The Green Heart faces significant spatial challenges and opportunities now and in the coming decades. Without clear spatial choices, there is no solution for challenges such as land subsidence, peat oxidation, and water quality, and opportunities will be missed. In this thesis lab, we are thinking 75 years ahead. What is the potential of spatial choices we could make in the Green Heart?
In this thesis lab, we are thinking 75 years ahead by conducting scientifically grounded thought experiments to conceive, analyze, and assess new spatial opportunities and possibilities. Climate change and biodiversity loss call for changes in the way we use, design and organize our environment within our economic system. But what solutions are possible and desirable? And what consequences do they have? To find out, it is important to think about that future with an open and free mindset. To be able to experiment with innovative ideas and solutions, and to achieve this from various areas of expertise, so that the economic, ecological, and societal perspectives are all represented.
In short, we are looking for students from many different fields of study! This way, we can inform societal transitions and scientifically test spatial planning options. Do you help us find and/or analyze solutions for a sustainable landscape of the future?"
This year’s case area is the Green Heart. This green area in the middle of the Randstad faces significant challenges and opportunities now and in the coming decades. Without clear choices though, there is no solution for challenges such as land subsidence, peat oxidation, fossil free food production, biodiversity loss and water management, and opportunities for this promising region will be missed.
LDE Climate & Biodiversity Program
The thesis lab will be organized as part of the new climate and biodiversity program of LDE. In the pressing research fields of climate and biodiversity, much complementary research is taking place at the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus universities, but like UN panels IPCC and IPBES state in their joint report Biodiversity and Climate Change, we note that research in the two domains makes too little use of each other's knowledge, experience and solutions. The LDE Climate and Biodiversity program strives for more integration of the two fields in inter- and transdisciplinary education and research. This thesis lab “The (really) Green Heart, year 2100” fits perfectly into that framework.
Conditions for enrolment you'll find here
Enrolment for the academic year 2024-2025 is open! Applications close on November 24th, 2024 (23:59)
Get inspired and check the results of previous labs.
