Who are we?

We are a group of researchers from Utrecht University (link to the Team) interested in studying the polluted industrial cities in the region of the  North-West coastal area of the Netherlands. Our aim is to build an interdisciplinary platform, which will facilitate collaboration between the researchers and the societal actors in the polluted region. It will also help explore the obstacles and create possibilities for sustainable urban transformations in such and similar urban environments. More about the Project HERE (link to About the Project)

INFORMATION about visionYourVoice project

Who are we and what is our project about?

Our interdisciplinary research team from Utrecht University, which consists of anthropologists, urban planners, urban geographers and development studies scholars, turns public and academic attention to the polluted industrial cities across the region of Ijmuiden.

What we would like to know?

We are interested to learn from you about how you, as a citizen of the city in Ijmuiden see the urban futures in this area. 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.

We need 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 content of the visual archive that explores plural vision of (sustainable) urban futures in the polluted settings.

What will the research and the project lead to?

Our aim is to build a website (and potential exhibition) which is conceived to be a visual archive of the photography taken by the citizens who depict their everyday life in polluted towns. In this website we will display the pictures and short stories of the makers. We will use the material you provide us to make short policy briefs to the main stakeholders in the affected region. 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.

Who are we looking for?

Citizens over 18 years who live in the region of Ijmuiden.

What we provide?

Anonymity of the participants is guaranteed. The website aims to turn public attention to the burning issues and will represent a place where your voice could be heard. Should you wish to withdraw your material and taking part in this study, please contact us via the contact emails. All faces that appear publicly on the photo will be blurred to protect the anonymity of the characters that are displayed in the photos.

Thank you!