Visit us on the 19th of April, at the Faculty of Architecture in TuDelft or through zoom.
First we will enjoy the presentation titled "From policies to the ports: Quarantine in the Dutch maritime empire, 1864-1929" by PhD candidate by Eileen van der Burgh, Leiden University.
In 1864 the Netherlands was on the verge of abolishing all existing legislation quarantine, just as contagious diseases were spreading across the globe faster than ever. The transition from sail to steam navigation contributed largely to this increased spread of diseases. As a result maritime quarantine rules were implemented on incoming ships in all Dutch ports. However, these measures posed challenges to trade interests, leading to increased costs and delays . The delicate balance between safeguarding public health and sustaining trade relationships is a consistent thread throughout the history of quarantine in the Dutch maritime empire.
Later on we will enjoy a presentation "Landscape of Trade: Towards sustainable spatial planning for the logistics complex in the Netherlands" by PhD candidate Merten Nefs, TuDelft. The Merten's PhD defense is scheduled on the 21st of May from 12:00, in the Senaatszaal of the Aula at the TU Delft.
By combining different perspectives and methods of empirical research, this PhD thesis generates multi-disciplinary insights into the rise of the logistics complex and its planning discourse whilst focusing specifically on XXL distribution centers (DCs) in the Netherlands. Since the 1980s, the building footprint of this complex has increased fourfold, to approximately 80 million square metres, generating a new large-scale landscape type: Landscapes of Trade. The research addresses urgent issues regarding the seemingly ubiquitous growth pattern of DCs in the Netherlands, the dominant and increasingly challenged policy narrative of the Netherlands as a ‘gateway to Europe’, and the public-private actor network that appears to fall short of adequate DC planning and development. Other issues are the claimed employment benefits of DCs, the balance of the benefits and burdens of logistics, and the provision of useful spatial planning information for logistics clusters in the emerging circular economy. This thesis shows how historical, economic and institutional dynamics explain the rampant expansion of the logistics complex in the Netherlands. The thesis argues that a new logistics policy narrative is necessarily grounded in the contemporary dynamics and policy goals that are quite different from the conditions in the 1980s. Further research and planning practice along these lines would include more open information provision in the logistics spatial planning discourse, intensive and multifunctional land use, reverse logistics enabling circularity, as well as proven relevance of DCs for local communities and business.
For more information on this project please visit: DeltaMetropool