda met alle business events. Voor ieder type ondernemer is er relevante informatie te vinden, bijvoorbeeld om contact te leggen met de gemeente, zakelijke partners te vinden of over vestigingsmogelijkheden in de stad. Ook het Ondernemersplein is een belangrijk onderdeel van de website. Starters, zzp’ers, mkb’er en ondernemers in zwaar weer kunnen hier terecht voor praktische informatie, programma’s, events en advies.

Het kan in Almere's picture #Citizens&Living
Jennifer Drouin, Community Manager at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, posted

COMMUNICATIE STAGE BIJ DE AMSTERDAM DONUT COALITIE

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Een stage waarin je toegang krijgt tot HET netwerk van de donut economie en positieve impact maakt. Dat wil jij toch ook?

De Amsterdam Donut Coalitie is hard aan het groeien en krijgt veel nationale en internationale aandacht. Daarom zijn we op zoek naar een communicatie stagiair die het netwerk naar een hoger niveau kan tillen.

Full-time, 400 EUR vergoeding per maand, locatie: Amsterdam (digitaal)

Neem contact op met Jennifer Drouin j.j.drouin@hva.nl

Jennifer Drouin's picture #Citizens&Living
Jennifer Drouin, Community Manager at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, posted

Amsterdam Donut Coalitie Meetup #4

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Ben je bezig met een donut-gerelateerd initiatief, wil je verbinding leggen met de donut community van Amsterdam en tot actie komen? Meld je dan aan voor de volgende Amsterdam Donut Coalitie Online Meetup #4 op 18 februari vanaf 16.00 - 17.00 uur. Reserveer je digitale plek via deze link https://bit.ly/35PnSzb

Jennifer Drouin's picture Meet-up on Feb 18th
Jochem Kootstra, Lecturer at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, posted

Knowledge Quest: Submit Your Example of a Great High Density Environment

Do you know a great example of high density living environments built within the last 30 years? Share your knowledge and contribute to the creation of an open repository via Crowd Creation. To be truly exemplary, the area should include a mixture of functions (at least some of them high-rise) where the physical fabric retains a human scale at street level despite the high density.

You may wonder who's asking for and compiling this information: the Chair of Spatial Urban Transformation at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is committed to building an open-access repository. Sharing best practices across the globe is becoming increasingly vital, especially as many of our western cities are on the eve of unprecedented densification. As a humble thank you for helping to guide this societal challenge, they've allotted 12 rewards for contributors. Click here to submit a project.

Societal Context
Like many of our Western cities, Amsterdam is on the brink of intensive urban densification. The metropolitan area of Amsterdam plans to add 100,000 new dwellings, mostly within the existing urban fabric. Compact studio apartments and new situational typologies of high-rises are part of the program, which will increase the densification even further. How are we to retain a human scale in these new high-density environments, especially at the street level where our social fabric is shaped? This calls for a new array of examples and precedent studies of successful existing "Great High Density Environments." What are their design properties and how are they programmed? How do they succeed in retaining a human scale?

Amsterdam - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesAmsterdam - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Sensing Streetscapes Project

These questions are central to the Sensing Streetscapes Project initiated by the Chair of Spatial Urban Transformation at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). In a consortium of spatial design offices and clients of large scale projects, action research is explored along three lines. First, building on the classic works of Allan Jacobs, Jan Gehl and the like, six of the most-used reference locations for these new environments are deconstructed by research through design. Second, neuro-architectural technologies (eye-trackers) are deployed to uncover the visual impact of the applied design principles: What are the patterns? Do these design solutions indeed mitigate the high density and intensity to a human scale on the level of the streetscape? Finally, an algorithm is developed to trace the most suitable best practices via AI. That’s where you come in.

Cassilis Road, London - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesCassilis Road, London - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Repository of Great Examples by Crowd Creation
Some high profile examples of great high density environments are well known, like in Vancouver, Toronto, London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Manhattan. Yet what lesser-known examples of Great High Density Living Environments are out there for us to learn from? Share your knowledge and contribute to the creation of an open repository via Crowd Creation.

In order to frame the search, a list of desired characteristics:

  • Residential environment in an inner city area
  • Built within the last 30 years – or about to be 'opened' soon
  • Built for High Density with some high-rise buildings
  • Success in creating a human scale at eye-level on the street
  • Some level of mixed functions, green design, etc. - anything that increases the livability of the environment

Click here to submit a project.

Hardman Street, Manchester - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesHardman Street, Manchester - Image Courtesy of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

You are, of course, allowed to offer one of your own projects as an example. The deadline for submissions is January 29th, 2021 and as a modest gesture of thanks for helping address this societal challenge, 12 rewards are available to contributors. Out of the projects that fit the characteristics, consortium members will select the contributors who delivered either multiple great examples, surprisingly interesting examples, or in-depth descriptions and pictures. 12 entrants will be randomly selected to be rewarded:

  • 2 will receive personalized book selections on this topic (favorites of the Chair)
  • 6 will receive an Amazon gift card with a value of €50
  • 4 will receive a ticket to the Media Architecture Biennale 2021
  • Winners will be notified personally

Visit the results at https://sensingstreetscapes.com. The website will remain open afterwards, so feel free to keep sending your examples!

Jochem Kootstra's picture #DigitalCity
Walle Kiikeri, Student , posted

Dissertation ideas to look into about sustainable festival management in cities

Hey! I am a student from Finland looking to write my dissertation about the way city based festivals can thrive sustainably in a 'post-Covid-19' world and tackle sustainability issues with the support and co-creation of initiatives of the 'smart city' as well as city council.

Essentially I am aiming to argue how 'smart city' initiatives such as seen in Amsterdam and Helsinki could help festival management engage better with tackling sustainability issues cheaply, by for example offering event spaces, expertise, waste management which can be expensive processes...

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you !!

Walle Kiikeri's picture #CircularCity