The State Of The Delta: Engineering, Urban Development and Nation Building in the Netherlands

All over the planet, urban growth is taking place in delta and coastal areas. In the Netherlands, there is an inextricable link between hydraulic engineering, urban design, and nation building. To what extent can the Dutch experience serve as a model for other urbanised delta areas? Han Meyer, professor of urbanism at TU Delft, examines how this relationship has emerged and succeeded, and considers both current conditions and the ways things may develop in the future. Climate change and a growing concentration of people and capital in the west of the country necessitate a drastic overhaul of its flood protection system, in combination with new approaches to urban planning.