Complete program Rotterdam Bright Future

Inspiring Cities, Stipo, and Deltametropolis Association welcome you to the international exchange program Rotterdam Bright Future. The recently published book Arrival City, written by Dough Saunders, has been a great source of inspiration for the content of three-days program. This is the third in a series of Inspiring Cities international exchanges, during which we will explore Rotterdam through the eyes of newcomers in the city. The trip offers you the experience to get acquainted with the possibilities and difficulties newcomers to Rotterdam encounter, by walking, biking, cooking, observing, sailing, doing, debating, watching, eating and meeting. 

Program

The complete program of the field trip to Rotterdam Exploring the Arrival City is available. Everybody can sign in now for the diverse parallel program sessions (25-28 April) by sending an email to Sanne Slijkerman: inspiring.cities@stipo.nl.

Please click here to see the preliminary program of the Urban Anthropological Quest to Rotterdam.

// Urban Planning during the Crisis

These are interesting times for urban planning. With the recent economic crisis, we see traditional investors in planning (developers, government, housing corporations) losing investment power and we see new emerging investors in niche fields from sectors outside of planning, such as health care, energy, education, and food.

This transition demonstrates a major shift in planning: the shift from ‘making a city’ – an emphasis on new urban areas – to ‘being a city,’ where the focus lies on improving what the city already is. The ‘making’ involves urban professionals, like us, and how we observe and physically change the built environment. The ‘being’ is how people experience the urban environment. Rotterdam is a preeminent example of how the tension between the ‘making’ and ‘being’ can provide us with new insights and lessons. During our program we will use applied anthropological tools to investigate Rotterdam’s ‘making’ and ‘being.’ 

// Rotterdam: "The Arrival City"

Referring to Doug Saunders, you can define Rotterdam as an ‘arrival city.’ As Europe’s largest port, immigration has an important role in Rotterdam’s history. Nowadays over 50% of the city population descends from first- or second-generation immigrants. This flux of new groups brings opportunities and challenges. Education, housing, and jobs are primary challenges for new migrants and the municipality. On the other hand, these new groups bring energy, ideas, identity and soul to the city of Rotterdam. The city of arrival not only represents the chance for a better life for the newcomers, but it ensures the future of the whole city.   

Meer weten

Contactpersoon: Jeroen Laven
Klik hier om Jeroen een mail te sturen
Of klik hier voor de contactgegevens van Stipo