Connecting Sustainable Cities bridges gaps between science and society

14 February 2011

'There are few themes in the Netherlands that are more important than the theme Connecting Sustainable Cities.' With these words, Chris Buijink, Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, launched the NWO theme Connecting Sustainable Cities on Friday 4 February in The Hague.

In his speech, Buijink highlighted the importance of research into issues related to accessibility, liveability and the sustainability of cities. ‘The challenges are huge – not only in themselves, but also from an organisational and institutional point of view.’ The Secretary-General believes that the partnership Connecting Sustainable Cities is ‘the right platform for finding effective solutions to fundamental questions.’
Under the Connecting Sustainable Cities umbrella, NWO is working together with NICIS, the Dutch National Institute for City Initiatives and Strategies, as well as various Dutch ministries and other external partners. Buijnink believes that the theme therefore takes a 'pioneering role'. 'Bridges are being built between researchers and those using the research. Much progress has been made in recent years as a result. We now need to build on this, and pull out all the stops to make the research even more effective in terms of coming up with practical and policy applications’, continued the Secretary-General, who is also a member of the Connecting Sustainable Cities Supervisory Board. 'There is no time to lose.'
The Secretary-General said it was ‘useful and to be recommended’ to involve the business community more in the research. ‘Companies not only have the knowledge, they also feel the pressure of congestion, lack of space and liveability problems and come up with solutions.’ Buijink also said that an increasing number of businesses are finding sustainable ways to do this. ‘It is essential for their reputation and appeal as an employer. It is essential for the efficient use of scarcer, therefore more expensive, raw materials. And it is essential for a company’s growth and profitability.’ He posed the rhetorical question why we don’t make more use of the energy, motivation and competences of businesses and their employees. 'In particular in the transformation of research and knowledge into new concepts, know-how and applicable solutions.'

Chairman Wim Hafkamp thanks Secretary-General Chris Buijink of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Secretary-General Siebe Riedstra of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (I&M) for their presentations.

Smart

Siebe Riedstra, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, also said during the conference at the 7AM conference centre that he had high expectations of the combined forces gathered under the Connecting Sustainable Cities umbrella. 'Through smart organisation we can make sure we have the right knowledge available quickly. This is what society requires, and in the area of water in particular we are faced with a large task.'
Riedstra admitted that he had complained in the past that we seem to put more energy into producing research programmes than carrying them out. He had also initially been worried that this would also apply to Connecting Sustainable Cities. 'But luckily,' he said, ’this did not turn out to be the case.' Riedstra pointed out that much useful knowledge has already been developed in recent years, both in the Netherlands and in other countries. He urged those present to make use of this knowledge. 'Why develop it yourself if it has already been discovered elsewhere? Let us make smart use of what has already been done and put our energy into those issues that still require solutions./'
Hugo Priemus, Professor Emeritus of System Innovation and Spatial Development at the Delft University of Technology, asked Riedstra whether he was therefore also prepared to include research results in his policies which may be less convenient for him and his department, for example when scientific results show that he should withdraw measures implemented by his Ministry. Riedstra: 'We have given the impression for a long time that we ignore some of the more unwelcome research. We have however listened to the criticism and I can categorically state that this will no longer happen. We always take more unwelcome results into consideration too.' The Secretary-General of I&M noted however that it is not always possibly to immediately implement the results of scientific research. This led Geert Teisman, Professor in Public Administration at the Erasmus University, to ask how the Secretary-Generals intend to prevent research results from eventually disappearing into a filing cabinet. 'What is your smart vision as far as that is concerned?’ asked Teisman.
Both Secretary-Generals see the huge willingness to work together under the Connecting Sustainable Cities umbrella as highly promising. 'I am optimistic that policy and practise and science will be able to work together.'

Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment Siebe Riedstra

Carrot

Urban Regions in the Delta (URD) is one of the Connecting Sustainable Cities research themes. Pieter Hooimeijer, Professor in Social Geography and Demography at Utrecht University, presented this new programme during the conference. URD develops knowledge for the sustainable regional development of urban networks in the Netherlands. The research addresses issues related to water, mobility and liveability and also focuses on management and information systems.
During his presentation, Hooimeijer used the concept of a carrot to show that there is less money available for the programme than originally thought. ‘A large carrot was first of dangled in front of us; at the end all that remains is a few slices.’ However, the 5 million euros made available by the Ministry of I&M from the Economic Structure Enhancing (FES) Fund is enough to finance two good research project rounds.
For the first round, two concrete case studies are to be used as the basis for integrated regional development. As Hooimeijer explains, in practice the integration will take place at the provincial and municipal levels. In one case study the emphasis is more on water, and in the other more on infrastructure. 'However, in both cases we want to achieve regional development in which space, water, mobility and other functions are integrated', explains Hooimeijer.
For each case study, a central project and two support projects have been selected in the field of Geo-Information and Decision Support (GIDS) and Governance. The case studies are based in the southern part of the south-western delta: Rijnmond/Zeeland/Antwerp and the Arnhem-Nijmegen area.

Pieter Hooimeijer, Professor in Social Geography and Demography at Utrecht University, presents the new Urban Regions in the Delta research programme

Strategic

'Face up to urban challenges; find European solutions.' With these words, Peter Nijkamp, Professor of Regional, Urban and Environmental Economics at the VU University Amsterdam, summarised the ambition of the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe. The JPI also falls under the Connecting Sustainable Cities umbrella and aims to preserve the liveability and accessibility of European cities in a sustainable way. By developing joint programmes such as the JPI Urban Europe, Member States can count on money from the EU. ‘Together we will develop a strategic research agenda’, said Nijkamp.
The conference was closed with a Carrefour – brainstorming sessions between researchers and users about future research issues. Attendees split up into four groups: Urban Regions in the Delta, International Comparative Delta Research, Research Cooperation in Europe: JPI Urban Europe, and Sustainable Accessibility of Urban Regions, the follow-up to the Sustainable Accessibility of the Randstad (DBR) research programme, which also falls under the Connecting Sustainable Cities umbrella. Participants found the discussions to be 'inspiring and useful'. Chairman Wim Hafkamp said that ‘the sparks were flying’ due to the intensity of the discussions between the scientists and policymakers and practitioners.

Connecting Sustainable Cities is one of the six NWO themes for the 2011-2014 strategy period. The theme has much common ground with the Dutch government’s logistics economic priority area.
The conference was held on Friday 4 February and organised by the NWO Division for the Social Sciences, leader of the theme, in cooperation with NICIS. The Earth and Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technical Sciences divisions and WOTRO are also involved in the Connecting Sustainable Cities theme.

Lively discussions during the Carrefour – brainstorming sessions between researchers and users