<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">HI Andrew, and fellow maintainers. <div><br></div><div>As an Amsterdam local, happy to share some insights. </div><div><br></div><div>I don't think the public has fully acknowledged yet the magnitude of the amount of deferred maintenance. </div><div>Out of the 1800 bridges 850 need urgent repair and from the 600km quay walls 200km need repair! (source: <a href="https://www.amsterdam.nl/parkeren-verkeer/bruggen-kademuren/">https://www.amsterdam.nl/parkeren-verkeer/bruggen-kademuren/</a>) </div><div>Here a link to a <a href="https://atosborne.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Dashboard.pdf">dashboard</a> with more figures (I think google translate can also do PDF) </div><div>The city has asked the market for options on how to monitor the bridges and quays more extensively as they cannot repair everything at the same time </div><div>With Covid severely impacting the cities financials (as well as inhabitants wanting fewer tourists and Airbnbs and thus less tourist taxes) I expect this to be a big challenge in the coming years. </div><div><br></div><div>As a matter of fact I am writing a blog post now regarding the maintenance of critical infrastructure and using this as an example. The Netherlands is every year rated one of the countries with the best infrastructure (2nd place after Singapore according to WEF). However whilst patting ourselves on the back we forgot to monitor our own infrastructure. If interested, will be happy to share my blog when done. </div><div><br></div><div>Regards, Paul </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Aug 27, 2020 at 4:25 PM Andrew Russell <<a href="mailto:arussell@arussell.org">arussell@arussell.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">I thought you all might be interested in this story that connects the maintenance of canals to long-term perspectives (both looking back and looking forward). I know we have at east one or two people on the list who are locals in Amsterdam - I’d be curious to hear their reactions…<div><br></div><div><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/amsterdam-collapsing/index.html" target="_blank">http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/amsterdam-collapsing/index.html</a><br><div><h1>Amsterdam has been collapsing for years. Now it's paying the price</h1><div><div>Cracks and sinkholes are appearing alongside the waterways of Amsterdam. </div><div>Bicycles are tumbling into the swirling water as the canalsides vanish beneath their wheels.</div><div>Quay walls are collapsing against houseboats. Bridges are in trouble.</div><div>While
the recent Covid-19 restrictions have relieved the Dutch capital from
the more superficial blight of overtourism, it seems the city has a more
pressing existential crisis. </div><div>It's in danger of crumbling into the water it's built upon. And only a makeover of enormous proportions can save it. </div><div>
</div><div>Fortunately, no one has
been hurt yet, but unless it can work out how to carry out the millions
of dollars' worth of delicate repairs needed, some of the beautiful
medieval infrastructure that makes Amsterdam such a popular destination
could be lost. </div><div>Amsterdam's day of reckoning shouldn't really have come as a surprise.</div><div>The
city's children grow up with a verse: "Amsterdam, die grote stad / Die
is gebouwd op palen / Als die stad eens ommeviel / Wie zou dat dan
betalen?</div><div>Loosely translated: "Amsterdam, big city / It is built on piles / If the city would collapse / Who would pay for that?"</div><div>The city is now collapsing -- and the Dutch are paying.</div><div><br></div><div>[snip]</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/amsterdam-collapsing/index.html" target="_blank">http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/amsterdam-collapsing/index.html</a> </div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Andy</div><div><br></div></div><br><br><div>
<div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px">— — — — — — — — — — —</div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px">Andrew L. Russell, Ph.D.<br>Dean, College of Arts & Sciences<br>SUNY Polytechnic Institute<br>Donovan Hall - 2123B<br>100 Seymour Road<br>Utica, NY 13502</div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Lato;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="http://www.prh.com/innovationdelusion" target="_blank">The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most</a></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Available Sept 8, 2020 | Pre-order now! </div><br>t. 315-792-7317<br>w. <a href="https://sunypoly.edu/" target="_blank">https://sunypoly.edu/</a><br>e. <a href="mailto:arussell@arussell.org" target="_blank">arussell@arussell.org</a><br></div></div>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:12.8px"><b style="font-size:12.8px;font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><font size="1">Paul Mignot | Founder & CEO | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmignot" target="_blank">view my LinkedIN profile</a></font></b><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:12.8px"><div dir="ltr"><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">Atoomweg 7 | 3542 AA Utrecht | The Netherlands | tel: +31 6 26 414492 | <a href="mailto:paul@withthegrid.com" target="_blank">paul@withthegrid.com</a></font><div><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.withthegrid.com" target="_blank">www.withthegrid.<b>com</b></a>| CoC: 66591880 | VAT: NL856622412B01<br></font></div><div><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><img src="https://drive.google.com/a/withthegrid.com/uc?id=1qSg1X2_6-WbMu3YC8Ng0Ut8CSbZauRUP&export=download" width="96" height="96"><br></font></div><div><br><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"></font></div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="1" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><br></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>