An Optimistic Disaster Plan

An Optimistic Disaster Plan is a compelling exhibition about the limits of the green economy and the imagination needed to design a safer future.

Fatal impacts on the planet are occurring on a global scale. Global systems have their own financial and economic laws, and much lies beyond the control of local, regional, and sometimes even national governments. Economic growth remains the driving force, but after decades of growth and prosperity, the party is over. Globally, and across all sectors, there is a growing awareness that we need to change course, that we must make fundamental and painful choices to prevent the planet from collapsing.

In the program "An Optimistic Disaster Plan," Arcam explores what it would mean if we were to truly and honestly face reality. What do we see when we map the visible and invisible disasters that threaten the world (think social inequality, health, loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification, global warming) in our own living environment? What if we try to understand and expose their impact? Then we see a world that cannot be saved by technological optimism alone.

From fieldwork to exhibition
If we try to map all possible disasters and, from there, search for a more sustainable, more conscious, and more equitable route to the future, what can designers contribute? Arcam asked architects, urban planners, and landscape architects what their role could be in a world that cannot be designed "beautifully," in which downsides are not ignored. Three design firms – the Architects in Residence of 2025 – tackled this question this year. Their fieldwork, involving bicycle tours, boat trips, interviews, reading lists, discussions, lectures, and design sessions, ultimately resulted in a major exhibition at Arcam. How can they contribute to raising awareness of potential disasters and creating a sense of urgency that offers space for hope and optimism? After all, doing nothing is not an option. In this exhibition, we present the result of this question.

We have chosen the IJmond zone as our work area, as a mirror of global systems. This area is a spatial puzzle, requiring various spatial demands to be accommodated. Space is needed for the phasing out of fossil fuels and a transition to green energy. Space is also needed for the transition to a circular economy and waste processing. Water storage, nature development, and, more recently, the Ministry of Defence also require space. Adjacent to this area, Haven-Stad is planned, an energy-neutral and climate-resilient urban district with approximately 70,000 homes. Government and the business community are working hard on innovation and on ensuring the safe coexistence of all these space-demanding residents.

But living in times of transition means living with uncertainty, ambiguity, and doubts about the right path. This raises questions for everyone involved. How can designers plan for areas often subordinate to the power of global systems? Can they envision a future that is free of myths, tells an honest story, but also offers hope, or at least a perspective for action?

Opening: November 28, 2025, 3 p.m.

Speakers: Indira van 't Klooster, Lisa Doeland, Dirk Sijmons, Sebastian van Berkel, Zeinab Elbouni