PROJECT 2 TU DELFT Dunkerque Beyond Oil: The Cured Land

Thomas Bianchi

Dunkirk has been an industrial city for longer than its inhabitants can remember. This large industry has provided the city with job opportunities and economic growth, allowing Dunkirk to become the third largest port in France. However, this development has destroyed a large part of the natural environment Dunkirk used to know. Many sites all around the port are heavily polluted. In a future where we are not depending on oil anymore, these areas will need to undergo a change. A heavily polluted site hugely restricts the usability and flexibility of this development while also greatly devaluating the land prices. The biggest problem are the extensive costs of cleaning up a polluted site. I’m proposing a natural way of cleaning up soil using plants, which is called phytoremediation. My proposal focuses on making this process (economically) feasible. I’m suggesting a phased plan in which biomass is produced on the site as a main revenue stream while also providing incentives for third parties to contribute to this development. My proposal will be an example for the transition beyond oil in which the natural landscape is treated with respect.