International Visitors Programme
On Friday 31 May, Knowledge Day of the Rotterdamse Dakendagen will take place. The programme, A Wider Perspective, will focus on the possibilities of our roofs and the importance of using this underutilised 'upper city'. With lectures and workshops, architects, urban planners and other (green) roof specialists from all accross the world will present their vision on urban densification and the development of a sustainable roof landscape.
Dusty Gedge (UK) and Yim Hyun-Jun (KR) are part of the Knowledge Day programme, on 31 May 2019, and visit the Rotterdamse Dakendagen through the International Visitors Programme of Het Nieuwe Instituut.
Dusty Gedge, chairman of the European Federation of Green Roof & Wall Association will talk about biodiversity on green roofs; and we have Yim Hyun-Jun Seoul on stage, Manager planning team of the Seoul Innovation Park, he's responsible for the Rooftop Common Land Project in the Seoul Innovation Park and tells the audience all about this special Korean project of sharing rooftops. Furthermore Gedge participates in the Biodiversity NL/UK round table discussion (with Rens de Boer and Dymphie Brouwer), Hyun-Jun is part of the Rooftop Common Space session (with Martin Blaas and Gerda Zijlstra).
Dusty Gedge is chairman of the European Federation of Green Roof & Wall Assoc. During his keynote he will talk about biodiversity on green roofs. Dusty is an expert in the field of green roofs and ecosystem services. For over 15 years, he is involved with ground breaking projects concerning urban biodiversity and mainly concerning green rooftops. He wrote the book 'The nature of cities' and he favours diverse vegetation in cities for adaptation to climate change. Rooftops offer space fort his vegetation. With his broad network and experience, he has many examples of inspiring and adaptable projects
Yim Hyun-Jun is Manager of the planning team of the Seoul Innovation Park, and is responsible for the Rooftop Common Land Project (RCPL). The Rooftop Common Land Project was started at the University of Seoul in 2017. Ever since, 38 programs were formed at 8 rooftops in the city. As part of RCPL the rooftops of the university, for example Future Field, Project Path and Idea Bridge, are transformed into a communal space of 3.200m2. The goal is to create a community at the rooftops. The project aims to transform public spaces to a place for participation, useful for citizens. The use of rooftops as new public social spaces is one of the goals of the Rotterdamse Dakendagen, but is an undervalued aspect in the Netherlands compared to the use of green, water retention and generating energy.