Community Design and Analysis: Resiliency in Transportation and Water Resource Systems in the Netherlands

The courses will be delivered in two 1.5-week blocks in May and June 2023 in the Netherlands. The programmatic goal is to introduce students to the principles and practices of resilient infrastructure design through historical and contemporary projects in Europe. The Netherlands provides an ideal environment to investigate this theme as illustrated through their ability to overcome human and natural disasters including the world wars, magnificent sea storms, and climate change. The first course, in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, will focus on the Dutch experience in working with and against nature in the process of developing one of the world’s most prosperous countries – largely below sea level. The second course, in Rotterdam and Utrecht, will focus on regional/urban development and multimodal transportation systems. Both courses will blend site visits, lectures, reading, and writing activities to expose students to the philosophies, processes, and specific techniques used in the Netherlands to develop resilient communities. An emphasis will be placed on comparing and contrasting the Dutch and American experiences and approaches to infrastructure design. Elements of local culture, language, and academic environments will also be weaved through the program.



The first course will explore the Dutch relationship with water over three time periods: Pre-20th Century, 20th Century, and Contemporary.  The Pre-20th Century period will be referred to as “Windmills, Ships, and Canals” and we will explore the gradual process of Dutch mastery of agriculture, drainage, ship building, and exploration. The 20th-Century period will be referenced as “Battling the Sea” and will emphasize Dutch efforts to protect themselves from the North Sea including the construction of the Delta Works, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The Contemporary period will be referred to as “Engineering with Nature” and will explore the shifting Dutch mentality towards living with water by increasing the buffering capacity of the natural infrastructure including levee setbacks, sand dune restoration, and moving houses from flood-prone areas.



The second course will provide an overview of Dutch transportation with a specific focus on the coordination of public transit, walking, biking, driving, and other modes into safe, healthy, resilient, and environmentally-friendly multimodal systems. The course will begin by considering land use on the regional scale (e.g. urban growth boundaries; transit-oriented developments) and the city scale (e.g. mixed use and high density buildings; public spaces). We then experience the infrastructure that allows the Dutch to seamlessly transfer between modes when traveling between or within their cities. This infrastructure includes high-level street networks, fine-grained road design, and fun amenities unique to the Netherlands such as underground bike parking garages. We also study freight movement and logistics by observing how goods travel from ports or factories by canal, train, and truck. Practical applications of European techniques for US cities and regions, including similarities and constraints, will be incorporated into all presentations.