Day of Design Power, July 6, 2022, Deventer

General June 28, 2022

The Professional Association of Dutch Urban Designers and Planners. (BNSP) and The Dutch Society for Garden and Landscape Architecture (NVTL) organiserun the Day of Design Power.

The physical living environment in the Netherlands is under pressure from all the challenges that need to be addressed: sustainable and affordable housing, climate-proof landscapes, biodiversity and nature restoration, soil subsidence and salinization, but also the transition of agriculture and the switch to clean energy. The BNSP and the NVTL are organizing a conference on July 6 in Deventer on the need to tackle these tasks in conjunction and with quality: the Day of Design Power. Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Housing and Planning (VRO) will elaborate on the Beautiful Netherlands program and the Novex.

Current

How topical, urgent, complex and at the same time promising the theme of the upcoming conference of the BNSP and the NVTL in Deventer is, illustrates one of the six master classes on the Day of Design Power. In the master class 'conventional agriculture versus nitrogen' the opportunities and bottlenecks in the Gelderse Vallei are addressed, using the spatial exploration Foodvalley by design agency FABRIcations. This study shows how the agricultural transition in Gelderse Valley could be linked to circular livestock farming, climate adaptation, urbanization, recreation and energy.

Deepening knowledge

Working together with all stakeholders to deepen knowledge about the dilemmas, complexity and the playing field of major tasks, that is the approach of the Day of Design Power organized by BNSP and NVTL on July 6 in Deventer. Minister Hugo de Jonge is one of the main speakers at the Day of Design Power - alongside landscape architect Jannemarie de Jonge (Board of State Advisors) and architect Winy Maas (MVRDV).

Broad alliances, skillful principals

Direction requires organization; an integrated approach to major tasks requires skillful principals and broad alliances composed of all stakeholders involved - principals and governments, knowledge institutions and consultants, market players and civil society organizations, administrators and designers.

According to the professional associations, all parties still have much to learn when it comes to tackling the major tasks in a coherent and high-quality manner: how do you put together a good team, what is an adequate assignment formulation, how are budgets adequately determined, how can processes be optimally designed?

Imagining solutions

Designers play a special role in this process. Within broad alliances, planners, urban designers and landscape architects can use design research to unravel issues, reveal the complexity of tasks, identify opportunities and bottlenecks, unite interests and visualize solutions.

Master classes

On the Day of Design Power, participants in six master classes will explore the opportunities and possibilities for an integrated approach to urbanization, the future of the landscape and energy transition - with inspiring examples and in discussion with stakeholders. Further contributions at the Day of Design Power will come from Wageningen University & Research, Vereniging Deltametropool, consultancy and engineering firm Tauw, Witteveen + Bos, the municipality of Deventer, Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam and leading design firms and partners in the spatial planning of the Netherlands, among others.

Plan parade

The Day of Design Power also marks the kickoff of the Plannenparade, the traveling exhibition that will display designs incorporating major tasks at various locations throughout the Netherlands for a year.