independent school for the city

WE, THE TEMPORARY

A three-day exploration into the life of temporary inhabitants of Rotterdam, such as international students, migrant workers, homeless, expats, through lectures, excursions and short exercises. Taking place on Friday 7, Saturday 8, and Saturday 15 November 2025.

Dorpsplein Marconistraat aims to be a hospitable meeting place for local residents, initiatives from the Oud Mathenesse, Spangen, Bospolder- Tussendijken districts and the new residents who (still) live on the ship Silja - Image by Rotterdams Volkstheater

Get Your tickets here

Tickets for this workshop are available for 150 euro.

We, The Temporary

Rotterdam has been drawing people from every corner of the globe for decades, thanks to its port and connections to the rest of the world. During these weeks, we will therefore look at the city of Rotterdam as a space for migrants, whether they be refugees from war or expats surfing the waves of international capital. We will explore the lives and experiences of those who temporarily stay in the city. From seasonal workers in Westland's greenhouses or the logistic warehouses, to international students pursuing a master's degree at one of the universities. And from undocumented migrants who live on the street and struggle to survive, to rich expats who are welcomed with open arms.

We will do reconnaissance missions in a number of buildings that were specifically designed and built for travellers of different kinds: the asylum seekers centre, the labour migrant hostel, the exclusive enclave for expats and the international student hotel. We will investigate these temporary communities and see which role they play in local and global networks, mapping out their inner social, spatial and architectural workings, as well as the political and financial structures that have created them.

Tutors

Teun van den Ende
Teun van den Ende (1982, Rotterdam) is an independent writer and researcher. He works as an investigative journalist at Rotterdam’s online journalism platform Vers Beton, where he writes about construction and urban development. Previously, he was an editorial member of the Architecture in the Netherlands Yearbook published by NAi010 Publishers and a team member of the Board of Government Advisors.

MIchelle Provoost
Michelle Provoost is part of the Independent School for the City’s Deans Team, partner of Crimson Historians and Urbanists, and director of the International New Town Institute. She is an architectural historian specialised in urban planning history, postwar architecture and contemporary urban development.

Wouter Vanstiphout
Wouter Vanstiphout is part of the dean team of Independent School for the City and partner of Crimson Historians & Urbanists. He is an architectural historian and researcher who has written extensively on urbanism and spatial politics. From 2008 - 2016, he held the chair Design & Politics at the TU Delft and from 2012 to 2016, he was a member of the national advisory council on the environment and infrastructure.

Mike Emmerik
Mike Emmerik (1986) is the director of the Independent School for the City and partner at Crimson Historians & Urbanists. He is educated as an urban designer at the TU Delft and has over 10 years of experience on research and spatial planning projects at the intersection of urban development and policymaking. Mike is also affiliated with the Dutch Board of Government Advisors where he advises the national government and municipalities on spatial planning in the Netherlands.

Preliminary Programme

Friday 7 November
10:00 - 10:30 Welcome and introduction
10:30 - 11:15 Introduction to temporary living in Rotterdam by Teun van den Ende
11:15 - 12:00 Lecture A Cities of Comings and Goings by Michelle Provoost & Wouter Vanstiphout. 
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 - 17:00 Visiting Dorpsplein, and The Social Hub

Saturday 8 November
11:00 - 13:30 City tour on Homelessness in Rotterdam, by the Pauluskerk
13:30 - 14:30 Lunch Break
14:30 - 17:00 Teamwork and field research

Saturday 15 November
10:00 - 12:30 Process field research and prepare for presentations
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 - 16:00 Presentation of findings and moderated conversation with various experts about temporary stay in Rotterdam

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