Place_2b seeks to accommodate growth and economic development in metropolitan areas in a sustainable way: Development that also reinforces quality, identity and the natural cycle, and is energy efficient. Therefore place_2b applies a strategy which utilizes and enhances existing qualities and functions. One such quality is water.

In the lower parts of the North Sea Delta water plays a major role for nature and landscape. Likewise it is an important asset for urbanisation and of cultural heritage. In the future even more interaction with all these challenging assets of water is foreseen. The challenge of accommodating water is raised not only because of spatial issues (lack of space, rising sea/ water levels) but also because of the wonderful opportunities it offers (quality of living, interaction with nature). To meet these challenges and opportunities innovations in construction, building and urban planning are needed. The construction of floating buildings and the upgrading to floating neighbourhoods is one of the most promising innovations.

This implicates new ways of construction, architecture and urban design, with a unique character. The required innovation in construction can easily be combined with energy efficiency (light buildings, less road transport). This creates new challenges like; ‘how to protect floating buildings from collapses with ships’, or ‘how to make connections for water, energy and sewage systems?’. Floating buildings also strengthen local communities; where people live on the water new collective arrangements are necessary for realization and maintenance of common services.

Our future challenge is to make use of the assets of water. When we want to live and work on water new collective arrangements are necessary.

• Higher quality and attractiveness of the environment (nature, culture)
• Stronger identity and more diversity
• Less energy use in construction phase and in operational phase
• Stronger local communities

• Shared knowledge about synergy between water based environmental assets and urban development; using the potential of water for creating unique and sustainable urban areas, which are part of an ecological network.
• Inspiring pilot projects and knowledge about the realisation of floating buildings and the planning and realisation of floating neighbourhoods.
• A transnational network in Northwest Europe of those organisations that have an inspiring role in the synergy of water based nature, construction, architecture and urban planning.

We (the initiating consortium) have started our search in the Netherlands and have successfully found several interested Dutch partners. Several private companies, public bodies, schools and universities are very interested. Only a Lead partner is not found yet!

One of our interested partners is a housing corporation in Rotterdam. They develop a floating platform for working units, as well as floating housing in old harbours. In the Flevopolder the cities of Lelystad and Almere realise a floating neighbourhood, based on self development by a citizens initiative. Members of the initiating consortium have lead partner experience in the INTERREG IIIb period.

Place_2b seeks international partners and a lead partner who share our ambition of building on the water. We are looking for partners with similar implementation challenges e.g. in the Thames Estuary and the coastal areas of Belgium and the Northern part of Germany.