Wageningen University - Landscape Architecture and Planning Florescu Roxana & Pro Lucia INST.E.P. INfraSTructure Energy Pulse 002 003 MSc Thesis Landscape architecture and Planning Specialisation in Landscape architecture Students Roxana Florescu Lucia Pro Supervisor Dr.Dipl.Ing. Sven Stremke Wageningen University Examinators Prof. Dr. Ir. A van den Brink Wageningen University Dr.Dipl.Ing. S. Stremke Wageningen University ir. R (Rudi) van Etteger MA Wageningen University External supervisors Prof. Ir. D.F. Sijmons TU Delft Prof. Dr. Ir. A.A.J.F. van den Dobbelsteen TU Delft 12 June 2013 Published by Wageningen University, Wageningen Printed by Digigrafi B.V., Veenendaal, The Netherlands © Wageningen University, 2013 Roxana Florescu 870626-241-030 Lucia Pro 870225-672-030 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other- wise, without the prior written permission of either the authors or the Wageningen University LAR chairgroup. This publication is written as a final master thesis report landscape architecture by order of the chairgroup of landscape architecture at Wageningen University. [email protected] [email protected] 007 008 ACKNOWLEDGments We would like to thank our supervisor Sven Stremke, who patiently supported and guided us during the long process of this thesis. Particularly, I will always be thankful to my Family, to Francesco and to my ‘Dutch’ Family (Joost, Coen, Christina, Danielle, Ellen, Cristina, David, Sebastian) for all the tips, discussions and warm atmosphere they created everyday. I also want to thank all my friends for their supportive enthusiasm from all over the world (first of all Taicia, Michael and Jaime). Lucia During the atelier Energy Islands in the chair group of Landscape Architecture of Wageningen Unive- risity I was introduced to designing the landscape of Dutch Delta. At that moment my attention was caught and the journey through the wide spectrum of sustainability was initiated. I considered the kwh/m2 studio as being another great opportunity to engage even more in the process of renewable energy research. Furthermore, presentation by Thierry Goossens about the landscapes of the former mining areas of Green Metropolis has considerably triggered my interest and enable to explore the spatial qualities and cultural identity of this tri-national region that has always been affected by ener- gy. The thesis is a journey. For some the end is clear from very beginning for others the process guides towards the end while for others there is no end: in front is only continuity. The end is ever changing giving constantly insights to new ideas and new inspirations that demand further consideration and exploration (inspiration Michael Malofiy). Eventually I would like to thank three persons. Firstly to my mother that has patiently encouraged me through all my life, in particulary during the thesis. Secondly, Lucia that made possible to finish our thesis after a long perioad of research. Finally, I would like to thank to Christoph for all his love, support and great discussions. Roxana 009 010 ABSTRACT The predictable shortage of oil and natural gas in the coming decades will increase constantly the attention on the shift from conventional to renewable energy. Energy confirms to be (one of) the most important goods on our planet. The attention of governments, companies and many other stakeholders is focused on how to keep on energy feeding our planetin a sustainable fashion. The issue of energy transition is commonly considered a problem to be faced in a quick and efficient manner. In this thesis we took the challenge to reverse this position, investigating renewable sources as solu- tions for a bright future. The focus of this thesis is on how renewable energy sources can work not only as energy containers, but as cornerstones of a complex and strong strategy for the development of sensitive landscape, embracing economy, society and nature. Through the lens of landscape architecture a multitude of concepts of different disciplines have been scanned, analyzed and combined into a unified and unifying strategy. Working at regional, urban and in-urban contexts, in a cascading and reversing process, we present a research and design example that illustrate how it is possible (and recommendable) to enhance the hidden potential of renewable energy transformation for (re)vitalising and (re)identifing landscapes, economies and society. INST.E.P. – INfraSTructure Energy landscaPes - has been developed within guidelines and objectives of the KWh/m2 Studio (TU Delft and Wageningen University) where students and scholars of Archi- tecture and Urbanism, Landscape architecture and planning worked together to investigate which meaning energy transition has for spatial planning, providing alternative and consistent designs. 