Today, our day began in a former insurance building from the 1960s that has been transformed into an innovation center. The building now hosts a variety of creative and sustainable companies. These groups all share a common goal: to make a positive impact on Rotterdam by promoting sustainability through their projects. They have created many projects including rooftop gardens, a wooden bridge, and many parks. After meeting in the office and learning the history and mission behind these projects, we went on a walking tour to see these projects firsthand. 

Many of the projects we saw today focused on collecting rainwater. Collecting rainwater is sustainable because it helps prevent flooding and supports irrigation for plants. One of the many stops on our tour was a large urban area with three sunken basins, one of which includes a basketball court! Rainwater is collected on the roofs of nearby buildings and funneled into these large basins. Eventually, the water is slowly released to nearby canals to manage excess water. When there is no water in these basins, they serve other purposes, like providing space for sports and recreation. Similarly, we saw large statue letters designed to do the same thing! These letters hold rainwater and then can release this water when necessary. 

Additionally, on our tour, we visited several rooftop gardens. These gardens are designed to capture and store rainwater, which is then to irrigate plants. One of the gardens we visited can hold an impressive 16,000 liters of water! The gardens mainly produce edible flowers, which are then sold to local restaurants. They serve as testing ground to see which types of plants grow well on rooftop environments. When a vegetation is planted on a rooftop, it is typically called a green roof. There are also blue roofs, designed specifically to hold water, as well as red roofs, which are intended for recreational purposes. Each roof plays a different role in making Rotterdam more sustainable! 

After our sustainability tour, we went on a guided tour of Rotterdam to learn more about city’s history. One of the many interesting facts I learned was why the city is so different from Amsterdam. When I first arrived in Rotterdam a few days ago, I noticed many differences between the two cities. For example, Rotterdam was more modern and car friendly, while Amsterdam has an older charm and is designed more for bikes. This difference was mainly because Rotterdam was bombed in the 1940s over a four-day period. Between May 10 and May 14, bombs destroyed the city of Rotterdam, leaving only three surviving buildings left today. Because of this, Rotterdam had to be almost entirely rebuilt from the ground up. During the rebuilding, they decided to embrace modern architecture, rather than trying to recreate the past. Now Rotterdam stands as a symbol for innovation and resilience.