Today was a more low-key day–we first were guided through Rotterdam to see some of Rotterdam’s sustainability initiatives, including an elevated train station converted into a green space, a rooftop farm, and some of the smart water management infrastructure in the city. Then, our trip-long guide, Brian, took us on a tour of the city center, pointing out historical details and structures as well as those that pertained to sustainability. We ended with lunch at the Markthal.

Our guide from DakAkker, Rob, did a wonderful job of showing us DakAkker’s projects throughout the city, which are focused on repurposing used space, encouraging sustainable behavior by locals, and educating the community on how to adopt some of those sustainable habits. He showed us many dual-purpose spaces, including a basketball court and playground nestled within complexes of houses and business buildings that helped to channel and store water during period of heavy rain (he said the basketball court only filled with water around twice a year) but also provided places for exercise and recreation the rest of the time. Coming from the Midwest, I rarely have had to deal with flooding or concern myself with where rainwater ends up, but in a large city, especially one that is mostly below sea level, this isn’t a trivial matter. These dual-purpose spaces are a very smart solution to the issue of rainwater storage. Aside from these spaces, we saw the elevated train station that has been turned into a garden. This garden had all sorts of flowers and even fruit trees, including cherry trees. The line fell out of use when the government implemented the metro system to get to The Hague, so this space would have been wasted otherwise. Next to the station platform is a large open space with seating where students can relax and community events can be held.

Finally, our tour ended with seeing DakAkker’s rooftop farm. This farm was situated on top of an office building created just after the end of WWII. Rob explained there are three types of sustainable roofs in Rotterdam: green roofs, blue roofs, and red roofs. Green roofs are used to grow plants, blue roofs help to store and reclaim water, and red roofs are used for recreation. The roof we saw was both a green roof and a blue roof. Aside from the various edible flowers grown all around the roof, there were multiple beehives, chickens, and vermicomposting boxes, which are used to create fertilizer. Like with the station greenspace, this roof was entirely unutilized until they took the initiative to do something with the space. They are also testing new substrate technologies on the roof, which can then be applied to other buildings to make them more sustainable as well. I loved this tour because it showcased what individuals can do to make their community more sustainable. The rooftop farm is run by only one full-time worker and ten volunteers. These projects aren’t going to single-handedly make a community carbon neutral or halt climate change, but they have a tangible effect on the landscape and help bring some balance back into urban areas–that is a really beautiful thing.

After seeing DakAkker, we took a tour of Central Rotterdam. Some highlights include the Town Hall, the Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (called ‘The Pot’ by locals), the Cube Houses, the Saint Lawrence Church, and the Markthal. What I found extremely interesting is that Rotterdam looks entirely different from all the other cities we’ve seen in the Netherlands and actually looks distinctly American due to its large skyscrapers and car-dominated streets. Brian explained that this was due to the events of WWII, particularly the extreme bombing the city faced from the Germans in 1940. This bombing practically leveled the city, and after the war, many American contractors were brought in to rebuild the city. Because of this, there aren’t many of the classic gabled roofs and rowhouses that can be found in The Hague or Amsterdam. However, these flat, rectangular buildings have the advantage of having usable roof space, as demonstrated by DakAkker. I quite enjoyed the tour and seeing Rotterdam, but the city definitely lacks some of the charm Amsterdam has.