Holland:
A Sustainable Urban Delta
“Our struggle for global sustainability will be
won or lost in cities” UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
Every day, worldwide, some 180.000 people move from rural areas to
the major cities
60%
By 2030 around 60% of the world's population will be
seeking a safe and comfortable existence in the city
Many major cities, such as New York, Singapore, Tokyo
and Jakarta, are located in low-lying deltas, generating
not only opportunities, but also significant threats,
challenges and pressure on resources
The solution is to develop circular metropolitan economies:
Sustainable Urban Deltas
The Netherlands = a Sustainable Urban Delta
Managing and mastering water, in a densely-populated delta at the mouth
of three rivers, has formed who we are today
• Our explorative mindset is a result of thinking-up intelligent,
out-of-the-box solutions for large-scale challenges
• Our way of working is driven by inclusivity, cross-fertilization, integration,
and looking at “the bigger picture”
• The pragmatic, purposeful solutions we arrive at, are created out of
necessity, in order to secure the future of our land and our people
The Netherlands is living proof of concept
for the Sustainable Urban Delta
Population
26%
of the land is
below sea-level
19%
where 19% of GDP is
generated
16.5 mln.
40%
Population
Density
488/km2
(1264/miles2)
18.4%
of the population
(7 million) live in
the Randstad
metropolitan area
of the surface
area is water
Dutch 'system-thinking' delivers holistic,
adaptive, scalable, cost-effective solutions
across many sectors
The complex matrix of interactions we have created in order to enable our economy to thrive - the
Sustainable Urban Delta - provides real-world solutions for delta cities today
With our proven systems, we can help to secure the future of low-lying delta regions
around the world