Economic Context
Among the most important economic activities in the Netherlands is the transportation of goods. Dutch spatial planning reflects this in the form of large-scale logistical landscapes and infrastructure. The Port of Rotterdam lies at the centre of this infrastructure and fulfills a main port function within the global and European transportation industry, Strength and the ‘unique selling point’ of the Port of Rotterdam are combined with transportation modalities water, road, track, and adjacent urban fabric. To consolidate this position and prepare for the future it is of vital importance to maximize the value of the continual flow of goods. This optimization of value will occur through communication with those experienced in the specifics goods transport, transforming the Europort into more than a transshipment hub.

Port Landscape
The universal module for the transportation of goods is the container, or TEU. Its compatibility with water, road and track has and will continue to dominate the rural landscape. Asphalt plains smeared over the land provide a stage for a choreography of cranes and trolleys, together maintaining a continuous logistical ballet among rows of piled containers. The hard surface area required for this operation will only increase with the demand for more efficient transportation of goods. This undesirable result calls for a new perspective on our methods of goods transportation. A radical revision (evolution) of these methods is necessary if we are to preserve the port landscape.