Trial and Error

Affordable houusing is a problem everywhere. In the Netherlands, the need for space to create a new town was solved by creating brand new land where the sea once was. Students visited Almere to see what happens when designers have free reign to build something from scratch. They learned that some ideas are great on paper, but in practice have unintended and sometimes hilarious consequences. Students visited a center for innovation and a recycling center, learning from the tour guide that even when things aren't perfect, it's still worth trying to make their space a more liveable place for all. 

Getting to and from Almere was as much a part of the Smart Cities journey as the visit to the town itself. Students are learning their way around the city using train, tram, metro, and walking. Some have become our navigation leaders, they may not even have known that finding one's way around is a special skill until others start depending on them for it!