About us
Smart Urban Solution (SUS) is an urban design and consulting firm, delivering smart urban design solutions to establish attractive cities. SUS deliver research, visions and design strategies, in collaboration with local stakeholders, as a foundation for the integrated and sustainable development of cities. To this end SUS explains the connection between the metropolitan challenges and needs of local residents and businesses and users. SUS focuses on the problem of rapidly growing cities in developing countries, based on the realization that it is precisely in these countries where there is a great need for smart and sustainable urban development methods.
Value
The added value is in the targeting and feasibility of proposals. We make use of the lessons we learned from 30 years of town planning in Western Europe. Routine (top down) planning has now given way to a more adaptive planning. A bottom-up planning model, strongly connected with local questions and needs. This is what we like to convey in our plans. We have knowledge and experience in urban design at different scales, working with complex partnerships between government, developers, investors and residents / businesses. In our opinion, sustainable urban development is only possible when all stakeholders can agree to a plan. We see the commitment of students from various design schools worldwide as added value in generating ideas for complex urban questions. Therefore, workshops with local stakeholders and students always form an important role in our work process.
Through training, advice, plans and strategies, we contribute to:
- Attractive cities (clean, livable and safe)
- Better cooperation between local parties
- The optimization in the process
- Adaptive plans (at all levels)
Sense of urgency: Need attractive cities
Many cities in the Third World struggle with their identity. Many of these cities grow rapidly, but yet most of the systems in the city (like mobility/transport, facilities, water/sewer, electricity, etc.) are insufficient to facilitate this rapid urbanization process. Besides this. due to political instability, wars and/or natural hazards many people in the Third World suffer from hunger, hygienics and lack of basic services. The individual need is great, and many people will never get a chance to develop themselves in order to get appropriate income and shelter. For them the definition of being and attractive city is different. Proper drinking water, safe shelter and possibilities for work and basic services nearby are the most importent things to achieve.
About Gert Breugem, founder and urban designer of SUS
Founder and owner of SUS, Gert Breugem, used to work as an urban designer/planner at the municipality of Almere, the largest newtown in the Netherlands. Gert’s involvement in the Municipality of Almere has led to a more strategic approach to planning projects, with a clear focus on achievement. Characteristically are his analytical and investigative skills, which he combines with a thorough knowledge of the city at all levels. He uses this knowledge on several projects and he contects design issues always committing with the higher scale and characteristics of the site. He has experience with all levels: from region to street, from master to plot.
Almere is the testing ground of urbanism and architecture in the Netherlands and is a source of inspiration for many cities in the world. Gert also regularly gives lectures and organizes excursions to foreign delegations and he talks from a wide range of experience and knowledge about the past, present and future of the city.
Gert Breugem graduated successfully urban design at the Academy of Architecture, Amsterdam. During his study he discovered and explored the influence of cultures and lifestyles in towns. Besides he developed a wide range of design tools, which he uses in many design projects. During his master theses urbanism, he designed in his project “Past the Green line” a development strategy elaboration designs for Nicosia, Cyprus, designed segregated capital Cyprus gradually to a single act. The project was nominated for Archiprix 2006 and Archiprix International in 2007 (winner) and was nominated for the StedenbouwNU competition in 2008. Furthermore Gert Breugem is since many years guest lecturer at the Academy of Architecture. He teaches methods and techniques of regional design/planning and he supervised projects to 2nd and 3rd year students. He is also involved in various educational lectures, internships and thesis supervision.
Gert specialties include urban design, urban planning, regional and urban strategies, historical and typological research, methods of participation, cooperation with different partners. He has a strong sense for actual topics and trends. He has an analytical focus.
After years of working for the government, he noticed that there are lots of global issues and opportunities and problems, where he can uses his skills, wide knowledge and experience. Topics related to livable, sustainable and adaptable cities require integral and viable solutions.
In the future Gert wants to focus on these fields. He looks for alliances with organisations, people and companies that operate from the same ideological motivation. He likely offer his years of knowledge and experience as an urban planner for the government to achieve full spatial solutions, in away that might help improving cities in the world.
