Harbour Metabolism

A Harbour City That is Harmonized with the Urban Metabolism by Focusing on Self-Sufficiency Within A Human-Centric Circular Framework

Students: Qian Chen, Elif Ertemiz, Elies Horemans, Yuhan Liu

Tutors: Christa Reicher, Fabio Bayro Kaiser

As climate pressures intensify and cities seek new models of resilience, Harbour Metabolism proposes a human-centred, self-sufficient harbour city shaped by circular flows and technological integration. Building on Amsterdam‘s Integral Framework, the project uses the concept of urban metabolism to reconsider the intersection of materials, energy and social systems. The concept revolves around six strategic pillars: mining the city for reusable materials; fostering community engagement; enabling smart energy networks; supporting local innovation; and aligning policies across the Eurodelta region. These ideas are realised through green corridors, modular housing, community-driven hubs, and robust infrastructure for energy and material exchange. Every design element, from neighbourhood repair cafés to decentralised water systems, contributes to the broader vision of regenerative urbanism, where people, technology, and nature co-evolve. The project adopts a scenario-based approach, enabling stepwise implementation across scales, from individual buildings to regional corridors. The result is more than just a spatial proposal; it signals a cultural shift towards cities that consume and keep resources in a loop, and towards cities that grow and evolve in harmony with their environment. Harbour Metabolism demonstrates how spatial design, grounded in real-world systems and local agency, can activate circular practices that are socially inclusive and environmentally sound.