Sinking Cities, Gouda & Venice

According to scientists, land subsidence is one of the most underrated threats to our future, ‘a secret killer’. In many cities worldwide the soil is sinking faster than sea levels are rising. 

Due to urbanization, climate change and inappropriate intervention, soils are even sinking faster than expected. Despite the seriousness of this threat, only a limited number of people, politicians and concerned citizens, are aware of what is going on.

‘Sinking Cities Gouda & Venice’ investigates the impact of subsidence on the inhabitants of Gouda and Venice. Iconic cities with a significant cultural and historical value, the birthplace of the famous Gouda cheese and Venice ranked many times most beautiful city in the world. Does subsidence combined with climate change, provoke the end of these cities as we know them? What does it mean to live in a place that is sinking beneath your feet? Can the tide be turned? What are the solutions? Who are the pioneers leading this?

VENICE | ITALY

Land subsidence might be a natural phenomenon, but in Venice, it’s the decision of men that put the city in a grave situation of vulnerability. From deeper bridges to allowing cruise tours, to expensive marble pushing ancient buildings down, the deadly combination of subsidence and sea level rise might destroy the city as we know it. Is the city lost to water and tourists?

GOUDA / THE NETHERLANDS

The city of Gouda and the surrounding polders are sinking. Will the typical Dutch landscape with its cows, mills and historic cities below sea level disappear? ‘For one of the lowest-lying countries in the world, subsidence is the worst-case scenario.’

Exhibition Sinking Cities Gouda 
On 9 March, the Sinking Cities Gouda exhibition opened at the Watersnoodmuseum in Zeeland. It is a 'journalistic exhibition', using photography, video, text and data to draw attention to the subject of subsidence. Although the exhibition focuses on the Dutch city of Gouda, it makes clear that it is about a bigger story about the future of the Netherlands. Land subsidence touches on major social issues and is a global issue. The exhibition also briefly shows other cities in the project: Jakarta, Venice and Mexico City.   

Trailer exhibition Sinking Cities, Gouda (Watersnoodmuseum)