If You Like SimCity, Come Build Your Own
How Smarthoods, and the regenerative EMERGE initiative, integrate Circular City Technology, Ecology, Food, Energy, Water, and Waste Systems at the Gathering of Tribes in Portugal.
Plug and Play
Welcome to the future of regenerative living, where, like SimCity, you can build a village almost overnight! Imagine a city equipped with sustainable systems for food, energy, water, and waste management, and sustainable structures designed to put health planet and happy humans at their center. This is the concept behind pop-up cities or relocatable temporary camps (RTCs).
In partnership with Smarthoods, Traditional Dream Factory and the EU Commission Erasmus+ program, our EMERGE initiative aims to bring these concepts to 30 youths, from 8 countries, by developing sustainable, scalable, and quickly deployable community systems.
In this post, you can support our EMERGE initiative by being the city planner!
We'll explore some groundbreaking projects in this field, including the three finalists of Canada's Defence IDEaS program: Circular City, Autonomous Resilient Community Systems (ARCS), and Integrated Utility Management System (IUMS).
Each project presented a plug-and-play module you can use to build your pop-up city.
We'll also guide you through integrating Ecostage principles and highlight the University of Amsterdam's summer program on circular cities.
Finally, we'll invite you to demonstrate your creation at our camp in Portugal during the Gathering of Tribes event.
Let's get POP’IN!
Understanding The Concept of Pop-Up Cities (PUC)
PUCs, or relocatable temporary camps (RTCs), are temporary settlements designed to be set up and taken down rapidly. These cities are equipped with integrated systems for food, energy, water, and waste management, making them self-sufficient and sustainable. Historically, PUCs have been used in various contexts, from military bases to disaster response camps and festival grounds.
These temporary communities are becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing world. As urban populations grow and climate change leads to more frequent natural disasters, the ability to deploy functional and sustainable temporary cities quickly is invaluable.
Refugees, Digital Nomads & Wealth/Resource Gaps
Additionally, these solutions are crucial for addressing the refugee crisis, providing displaced people with safe, temporary living conditions that are equipped with essential resources.
Moreover, PUCs offer a solution to the problem of rising inequality of wealth, and that gap of access to affordable, or in some cases regional inaccessibility of housing, food, energy, and water.
Finally, the digital nomad lifestyle has created a demand for flexible and sustainable living options, making PUCs an attractive solution for those who work remotely and move frequently.
The Canadian Defence IDEaS program recently highlighted three innovative projects that showcase the future of pop-up cities: Circular City, Autonomous Resilient Community Systems (ARCS), and Integrated Utility Management Systems (IUMS).
These projects offered demonstrable integrated system solutions for relocatable temporary camps, emphasizing sustainability and resilience. Let's explore these projects as building blocks for your city.
Circular City Module
Innocorps Circular City, the winner of IDEAS, pioneers off-grid integrated utilities, demonstrating the world's first off-grid mobile wastewater recycling system powered with renewable energy and carbon-neutral heat, heralding a new era of sustainability through circularity.
Notable Achievements
World's first deployment of a mobile direct potable reuse system, demonstrating the ability to recycle both greywater and combined greywater/blackwater (wastewater) to purified potable water;
State-of-the-art ultra-high recovery reverse osmosis subsystem enabled by batch reverse osmosis technology achieved recovery ratios up to 90 - 95% in a direct potable reuse application;
Carbon-neutral supply of hot water via patented integration of solid waste and water subsystems eliminated the need to use fuel for domestic hot water heating;
A tenfold reduction of solid waste
Rapidly deployable microgrid with advanced climate control that enabled reliable off-grid power for the entire camp from solar, batteries and generators without unplanned downtime in a variety of challenging environments.
The Circular City power solution used portable batteries in shipping containers with a smart grid which triggered a generator only when needed, ensuring stable and sufficient power on demand for the needs of the camp.
Autonomous Resilient Community Systems (ARCS) Module
The Autonomous Resilient Community Systems (ARCS) team’s system uses solar panels and small-scale wind turbines to generate power in a system that “rolls out” in rows from portable containers with minimal maintenance.
Incorporate the ARCS module to enhance the resilience and autonomy of your pop-up city, ensuring that it can thrive even in challenging conditions.
Integrated Utility Management System (IUMS) Module
The Integrated Utility Management System (IUMS) team’s Grengine solution uses a wind turbine array, paired with optional solar panels in an ultra-lightweight and scalable portable solution with rapid setup. The system is connected to the water and waste systems of the camp through an advanced microgrid.
IDEaS evaluators were impressed with the Grengine energy solution, which uses “plug and play” racks to swap batteries and inverters, which convert from alternating current to direct current electricity. The flexibility and resilience of the system stood out because it does not require special training to swap the batteries and inverters.
Use these three modules to streamline the management of utilities in your pop-up city, making it easier to maintain and operate efficiently.
