Valuing Water and Culture(s)
Although often seen as a purely technical field, water management has always been embedded in social, cultural, and spatial practices. Understanding the embedded nature of water in space, culture, and society can help us to redeploy historic systems and the heritage of past water management as part of sustainable development.
Understanding the embeddedness of water in culture(s)
Doing so requires new, shared methodologies and terminologies, as well as tools that facilitate engagement between disparate fields and disciplines. PortCityFutures is developing such methods and tools for understanding the embeddedness of water in culture(s), institutions, and the built environment as a foundation for achieving the UN SDGs and buy-in from diverse stakeholders and local citizens. We have notably developed a value case methodology and applied it to Nijmegen. You will work with us to explore the impact of the Room for the River project.
PortCityFutures initiative
Students will work with the PortCityFutures initiative, ICOMOS NL, and the UNESCO Chair Water, Ports and Historic Cities to research the water management and heritage dimensions of Dutch case studies. Their projects will build upon the research currently being developed by involved staff. Interdisciplinary collaboration with students and staff from other LDE faculties is also possible and can provide opportunities to engage with future-oriented design projects drawing on historic spaces and practices of water and culture(s).