About the project
This project studies polluted industrial cities in the region of the North-West coastal area of the Netherlands. The aim is to build an interdisciplinary platform which will facilitate collaboration between the researchers and the societal actors in the polluted region and to explore the obstacles and create possibilities for sustainable urban transformations in such and similar urban environments. This project is supported by Transforming Cities – Pathways to Sustainability research hub at Utrecht University.
What is our project about?
We are interested to learn from the citizens of Ijmuiden how they see the futures in this area amidst pollution. We would like to know: Does pollution represent a problem for making futures in your town? What kinds of futures are possible in your town? How do you imagine a sustainable future in your city?
What we ask of you?
Photos!
We invite you to give us an answer to these questions by providing us with one (or more, if you like) photo(s) that depict your take on the urban futures amidst pollution and that answer some of these questions above. Take all the creative freedom and take photo of anything that you would like to draw our attention. The quality of the photo is not important, it may be taken by any phone or camera.
Your personal story
In addition to the photo(s), we would need a couple of sentences that explain the photo and your story. All the material you provide will be used only for research purposes and for building the content of the visual archive that explores plural vision of (sustainable) urban futures in the polluted settings.
What will it lead to?
Our aim is to build a visual archive of the photos taken by the citizens who depict their everyday life and their futures in polluted towns. In this website we will display that visual archive and short stories that accompany the photos. We also plan to make a physical exhibition from the selected material by the end of 2022 in a couple of towns in the region of Ijmuiden and at Utrecht University. The visual gallery is the beginning of our long-term aim which is to build an interdisciplinary platform which will facilitate collaboration between the researchers and the societal actors in the polluted region and to explore the obstacles and create possibilities for sustainable urban transformations in such and similar urban environments
Who are we looking for?
Citizens over 18 years who live in the region of Ijmuiden.
What we provide?
The website aims to turn public attention to the burning issues and will represent a place where your voice could be heard. Anonymity of the participants is guaranteed. All faces that appear publicly on the photo will be blurred to protect the anonymity of the characters that are displayed in the photos.
Should you wish to withdraw your material and taking part in this study, please contact us on visionyourvoice@uu.nl If you have any comments or questions regarding this research, you can contact Dr. Deana Jovanovic (d.jovanovic@uu.nl ). If you want to make any complaint, you can send an email To the Complaints Office of the University of Utrecht – klachtenfunctionaris-fetcsocwet@uu.nl