Modular Solutions for Pop-Up Cities
One of the key advantages of pop-up cities is their modularity. Modular solutions allow for the rapid assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of structures and systems, making these cities highly adaptable to various needs and conditions. Here’s how modular solutions can enhance the functionality and sustainability of pop-up cities:
1. Geodesic Domes: Inspired by Geoship, geodesic domes provide strong, lightweight, and energy-efficient living spaces. These domes can be easily transported and set up in various environments, offering comfortable and durable shelter.
2. Solar Panels and Wind Turbines: Integrating renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines into modular units ensures that pop-up cities are self-sufficient and reduce their carbon footprint. These energy solutions can be scaled up or down depending on the city’s size and energy needs.
3. Water Management Systems: Modular water management systems, including rainwater harvesting, filtration, and greywater recycling, can be incorporated into the infrastructure of pop-up cities. These systems help conserve water resources and ensure a sustainable supply of clean water.
4. Waste Modules: With companies like Wastetransformers, and movements like MakeSoil, modular waste recycling units can process organic waste into biofuel, compost, fertilizer, and even water. This reduces the environmental impact and promotes a circular economy within the city.
5. Urban Farming Modules: Demonstrated by Modular Farms in Australia, incorporating urban farming modules, such as vertical gardens and hydroponic systems, allows residents to grow their own food. These modules enhance food security and reduce the need for long supply chains.
6. Plug-and-Play Connectivity: Modular solutions can be equipped with plug-and-play connectivity options for power, water, and data networks. This ensures that all units are seamlessly integrated and can be easily connected or disconnected as needed.
7. Transportable Infrastructure: The modular nature of pop-up cities means that entire infrastructure systems, from housing to utilities, can be transported and deployed rapidly. This is particularly useful for emergency situations, where quick and efficient setup is crucial.
8. Flexible Design: Modular solutions offer flexibility in design, allowing for the customization of spaces to meet the specific needs of the community. This adaptability is essential for creating functional and livable environments in diverse settings.
By integrating these modular solutions, pop-up cities can achieve a high degree of sustainability, resilience, and efficiency. These systems not only make it easier to set up and maintain temporary communities but also ensure that they are environmentally friendly and self-sufficient.
POC Principles: Integrating Ecostage
The Ecostage principles and ICLEI’s Circular City Actions Framework provide us a foundation for placing ecological thinking at the heart of creative practice. These principles—Sustainability, Wellbeing, Interconnectivity, Creativity, Transformation, Inclusivity, and Regeneration—align closely with the goals of pop-up cities and the EMERGE initiative.
Integrate these principles into your pop-up city to ensure that it is not only functional but also promotes ecological sustainability and community well-being.
Sustainability: Implement the 7 Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rot, and Rethink.
Wellbeing: Prioritize long-term health and wellness.
Interconnectivity: Nurture connections with nature.
Creativity: Cultivate co-creation and innovation.
Transformation: Be a changemaker.
Inclusivity: Grow deeper democracy and participation.
Regeneration: Build a positive legacy.
University of Amsterdam's Circular City Program
The University of Amsterdam's summer program, "The Circular City: Towards a Sustainable Urban Ecosystem," offers an educational experience focused on creating sustainable urban ecosystems. In collaboration with clean tech playground De Ceuvel and systems thinking sustainable consultancy Metabolic, this program provides insights into circular cities and sustainable urban development.
Smarthoods, who spearheads the EMERGE initiative, has been instrumental in the development of both De Ceuvel and Metabolic in Amsterdam, NL, and is also now working with Delft University of Technology and the Green Village to further demonstrate proof of concept.
Participants learn about innovative approaches to urban sustainability, including waste reduction, resource efficiency, and renewable energy. This education supports the development of future leaders who can implement sustainable solutions in urban environments, aligning with the goals of the EMERGE initiative and the broader vision of creating resilient and sustainable communities.
Demonstrating the Proof of Concept at the Gathering of Tribes
Our EMERGE initiative will be demonstrated at the Gathering of Tribes event in Portugal. This event showcases open-source, self-organized solutions that embody the principles of sustainability, resilience, and community.
We invite you to join our Village Builders District and see how we are transforming the concept of pop-up cities into a reality. Bring your designs and ideas to the Gathering of Tribes and help create a more sustainable and equitable future.
A Place For People, Planet & Prosperity…With Purpose
Follow this step-by-step guide to prepare your pop-up city for demonstration:
Set up your modular systems.
Integrate Ecostage principles throughout your city.
Utilize educational tools and resources from the EMERGE initiative and the University of Amsterdam.
Engage with other participants and share your innovative solutions.
Pop-up cities represent a promising solution for addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, from emergency response to the refugee crisis and the growing demand for flexible living options by utilizing sustainable systems solutions for regenerative food, energy, water, and waste management.