Inaugural address Tess Broekmans - The complexity of the everyday

The urban environment is constantly changing. In the city, the major transitions we are struggling with as a country and planet, such as climate, mobility, energy and housing, come together. At the same time, the city is a place where we live together and where we search with each other for practical solutions to those complex and large-scale problems. Tess Broekmans will deliver her inaugural address 'The complexity of the everyday' (De complexiteit van het alledaagse) on Friday 6 September. 

"As urban planners, we are used to planning far ahead. What we draw only comes to fruition years later. But by the time a plan is built, the city and the needs of its residents have already changed. Instead of building yesterday's plans, we need to look for a form of urban design that is able to enthuse today's residents to help build tomorrow's solutions," says Tess.

In her inaugural address, Tess Broekmans calls for connecting the long-term of complex transitions to the short-term of everyday life. Tess: "Ultimately, all these abstract tasks are reflected in everyday life. And we can only realise the long-term solutions if we start using all the space differently now." Using the gown of Grandpa Koos, the creative wisdom of Mary Poppins and the plurality of Bach's music, Tess shows how we might proceed as urban designers. "By including the everyday in our designs, we can inspire and offer hope, and remain hopeful ourselves. As designers, we combine, tinker and experiment to create something wonderful that can move with the needs of the city and its residents."

More information

• Tess Broekmans delivered her inaugural address 'The complexity of the everyday' on Friday 6 September at 15:00 in the auditorium in TU Delft's Aula. You can watch the inaugural address here.
• View the professor page of Tess Broekmans here.