011 012 TABLE OF CONTENT Chapter 01 : INTRODUCTION 019 Chapter 5 : MESO-SCALE DESIGN ‘KERKRADE-HEERLEN NODE’ 087 • Introduction to topic 020 • Introduction meso-scale 088 • Relevance 020 • Step 1 - analyzing recent situation 089 • Problem statement 020 • Step 2 - Mapping near-future developments 093 • Goal and research questions 021 • Step 3 - Illustrating possible far futures 095 • Step 4 - Composing integrated vision : landscape and energy 096 Chapter 02 : RESEARCH DESIGN 027 • Step 5 - Identifying spatial interventions 102 • Philosophical worldview and theoretical framework 028 • Conclusions meso-scale 104 • Methodology 028 • Research structure and methods 028 Chapter 6 : MICRO-SCALE DESIGN ‘URBAN FRINGES OF EDK’ 111 • Introduction micro-scale 112 Chapter 03 : CONCEPTS AND THEORIES 037 • Micro-scale 1.1 ‘The urban nucleus’ 113 • Landscape architecture as strategic vision 038 • Micro-scale 1.2 ‘B(l)ack to green’ 135 • Concepts and principles 038 • The conceptual framework as base of the macro-scale design 040 Chapter 7 : DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 169 Chapter 4 : MACRO-SCALE DESIGN ‘GREEN METROPOLIS’ 049 Appendixes 173 • Introduction macro-scale : Green Metropolis 050 • I - Renewable energy potentials in Green Metropolis 174 • Analysis, problems and potentials 053 • II - Energy use in Green Metropolis 182 • Step 1 - Yesterday and today : analyzing recent situation 053 • III - Energy supply in Green Metropolis 186 • Step 2 - Tomorrow : mapping near-future developments 060 • IV - Energy calculations for Kerkrade node 188 • Step 3 - Scenarios : far-future developments 061 • V - Energy calculations for micro-design 1.1 192 • Step 4 - Envisioning far-future developments : business as usual sce- 062 nario (2050) • Step 5 - Experimenting in Green Metropolis : proposed design ‘the 066 energy backbone‘ • Conclusions macro-scale 078 013 From left to right: Sand mines, Heerlen (The Netherlands) Mine, Ass (Belgium) Golf Club Haus, Hambach (Germany) Tagebau, Hambach (Germany) Weisweiler, Inden (Germany) Blaustein See, Eschweiler (Germany) Coal heap, Maasmechelen (Belgium) C-mine, Genk (Belgium) Industrial area, Ham (Belgium) © Flash Earth 1.0 INTRODUCTION In this paragraph relevance, problem statement and research questions are explained. INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC TU Delft University, Wageningen University and Research Center and H+N+S Landscape Architects underwent this challenge and saw in the long term expectation of the European Union the possibil- Energy is one of the most important goods in the world,but usually taken for granted by end users. ity to further investigate research and design of energy landscapes. KWh/m2 studio2 is the result of the cooperation among these actors, together with professionals, experts and regional coordinators. During centuries the thirst for energy led to landscape exploitation, wars and conflicts. The goal of the studio was to contribute to the Kleine Energie Atlas (an Energy Atlas) proposing spa- tial strategies and designs for low-carbon landscapes. Testing grounds were identified in the Nether- Nowadays the depletion of conventional fuels like natural gas and oil, is a constant global issue, lands and across the borders in Germany and Belgium (kWh/m2, 2011). attracting the attention of many stakeholders: governments, associations, scholars, scientists and researchers. Words such as sustainability, climate change, energy emergency, energy policy, CO2 The contribution of this thesis within the KWh/m2 studio is the investigation, research and proposal credits are daily found on media, communicating the urgency for developing a conscious and effec- of a multi-level energy strategy and landscape narrative applied to the tri-national area mentioned tive energy reform. Besides international and legal stategies, also increased awareness of people with above. repect to energy consumption are required to preserve our planet. The importance of this thesis lies on two peculiarities: Particularly, sustainability is a ambiquos rich term that involves several subtopics – energy, wastes, • it is an example of contemporary environmental and spatial design aiming for sustainable tran- ecology, nature, climate, people, etc. – and calls for a comprehensive, effective and efficient glob- sition and development, through the application of entropy and exergy concepts (second law al approach. In 1969 Ian McHarg foresaw and explained the possibility and the challenge for men of thermodynamics) on the built environment; kind to change the relationship between built environment and nature: he called for the design of • it has a specific