If the Netherlands had ten times the population
In the column series “What the world would be like, if...” Elcke Vels explores intriguing scenarios that deviate from the status quo. Each column is supported by AI-generated images.
Published on December 14, 2024
Everything new is wildly interesting! That's the motto of our DATA+ expert, Elcke Vels. She writes stories about AI and how it affects our society, has a series on cyber security, and interviews Dutch innovation maestros. In her “What if...” column, she also explores intriguing scenarios that deviate from the status quo.
The Netherlands—a familiar piece of earth where I was born and raised. It is the land of down-to-earth people, a mentality I can certainly appreciate. No, I do not dislike our little country.
But I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I dream about what it would be like to live in another country. The reason is simple—I love nature—real, untouched wilderness, as I experienced during my trips to the US and Sweden.
There's no denying it: the Netherlands is incredibly crowded. With 18 million inhabitants, finding space for housing, agriculture, and windmills is a challenge. And if life expectancy continues to rise and migration increases, in no time, we really will be crammed in.
That gives food for thought. What, if... the Netherlands had ten times its population? What if in the coming decades, we house not 18 million, but 180 million people? Can we still have a pleasant existence here, or will our country collapse under its weight?
A forced tiny-house movement
Fast forward to 2300. A row house with a garden? That is now history. There is simply no more room for private gardens in this overcrowded country. A forced tiny-house movement has taken place. The buildings are gigantic: towering flats with hundreds of floors, designed with advanced techniques to ensure, for example, wind resistance. But inside those imposing structures, a different story plays out: families of four live in apartments not much larger than the average garage box in 2024. It may sound claustrophobic, but surprisingly everything gets used. All over this vertical world, new ways of living are emerging, with shared green terraces and communal spaces taking the place of the traditional backyard.
The Randstad, meanwhile, has developed into a contiguous megacity. What were once individual cities - Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam - is now a sprawling metropolis.
Food supply: the vertical farmer
With so many mouths to feed, traditional fields are also a thing of the past. The future lies in radical vertical agriculture: towering buildings where fruits and vegetables grow under LED light and controlled conditions. The classic Dutch potato has given way to more exotic crops such as quinoa, algae, and insect-rich foods. These products are packed with protein and essential nutrients. With more nutritional value produced on a fraction of the space once occupied by traditional agriculture. Meat? That comes from a laboratory. Cultured chicken breast and 3D-printed steak are not only sustainable but taste surprisingly good. In cities like Amsterdam and Delft, impressive towers are rising that function as urban farms, with smart systems for water management and waste disposal.
From road to air traffic
Traffic jams? That term no longer exists. Driving on roads is no longer an option. The Hyperloop test center has made tremendous progress, and highways have been replaced by a network of hyperloop tubes. PostNL uses sophisticated drones that send packages through the air in no time. The side job as a delivery driver is now a thing of the past - in fact, your dinner also comes by drone. Always on time, hot and fresh!
Energy: ultramodern and sustainable
In a future scenario with 180 million inhabitants living here, a hypermodern energy supply is absolutely crucial. Per square kilometer, we use ten times as much electricity as we do now. Think of the enormous amounts of energy needed for vertical agricultural towers, underground train networks, and millions of households in compact high-rise buildings. Everything and everyone must be supplied. The energy grid in 2300 operates decentrally and consists of a network of so-called “energy bubbles”: self-sufficient clusters that work together but can also function autonomously.
We use an integrated solar park system, offshore wind farms, and floating hydroelectric plants. We have made more sustainable strides: these resources are complemented by nuclear fusion technology, which provides clean, inexhaustible energy. So we finally got that done. In Groningen, where natural gas once predominated, there are now giant batteries that store and redistribute energy for the entire country.
In our DNA
Dealing with a lack of space is in our blood. Just look at today's cities: our streets are significantly narrower than those in the United States. In big cities like Utrecht, you'll find huge underground bike parks, so there's plenty of parking space for bikes, and yet the city still retains its compact charm.
We will continue to push this ingenuity in the future. From innovative architectures that make towering buildings suitable for tens of thousands of residents, to hyperloop structures - the Netherlands will reinvent itself again and again.
I will not find the endless forests of Sweden or the rugged wilderness of the U.S. here in the future. But: Dutch ingenuity makes up for a lot. So for now I am not finished with this quirky piece of earth.
This is what Schiphol will (perhaps) look like 300 years from now
In the column series “What the world would be like, if...” Elcke Vels explores intriguing scenarios that deviate from the status quo. Each column is supported by AI-generated images.