In our GET INSPIRED series we will be showcasing Destination applications and case studies submitted for the Innovation Award in 2017.
The second in our series is one of the runner-ups for this year’s Innovation Award, Rotterdam for their “Sustainable Rotterdam” app.
Want to find a factory that manufactures bags made of mangoes? Which buildings feature green roofs?And what is so sustainable about the water plaza at Benthemplein? The Rotterdam Sustainable App will helps you to find the location and provides a brief description of all of the sustainability initiatives in Rotterdam. The app is a convenient tool for visitors to use either at home or on-site to see what Rotterdam has achieved so far in the field of sustainable area development, and to learn more about the city’s ambitions to consolidate its position as a sustainable world port city.
The App was launched in 2014 as a way to offer an easy digital view of how the delta city of Rotterdam deals with water. Rotterdam is one of the 100 Resilient Cities of the Rockefeller Foundation, focussing on resilience as it relates to water, and most recently has been named the new home to the UN Global Centre of Excellence for Climate Adaptation. Just a few clicks of the button will show you the location of the levees, the water storage areas, and the storm surge barrier known as Maeslantkering. The app has become increasingly popular, not only among Rotterdam’s residents and students, but also among the over eighty delegations that visit Rotterdam every year.
The app has recently been upgraded. Besides a new design, the updated app contains more content. The new theme of the ‘circular economy’ presents the entire gamut of remarkable initiatives in Rotterdam that focus on this goal. The four distinct sustainability themes for which the improved app provides the most striking examples are greenery, water, buildings, and the circular economy. Soon to be added are the themes of wind and solar energy. A search function was added to the app. This enables you not only to turn themes on or off, but also to take a stroll through the app (and the city!) as you search for keywords, or to select highlights only, according to your preference. And if you want to visit a specific location, you can tap the ‘Directions To Here’ button to get directions to that location. These unique hotspots will give you insight into the broad network of innovative applications that will combine to make the city and the port greener, healthier and economically stronger. Inspiring examples include water plazas, multifunctional roofs, floating buildings, and remarkable and highly attractive circular initiatives such as BlueCity. Each of these venues have a distinct link to circular or sustainable practices, while also being unique venues for events and meetings.
You can download the user-friendly application for free in the App Store and Google Play for both smartphones and tablets and put it to good use when you visit Rotterdam! For more information about the App please click here. This initiative is truly inspiring as it brings every sustainability initiative directly to the users, making it easier for them to find them, use them and make their stay and experience more fulfilling.
