One of our final days in Rotterdam highlighted some of the most sustainable urban practices we’ve seen on this trip so far. From countless rooftop community gardens that often sell to local businesses, to repurposing old building materials into new space, Rotterdam’s sustainable infrastructure is one of the best I’ve seen on this trip. One of the metrics by which Rotterdam’s building is measured is the LEED system of scoring, which scores buildings based on many categories. These categories include location, access to transportation, sustainable sites (clearing out new land or building on pre-constructed land), water efficiency, energy efficiency, quality of materials used, innovation (education or touring), and specific qualifications based on a region’s uniqueness. Because Rotterdam is a relatively young city, recently celebrating its 85th anniversary, many of these new, more sustainable developments would not hinder many previously reserved historic buildings.
The reason the city is so young in comparison to the whole of the Netherladns is because of the incredible damage it sustained in WW2 from Germany, who sent bombing missions to Rotterdam and cleared the city of all but four buildings in a matter of four days. Over 1,000 lives were lost and over 85,000 left homeless in the bombardment from May 10-14th, 1940, also known as the Rotterdam Blitz. Reconstruction after the Blitz, headed by architect Willem Gerrit Witteven, took decades to fully come to fruition, with many new developments still under progress. It was an interesting tour to look at how a city that recovered from such tragedy was able to not only create incredible infastructure and housing, but also plan sustainably for the future generations of Rotterdam residents. One of the most highlighted examples of such sustainability was the use of water collection thorughit the city. We looked at different in-ground open basins that doubled as basketball courts and seating areas, that would collect rainwater during large storms to help prevent flooding in the city, as well as decrease material runoff into the waterways. Another innovative technique used was the use of recycled plastic foundations under rooftop farms that would be able to collect over 18,000 liters of water to water the plants, as well as store the water to be used for watering during dryer spells. Overall, I was incredibly impressed by Rotterdam’s weaving of environmental elements into a very urban landscape, as well as it’s intention to try and prevent the excessive use of unsustainable materials in contruction.
