Landport Msc1, Fall 2007, Almere, The Netherlands Design Team: Peter Bednar, Shirin Jaffri, Arlene Lee, Maria Pedal, Chunyan Song Landport is a diverse region consisting of a mosaic of ecologies, urban settlements, landscape types, histories and potential futures. The sandy soils of ‘t Gooi, it’s heather fields and forest areas, the sprawling suburbs on the reclaimed land of Almere, the medieval city of Amersfoort, the mediapolis of Hilversum and the cultural historical defense line along the river Vecht all provide specific environments. Landport cannot be summed under a singular identity, it strictly operates on the local scale, resulting in a network of local attractors each with its own specific set of problems and potentials. Landport is now however being confronted with a complex set of problems that rise above the scale of its mosaic. By 2050, for example, an additional 45.000 hectares of land are required on a national scale (Nota ‘Ruimte voor de rivier’) for water storage and could conclude a potential amount of land-use change in the Landport. In terms of ecology the ongoing disconnection of the network of previously interconnected nature areas of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug is posing a threat to wildlife, plants and biodiversity. The growth of Almere from 180.000 houses to 360.000 will dramatically increase the serious traffic problems that Amsterdam-Almere face today. Moreover the continuous suburbanisation will negatively impact land and water quantity and lead to a possible decline in social capital. An intelligent and flexible design strategy is required to achieve a region of sustainable development with vibrant communities that can effectively compete for compete for investment opportunities. In any case, it is beneficial not only to explore urban, ecological and traffic networks and elements, but more importantly, imagine new development forms, links, and variations on life in the Landport.
 
sediment transport and erosion green gradient suburbanization traffic congestion Urban Solution Ecological solution new water landscapes planning rules traffic solution - high speed train connection Almere - A6 highway infill traffic flows