In July 2012 an international workshop about coastal quality took place in The Hague and was attended by one of the original\u00a0MPP project leaders. A report has now been produced about that event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The organizing team based its workshop format on Going Dutch I and Going Dutch II, two international workshops that took place on the Manhood Peninsula in 2001 and 2008 to help the local community understand the complexities of coastal defence and spatial planning.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The workshop in The Hague aimed to look at the coast of Zuid-Holland from an outside perspective, in the same way it was during the Going Dutch events. The main question asked by the workshop was: would the coast of Zuid-Holland look different to others? Would the views expressed cause the Dutch view to change dramatically, or would it stay the same? Another aim was less obvious: to gain ideas from Europe that would inspire new ways of thinking about the Dutch coast. And thirdly, to get an idea of just how unique the Dutch approach to coastal management is.<\/p>\n
Participants representing different European nationalities and professional backgrounds were asked to contribute to the four-day workshop, which was held on the Pier of Scheveningen, The Hague.\u00a0Professionals from the fields of coastal management, urban planning and (landscape) architecture worked in five separate groups applying different approaches and perspectives to the coast of Zuid-Holland. Each group examined and analysed the benefits of different approaches to coastal matters using experience gained in their home countries.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The five approaches discussed were \u2013 More Drama: the Dutch Coastal Park, Coastal Rhythm, Green Coast, Unveiling the Coast and The Cool Strip: 16 degrees, cloudy.\u00a0All participants, both international and Dutch, were also asked to select an example of best practice from their home country as a contribution to the communal knowledge of the workshop.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The workshop revealed that the coast is a lively subject that inspires people from a broad range of nationalities and professional backgrounds, a response that also reflected the findings from the Going Dutch events. \u00a0<\/p>\n
A report about the workshop has been produced called \u2018European References\u2019 which publicises the workshop findings.<\/p>\n