6. Expectations and potential tensions with other sub-systems of sustainable Texel

6.1 Ambition Sustainable Mobility Group

The sustainable mobility group aspires to create an even better mobility system on the island, where both residents as well as visitors (tourists) can make use of transportation methods, wherever, whenever they want. We are envisioning solutions such as electrical bikes and automated driverless electric vehicles, transporting both the residents and the tourists in an efficient and clean way over the island. 

6.2 Relations with other subgroups

6.2.1 Well being, health and happiness

The group of well being, health and happiness have come up with a Happy Texel Index. This index (life satisfaction x life expectancy / ecological footprint), is a good benchmark to measure the happiness and sustainability on Texel. The sustainable mobility system, will also make use of this system. Are the solutions brought forward by the sustainable mobility team increasing the life satisfaction or life expectancy, or are they reducing the ecological footprint? This is key.

The most important concept that emerges out of the sustainable mobility plan for the future is plan for self-driving vehicles on the island. At first, these vehicles can be deployed to transport the tourist along certain routes over the island. Later on, they can also be deployed for the Texelaar. This type of public transport, can come whenever you want, wherever you want on the island. That makes it much more accessible than current transportation options and therefore it is supposed to boost the HTI. We have to be careful however, as an increase of transportation could also negatively effect the HTI. The same way, deployment of driverless vehicles could mean a loss of jobs, which could negatively effect certain parts of the Texel community and therefore the HTI of parts of the community.

6.2.2 Water cycle

The water cycle group, focusses on the long term on making Texel self-sufficient in terms of water supply and clean water production. Different strategies are deployed here, among them water reduction plans by introducing cleaver water heads, proliferation of information about how to save water, re-use of grey water and recycling of water. In the future, when sustainable energy systems such as solar panels allow this, desalination could be employed as well. The basic strategy for the future is reduce, re-use, recycle. This is a strong concept and should be carried out by a strong vision. Ideas to combine it with the mobility system, is for example to incorporate media systems such as screens in the self-driving vechicles that inform the tourists about the unique self-suffiency regarding the water system. An app for people who are on foot or by bike could fulfil this same role. Furthermore, when these driverless vehicles take the tourists along routes on the island, education and research centers can be placed along these route, where one of these centers can also function as a water research center. We don't see immediately problems arising here, this relation is more one of opportunities. These two subsytems could enhance each others, by connecting touristic (mobility) routes with warer (research) facilities or remarkabilities.

6.2.3 Texel as host

The group of Texel as a host, came up with the idea for a special route over the island, with nodes on the route showcasing how production chains are connected. For example, the final product is a nice meal in a restaurant. But where are all the ingredients coming from? On which potato farm are the potatoes grown? And what is so special about these potatoes? This idea is very well combinable with sustainable mobility, especially for the visitors of the island, the tourists. The tourists can take a route walking, by bike, or by vehicle and make stops in places in the map which have caught their interest. This way they wil enjoy the mobility and they will learn characteristic things of the island. Here the same applies as for the group of the water cycle, this relation is one that above all embodies opportunities instead of threats. Key is therefore to align these two subsystems optimally.

6.2.4 Public Space

For the group of sustainable mobility, giving the public space of Texel and the individual villages an identity is very important. They feel many of these villages already have a strong identity with their subculture, architecture and the entrepreneurs living in these villages, however these facets are not really expressed in the public space. These assets of Texel, can be stressed in the public space to enhance the feeling of a shared identity and to enhance the community. Local entrepreneurs could be the link between the sustainable mobility system and the public space system. They could be involved in thinking about ways to show the public by the sustainable mobility system, the public space of these villages and what is so special about it. An example could be self-driving vehicles with an interactive screen on board, that tells the tourists the remarakble things in every villages, with regard to the public space and the architecture. A mobile app could do the same job. Public Space is also important for the mobility system, because the way public space is designed, defines to a certain degree how the mobility system works. If Texelaars opt for a car free centre of the villages for example, this could boost other ways of transport such as walking or biking.

6.2.5 Materials and waste

The material and waste group aims to create closed cycles of material waste and production. What the waste is for one entrepreneur, can be the crucial ingredient for the product of the next entrepreneur. An example of this is could be coffee waste, which can be used to grow mushrooms on. This system does not have a lot of linkage with the system of sustainable mobility, although the idea of creating closed loops can be applied on both subsystems. The sustainable mobility system is about creating closed loops, where people can make use of their mobility wherever, whenever they want.

6.2.6 Agriculture, food and more

The plans of the ‘agriculture, food and more group’ revolve around the idea of using the same trucks to bring ‘exotic’ (from the main land) products to Texel and use those same trucks, to bring island specific food products to the mainland. Examples of products that could be very Texel related are saline cultivated vergetables such as potatoes, beverages such as Texel’s Skuumkoppe and new products such as the growing of abalones. These cargotrucks could become driverless in the near future, creating an efficient driverless cargosystem that is used to ship food to and from the island, wherever and whenever anyone wants. In this way, agriculture, food and more are will fit in well in the future sustainable mobility system. A risk of aligning this subsystem with our subsystem is that it could lead to an increase in cargo traffic, probably on times that people don't prefer this kind of traffic close to their house. It is important that proper regulations for these 'drone-trucks' will be made, in terms of working times and quantity.

6.2.7 Leisure and knowledge

The leisure and knowledge group, basically have two ideas for leisure and knowledge. On one hand, they want to create a route, that connects points of interest on the island. The other idea is to have a Research Center combined with an Educational Facility, where children can ‘co-create’ innovations on the island. This facility would be attached to the route over the island. This route can be perfectly combined with sustainable mobility, since tourists can make this route walking, by bike or by vehicle and learn this way more about the island. It could be combined even better, by creating an App with a map, that guides the tourists over the island, while informing them about the points of interest to be found on the island.