Knowledge Project: New Water Masters of Japan and the Netherlands 2026

Period

The project starts on September 1 and runs until November 2026. Partners

TU Delft and the Blauwe Lijn Foundation (SBL) are the initiators of this project. There is close collaboration with the Delta Climate Centre, the Watersnoodmuseum, Nagoya University, and Gifu University. Project Team The project team consists of Fransje Hooimeijer (TU Delft), Luca Iuono (TU Delft), Leo van Gelder (SBL), Peer de Rijke, Oswald Lagendijk (SBL), Yuka Yoshida (SBL), and Karen van Burg (SBL).

Delta Futures Lab Interdisciplinary Design Method

The interdisciplinary design method used in this course was developed within the Delta Futures Lab. This means that student groups collaboratively formulate a vision, values, and concepts for the selected area. During fieldwork and workshops, they discuss with local stakeholders how the area can be designed to be more resilient and sustainable. Three weeks of fieldwork form the core of the course. The first two weeks focus on a collaborative analysis of the study area. Each discipline contributes its own perspective: an architect views the area differently than a water manager or geoscientist. These diverse insights are brought together by: developing a shared value system and design goals creating an interdisciplinary group design in which all contributions converge spatially and conceptually elaborating individual projects (during the final five weeks) that delve deeper into the student's own discipline at a chosen scale—such as a building design, spatial plan, landscape proposal, hydrological model, or circular water strategy In this course, design is viewed as a means of generating knowledge. It makes the relationships between soil, water, ecology, infrastructure, and human (and non-human) needs visible and open to discussion. Students conclude the course with a design that does justice to this complexity and develop a keen insight into their role within interdisciplinary collaboration. The course approach is based on two academic publications, including those by Hooimeijer et al. (2022) and Hartmeyer et al. (2024).

Case Study: Kakamigahara City

This case study was developed in collaboration with: Nagoya University, Kakamigahara City Municipality, the Blauwe Lijn Foundation, DCC, and the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood Museum). Approximately 15 students from various disciplines are participating in this project. Students from Dr. Ono’s group may also join during the workshop.

Kakamigahara City faces various spatial challenges, such as population decline, an aging population, park redesign, changing mobility patterns, and the future of key transport hubs. Additionally, resident-led initiatives are playing an increasingly important role in urban development, particularly in adapting public spaces and local infrastructure to changing societal needs. Large-scale water management in Japan is overseen by the national Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The municipality focuses primarily on parks, recreation, green spaces, and local area development.

This creates a unique relationship between the city and the Kiso River in Kakamigahara: the river is visible in recreational landscapes, cycle paths, parks, and green networks, forming a key part of the city's identity. The Kiso River landscape has been historically shaped by long-standing Dutch-Japanese cooperation in hydraulic engineering. Current park development plans—such as rain gardens, green infrastructure, and recreational riverbanks—can therefore be viewed as a continuation of this historic relationship with the river landscape.

The course combines research and design in Nagoya (Japan), focusing on dealing with rigid water infrastructure and reconnecting with the landscape and society. Students will also visit Grenoble (France) to explore living with floods rather than attempting to control them completely, and Gothenburg (Sweden) to look at the remediation of polluted industrial areas. During fieldwork and design projects, students develop solutions—both collaboratively and individually—across various scales, ranging from the building level to the landscape level.

Design is employed here as a means to generate knowledge and to visualize the complex relationships between water, soil, ecology, and society. The course is part of ongoing international research into deltas, conducted in collaboration with the Blauwe Lijn Foundation, among others.

Following the trip to Japan, a two-day excursion in Zeeland will be offered as part of a supplementary assignment or workshop involving students from HZ University of Applied Sciences and UCR. This will allow participants to focus on the Kiso Delta and the Southwestern Delta, draw comparisons, and derive insights and lessons for students from TU Delft, HZ, and UCR. This excursion is organized by the Blauwe Lijn Foundation in collaboration with Peer de Rijke, the Delta Climate Centre, and the Watersnoodmuseum.