Research project

The City of the Future

The one-year design study into the city of the future, coordinated by BNA Research, has yielded ten design visions for the five largest cities in the Netherlands. These have now been compiled in a book and supplemented with reflections and interviews with project partners and stakeholders, and comments from experts.

Ten broadly composed teams conducted research for one square kilometer in the five largest cities in the Netherlands – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Eindhoven. With inspiring images and concrete proposals for action, they outline how the important transitions of our time can be given a place in the city. They show how the city of the future will become climate-proof, how it uses energy and mobility in a smart way, how it encourages encounters and how it is a pleasant place for everyone to live. BNA chairman Nathalie de Vries: ‘What we are investigating in this design study touches on the future of the urbanizing Netherlands.’

Teams and locations

Location Rotterdam Alexander
Team 1: Flocks, Robbert Guis; Wieke Villerius, stedenbouwkundige; IND Studio, Rohan Varma; Yorit Kluitman, fotograaf en grafisch vormgever; Royal HaskoningDHV, Bas Mentink; ANTEA Group, Jacob Tiellemans, Joost Albers en Mieke Peeters; Rijms, Jasper Stam;
Team 2: VenhoevenCS Architecture+Urbanism, Ton Venhoeven en Hermen Jansen; BVR, Bernadette Janssen en Bart Bomas; Sweco, Ron Linschoten en Janneke van der Leer; WYNE, Tony Wijntuin; Tijs van den Boomen, schrijver + stadsonderzoeker

Location The Hague Central Innovation District (CID)
Team 1: WAM architecten, Wilfried van Winden; Lodewijk Baljon landschapsarchitecten, Lodewijk Baljon, Marie-Laure Hoedemakers; Stadfactor, Wilfred Hoogerbrug; Observatorium, Geert van de Camp, Andre Dekker, Lieven Poutsma, Ruud Reutelingsperger; De Kabelfabriek, Amber Leeman; Witteveen+Bos, Johan Slobbe; TNO, Martijn Kievit; Smartland, Klaas Jan Wardenaar
Team2: UNStudio, Lars van Hoften, Ren Yee, Dana Behrmann; UNSense, Roger Tan; Felixx, Michiel van Driessche, HERE Technologies, Minna Hekanaho; DGMR, Bastiaan Hasselaar; Metabolic, Tamara Streefland; Nelen & Schuurmans, Bram de Vries

Location Eindhoven Fellenoord
Team 1: mauroparravicini architects, Mauro Parravicini; Kartonkraft, Marta M Roy Torrecilla; Openfabric, Francesco Garofalo; NOHA, Kai van Hasselt; Move mobility, Marcel van Lieshout; Royal HaskoningDHV, Maurice Hermens en Michiel Visscher
Team 2: Tangram Architectuur en Stedelijk Landschap, Bart Mispelblom Beyer; MUST, Wouter Veldhuis; Urban Sync, Ben van de Ven; Arcadis, Marjolijn Versteegden; Fakton, Aeisso Boelman; Becx & van Loon, Dolf Becx; Masja Cohen, antropoloog; 3pm, Bas Hilckman

Location Utrecht City Edge East
Team 1: BASTA urbanism, Bas Horsting; Studio Pinar Balat, Pinar Balat; Daniel Casas Valle, stedenbouwkundige; SensorTeam, Gertjan de Vries; Mulier Instituut, Hugo van der Poel; Buro Teekamp, Raoul Teekamp; Karres+Brands landschapsarchitecten, David Kloet
Team 2: SVP Architectuur en Stedenbouw, Esther Vlaswinkel en Valentina Amaya Marin; OKRA, Rani Izhar en Martin Knuyt; BPD, Jeroen Hutten; The Missing Link, Thessa Fonds; CROSS Architecture, Marcel Blom; Advier, Minze Walvius; The Future Institute, Justien Marseille; Iskander Smit, digitaal strateeg Info.nl / TU Delft

Location Amsterdam Haven-Stad
Team 1: Hoope Plevier Architecten, Roy Plevier; Danny Edwards, stedenbouwkundige; Futureconsult, Zsa Zsa Balian; Except, Antonia Sore; Wim Derksen, stadssocioloog; Ymere, Irene Ponec
Team 2: krft, Oscar Vos; marco.broekman, Marco Broekman; Moke architecten, Ludo Grooteman; Goudappel Coffeng, Thomas Straatemeijer; Stadkwadraat, Jaap Zijda; AMS, Virpi Heybroek

Participants and partners:The study was a joint initiative of BNA Research, TU Delft, Vereniging Deltametropool, the municipalities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven, the Directorates-General for Mobility, Spatial Planning and Water and Rijkswaterstaat of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Duration: 2018-2019