blue revolution
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It is expected that until 2100 a total of 5 billion people will move to cities. Per day this means a 150.000 people start to live in a city.
In the same period resources such as fossil fuels, fresh water resources, phosphates and fertile topsoil are running out. This unprecedented urbanization process will convert a large part of the fertile croplands in urban areas. At the same time the food demand from this shrinking productive area will double due to population increase and rising living standards.
Most of the urbanization will take place in vulnerable delta areas. Global flood damage will increase from a current 20 billion US$ per year to 50 billion US$ a year on average in 2100.
To create a perspective to deal with this huge challenge in the 21st century, two things are needed:
First, the current parasite cities need to transform into flood proof ecocities. Transforming the existing cities, however, will not be enough to deal with the challenges the world is facing.
The second component of the strategy therefore means that a part of the cities and food production should be located on the water to create more space. Floating cities should be surrounded with floating food production to use the waste nutrients and CO from land based cities. The crops, fish and biofuels that are produced will be partly supplied back to the land based cities and consequently close the nutrient and carbon cycles at a city level all over the world.
This adaptive urban development will create a symbiosis between cities on land and water in the 21st century.
In this inaugural lecture “Blue revolution, a perspective for human development in the 21st century” Rutger de Graaf will touch on these aspects and illustrate how applied research links science, education and construction through concrete pilots.
Blue Revolution, a perspective for human development in the 21st century
Subject: Inaugural Lecture: Blue Revolution. A perspective for human development in the 21st century
Who: dr. ir. Rutger de Graaf, professor Adaptive Urban Development
When: Tuesday 6th of November 2012, 16.00 - 17.45 u
Where: RDM Campus, Rotterdam
Register: [email protected]
Invitation Inaugural Lecture
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