Building More Future
On Urban Development and Circularity
An event organised by Aedes in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Berlin, bringing together a book presentation and a Lab Talk on circular urban development
Photo © Peter Woolley on Unsplash
Date: Thurs., 11.06.2026, 18:30
Place: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Klosterstr. 50, 10179 Berlin
Registration: www.eventbrite.de
The event will take place in English. Admission is free.
Please register with your full name as stated in your passport or identity card and remember to bring valid identification, as it will be checked upon entry to the Embassy building.
Introduction
The evening begins with the presentation of the publication Water: Curse or Blessing!?, edited by Aedes and featuring a foreword by the Dutch Ambassador. The book brings together the central findings and lessons of the 2023–25 Lab Talk series of the same name – a collaboration between Aedes, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Berlin and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt – and reflects on two years of discussions on water, climate adaptation, architecture and urban development.
In the second part, invited experts from Germany and the Netherlands discuss how spatial planning and public policy can support the transition toward circular cities. How can urban development become a strategic driver of the circular economy? Which planning instruments and regulatory frameworks are needed to create sustainable and resilient urban environments?
Bringing together perspectives from policy, planning and design, the discussion highlights the growing connection between urban development and circularity in Germany and the Netherlands.
Programme
Welcome & Book Presentation
Mira Woldberg, Deputy Ambassador of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands in Berlin
Miriam Mlecek, Aedes, Berlin
Input and Discussion: Transformations towards a circular economy
Dr. Benjamin Bongardt, Head of Division Waste Management, Green Procurement at the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection, Berlin
Michaela Feiglová, Circular Economy Expert, ICLEI Europe, Berlin
Ganesh Babu, Urban Designer, PosadMaxwan, on behalf of the City of Amsterdam
Florian Sorg, Coordinator Circular Economy, City of Stuttgart
Moderator: Nicole Bendsen, Circular Berlin
About the Publication
Water: Curse or Blessing!? Building a Future Planet
Aedes Network Campus Berlin, 2025
Editors: Dunya Bouchi, Miriam Mlecek
English, 190,8 x 196,8 mm; 160 pages
ISBN: 978-3-944083-08-7
Water affects every aspect of life, shaping both the natural and built environment. Too much or too little water impacts landscapes, communities, infrastructure and economies alike. This urgency inspired the six-part Aedes Lab Talk series Water: Curse or Blessing!? (2023–2025), bringing together architects, planners, scientists and policymakers to explore water as resource, element and infrastructure.
Distilling the series into 22 essays and a closing manifesto that translates the discussions into recommendations for action, this book offers a guide to a more resilient, water-wise future. More
The publication will be available at the event.
