Gerard leads the Cities Team at Metabolic. Specializing in urban and regional metabolism analysis, he develops strategies to transition cities and regions towards a circular and sustainable state.

Gerard analyzes the current metabolism of cities and regions (the energy, water and material flows within urban areas as well as the drivers behind these patterns and their impacts), and develops planning and development tools to transition them to a fundamentally sustainable state. He has worked in dozens of cities and regions across the Netherland and Europe. Gerard is involved in academic research together with the AMS Institute, and organizes an international Summer School: “The Circular City: Towards a Sustainable Urban Ecosystem.”

Gerard grew up in the North of the Netherlands, on one of the Frisian islands. Growing up close to nature, he developed an early interest in sustainable development and the interrelationships between natural systems and human society. He pursued these interests during his studies and received a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Groningen, and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development from the University of Utrecht.