What will happen if we scale up our hydrological capacity to a stunning level of 13% Amsterdam wide? Researcher Tim Busker explains this in our new video
Amsterdam Data Design Den is the city's newest community meetup celebrating the intersection of data, design, and storytelling. In an era where information surrounds us, we believe in the power of creative visualization to transform complex data into compelling narratives that inspire and inform.
Every couple of months, we bring together professional designers, creative studios, and emerging talents in an informal setting to share groundbreaking projects and foster meaningful connections. Our speakers range from established design studios showcasing large-scale data visualization projects to independent designers experimenting with novel approaches to information design.
What makes our meetup unique is its commitment to accessibility and community. There's no entry fee, no membership requirements—just a gathering of curious minds passionate about using design to make sense of our data-driven world. Whether you're a seasoned information designer, a student exploring data visualization, or simply intrigued by the creative possibilities of data storytelling, you'll find your place here.
Join us for an evening of inspiration, networking, and casual conversations over drinks. Each session features thought-provoking presentations followed by open discussions, creating an environment where ideas flow freely and collaborations naturally emerge.
Amsterdam Data Design Den meets in the heart of Amsterdam, bringing together the city's vibrant creative community to explore the future of data visualization and information design.
Have you obtained a master's degree in social and/or organization sciences, and would you like to study innovation and change? Then consider joining our interdisciplinary team with a PhD research on accelerating sustainability transitions!
This PhD position is part of an interdisciplinary team of three PhD researchers, one postdoc, and two senior researchers in the project ‘EXTRA’: <em>From EXperiment to sustainable change: TRAnsformative methodologies for innovation and learning</em>. EXTRA is a collaboration between multiple universities and public and private partners to research and advance physical and experimental environments as enabling methodologies for learning and innovation, also known as living labs.
Living labs are applied by various change-makers, including governmental actors, industry partners, NGOs, researchers, and citizens, to co-create innovations. However, while much experimentation and innovation occur, achieving long-term systemic change remains difficult. Therefore, the main purpose of EXTRA is to amplify the transformative power of living labs with novel insights, instruments, and human capacities, thus enabling change-makers to make sustainable changes and societal impacts.
In the consortium this PhD research will focus on the organization of innovation to accelerate sustainability transition. More specifically, by gathering knowledge and analyses across different fields and cases, this research will identify and validate (inter)organizational approaches, interventions, and business models to overcome barriers and enable the public-private collaboration needed for embedding, translating, and scaling innovations.
For more information about the project, please visit: https://www.nwo.nl/nieuws/financiering-voor-onderzoeksproject-over-fysieke-experimentele-omgevingen ; https://www.tudelft.nl/2024/bk/nwo-financiering-voor-innovatief-onderzoek-naar-fysieke-experimentele-omgevingen.
How do you install district heating in villages with narrow streets and limited underground space? This was the central question during a recent deepdive session hosted in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The session brought together experts from the City of Amsterdam, local officials and experts from Haarlemmermeer, and Arcadis to explore practical solutions to the physical challenges of implementing district heating in dense and complex infrastructure environments.
Amsterdam has years of experience addressing similar challenges in dense urban areas where underground infrastructure is already under pressure. Experts from the City of Amsterdam were invited to share their approach, which combines long-term planning, integrated design processes, and flexibility in applying standards.
Some key principles they shared:
Sometimes, this requires deviating from standard spacing requirements. Such exceptions are only made with strong justification and agreement at the decision-making level.
Participants from Haarlemmermeer acknowledged that they face several pressing issues. With limited space in the underground and a lack of an integrated planning framework, it is difficult to make informed, long-term decisions. Three villages in the municipality are particularly challenging due to their narrow streets and aging infrastructure.
Key challenges included:
The session made clear that while every context is different, the challenges of underground infrastructure for district heating are shared across municipalities. The city of Amsterdam is a bit further ahead than Haarlemmermeer, and their expertise was already tremendously helpful. The Amsterdam case shows that smart, flexible planning—backed by clear coordination of all parties active in the underground —can lead to effective, long-term solutions.
Now the task for Haarlemmermeer is to translate these insights into concrete next steps. As one participant concluded, “We need to move from awareness to action.”
Would you like to learn more about this topic? Please contact Noor at noor@amsterdaminchange.com.
