My heart is heavy.
I see you, big and wasteful. But it’s not your fault.
I feel the weight but I don’t know what to do.
They make, they sell, they buy, they throw you out.
With no regard for my safety, or…
My heart is heavy.
I see you, big and wasteful. But it’s not your fault.
I feel the weight but I don’t know what to do.
They make, they sell, they buy, they throw you out.
With no regard for my safety, or even theirs.
I am exhausted, I can’t go on like this.
Remember the first day we met? It was the nineties.
Your creator, H&M, started producing you like crazy.
At everyone’s expense, sadly many followed.
I blame the first damned revolution.
Or maybe I should blame the greed.
After all, all the revolutions made their lives more convenient.
But they kept on polluting me, mistreating you.
Somewhere along the way they forgot to revolutionize the industry.
It’s not your fault.
Corporate Greed is a global epidemic.
Textile waste is not all I see. Yes I look at you, you beauty.
Your swanlike bridge, impressive structures, built on mutual destruction.
Yes, you managed to destroy a few things too.
But you’ve got bigger problems, your social structures.
Your beloved citizens.
Not many can afford your glamorous life.
Most of these people live on scraps.
They don’t respect me.
Look at all the waste they leave around.
You have the power to enlighten and support them.
Give them new purpose, teach them how to respect you, and in turn me.
I don’t want them to destroy me, but I need your help.
Your harbor, once my biggest thorn. It may now be my salvation.
Please I beg of you, unite the masses, and cut down their waste.
I see a lot of opportunities, so many talented designers.
Don’t just build for corporate greed.
You know I dreamt of you last night, I saw the future.
Your city harbor had a lot more green, a lot more humans.
The biggest change I saw, was one particular structure.
One where people went in with a lot of waste.
Which if I’m honest, scared me a little.
But they came out with yarn and yards of fabric.
My heavy heart skipped about one beat, then turned lighter instantly.
Is this just a dream? or could this be reality?
A new world with equality, and no more waste?
I feel a rebirth of the city’s lovely energies.
Ones that I’ve been missing for 200 years.
I see a place where all the workers have the right to exist.
A place where big and small have the space to coexist.
It’s time to put the hands and brains together and strive for change.
In time another revolution. The fifth one of it’s kind.
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Textile herritage is part of the city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the Katoenveem the rest of Europe was able to flourish within the textile industry. How ever the textile industry as it is now has become the 2nd biggest polluter, as it is our first life necessity its not going anywhere and we need a change in the production flows.
All this waste needs to be given a second chance if we want to come even remotely close to a circular economy.
In the area also something else is happening. This part of town is part of a regional innovation belt. A perfect place to introduce this textile industry to the innovation belt, Making room for a fashion innovation district.
In order to make this a productive place something else needs to happen.
Places like Paris or London or our very own Rotterdam have a certain feel to them a certain energy. So I started thinking what is a productive city? What defines a productive city? A productive city is a livable city. Lets look at a city as a commodity it self. A city is a compilation of many things, it has its social layers, a significant concentration of people, a central government, it is topographically recognizable, it is part of a network with other cities and of course trades with other cities.
So the economy. This translates to work. However the working environment is only part of a productive city. A crucial part, but it is a link in an eco system. This eco-system depends on many things. Good infrastructure, acces to public spaces, space for migration and immigration, acces to housing, local service economy end the industrial production. Both of which are the economic part of the system. From tiny clothing repairs or bakery up to upscale (recycling) industry. Together these elements create a productive city. Once one of these elements is missing the eco system goes out of balance.
