Our society is dealing with multiple wicked problems: the Climate Crisis, poverty, inequality and our need for a sustainable and healthy environment to live in. The Climate Crisis increases the urge to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and requires a structural transformation to our management and distribution of space, economy and community. More than 8% of the Dutch population faces energy poverty, and this percentage will increase with the rising energy prices and unstructured national framework. The Province of South Holland, in the Netherlands, is a region thriving from an economy based not only in the biggest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam, but also thriving design, technologies and innovations in the cultural centres of cities like Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam and The Hague. This region has a great potential to strategically change the energy generation towards alternative, renewable sources, as well as the energy consumption of the region to tackle social inequalities such as energy poverty.
This report will elaborate on the question of how a just energy transition towards 100% renewable energy of the Province of South Holland can be created through synergising and adjusting the spatial distribution. Through research by design, approached by students of the department of urbanism of ‘Bouwkunde’ at the TU Delft, the scope and application of regional planning for energy development will be illustrated to facilitate an adaptive, inclusive and collaborative energy transition in the Province of South Holland.
A systemic change is needed, which will create the opportunity for the Port of Rotterdam to evolve from the current petrolscape to a renewable energyscape and to become a leading role model in the energy transition towards regional renewable energy generation and distribution, and a global hydrogen hub. A fair system without energy poverty, accessible, affordable and efficient energy and mobility, a repurposed energyspace for diverse renewable energy systems and a recycling system, and a local energy production will enable a just transition towards a fossil fuel free future for the Province of South Holland.