Saskia Müller presented on the circular transformation of Buiksloterham, a former brownfield in Amsterdam, into a sustainable neighborhood. Buiksloterham aims to be energy self-sufficient with a fully renewable energy supply and a "zero waste" neighborhood with closed material flows. Some lessons learned from the project include the need for technical and systemic interventions, addressing unnecessary rules and regulations, developing an innovation strategy at the local government level, addressing challenges from small-scale plotwise development and marrying densification with sustainability, and leveraging semi-public companies for their infrastructure innovation roles.

2. Circular Transformation of
an innercity brownfield in
Amsterdam
Saskia Müller
saskia@buiksloterham.nl Netherlands Consulate General
New York Climate week
September 24 2020

3. Up Town Amsterdam

4. Metabolism - analysis
Circular Buiksloterham - Amsterdam

6. Circulair Buiksloterham

7. Circulair Buiksloterham
Buiksloterham is energy self-sufficient with a fully
renewable energy supply

9. Playing the City
Circular Buiksloterham - Amsterdam

10. Circulair Buiksloterham
Buiksloterham is a “zero waste” neighborhood
with a closed material flow

11. Lessons learned
1. A living lab is a mix of technical interventions + systemic
interventions
• Beware of the innovation paradox
• Circular (business) models require a new set of rules and roles
2. Dare to “ignor-ganize” the innovation killers
• Unnecessary rules and regulations
• Esp. old habits and self made conventions
3. Local government has a lot of innovative ideas, but no
innovation strategy
• Policy innovation (strategic process) pays to little attention to the
innovation of the implementation (operational process).
Circular Buiksloterham - Amsterdam

12. Lessons learned
4. Plotwise development often hampers innovation
- small scales impede sound business cases
5. Densification and sustainability: troublesome
marriage
- e.g. green, solar and wind yield, rainproof
6. Semi public companies play a pivotal role in
infrastructural innovations
- do-ers, investors, technical expertise
Circular Buiksloterham - Amsterdam