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Urban Metabolism

The world is urbanizing fast. This requires a strategic vision of urban development and bold, sustainable solutions. How can governments, businesses, citizens and other stakeholders keep our urban environments liveable, end CO2 emissions, close cycles and create opportunities with waste?

About the research group

Cities are rapidly expanding. In order to cope with climate change and depletion of raw materials, cities should deal more efficiently with energy and materials.

Sustainable innovation of urban infrastructures is the core theme of the Urban Metabolism research group. This can be accomplished by developing synergies between systems: urban symbiosis. By developing synergies between urban systems, they jointly consume less energy and emit less CO2 than each separately, and resources can be recovered from waste streams. Generating heat by using the road surface is an example of this. Or make biogas during waste processing. Flows such as drinking water, sewage, electricity and waste can also be connected to achieve higher efficiencies.

Often, the best way to achieve this is at the local level: Sustainable solutions are often local solutions, that require the support of citizens and enable their active engagement.

Research group

Ben Bonekamp

Sabine Eijlander

Johan Krop

Sita van der Meulen

Cees Verweij

Fred Zoller

About the professor

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dr. ir. Karel Mulder

Dr. ir. Karel Mulder studied both physics and philosophy of science, technology and society at the University of Twente. In 1992 he obtained his PhD at the University of Groningen for a thesis on research strategies of large companies. Afterwards he was employed as a senior lecturer at Delft University of Technology. He spent some time as guest researcher at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona) and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Since 2015, Mulder has been a Professor in Urban Metabolism at The Hague University of Applied Sciences

+31 (0) 6 - 29 05 35 64
k.f.mulder@hhs.nl
Publications and projects

Publications

Conference paper

Integration of energy networks and the water cycle with surface water energy as connecting element

The surface water energy concept (SWE concept) is defined as the concept of energy generation form surface water by means of heat exchange between surface water and a building service system with a heat pump. There are some typical advantages in utilizing surface water energy: the overall efficiency of the heating/cooling system can be optimized and the water quality can be improved [1]. The focus in this research is on local networks with SWE.

Conference paper

Technology exploration for domestic heat pumps in the Netherlands

The standard solution in the Netherlands for space heating and tap water heating in dwellings is based on burning natural gas in individual boilers. It is foreseen that these systems will be replaced in the coming decades by other options like distribution of heat and application of renewable energy sources in combination with heat pumps. Improvement of heat pumps performance characteristics is therefore of crucial importance for successful climate change mitigation.

Article

The dynamics of technological systems integration

Today, technological innovation is often called upon to deliver solutions to the sustainable development challenges that the world faces. The integration of different technological systems is promoted as a main option for that goal.

Article

Towards cleaner production: barriers and strategies in the base metals producing industry.

The most pressing environmental problems of post-mining base metals production are solid waste production, gaseous emissions, and a high energy use. Most of the present solutions to clean up the post-mining base metals production can be characterised as incremental, end-of-pipe technologies.

Book

Sustainable development for engineers: a handbook and resource guide

It is crucial that engineers – from students to those already practicing – have a deep understanding of the environmental threats facing the world, if they are to become part of the solution and not the problem.
Publications Urban Metabolism (pdf)
Current
  • September 2018

    Minor Strategies for Smart Sustainable Cities