As a proud ‘Rotterdammer’ and passionate about green and circular solutions, I am excited about the 7 City Projects of the Municipality of Rotterdam for a better living environment for its residents, entrepreneurs and visitors. The municipality aims to invest 233 million euros in seven different projects which are all related to making the city of Rotterdam greener and more attractive to live in. Examples are, creating a ‘green long’ along Westblaak, the green transformation of ‘het Hofplein’ and a new city park at the Maashaven. To find out more about the other green projects in the city please visit, click here.
Hofbogenpark
One of the seven projects especially caught my attention. It’s the 2-kilometer long ‘Hofbogenpark’ on the old railway track. It is inspired by the Highline of New York City and thus will have similar features. The 2km long park brings people together from different parts of the city. Besides connecting the inhabitants of Rotterdam, it also provides lots of green to the city, contributing to multiple climate related problems in the inner-city area. Currently the designers are finalizing the sketches and at the end of 2022 the construction of project Highline 010 will officially begin.
The European Green Cities Development Foundation also uses green in specific ways to tackle environmental problems of urban areas. We focus on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS),
highlighting the co-benefits of this approach. This means that one integrated NbS brings along various benefits for the environment. For example, the effective implementation of green roofs can function as a rainwater collector. It can absorb rainwater, store it and also efficiently re-distribute it. Besides this, it serves as a cooling purpose for both the city and the building as it absorbs CO2 from the air and releases oxygen. At the same time, it enhances biodiversity in the urban area and can serve as a recreational area for relaxation or sprots activities in the shade provided by the green. NbS have the potential to make cities climate resilient through beautiful multifunctional green solutions.
CO2 neutral district: Heerhugowaard
A great example is the realization of the first CO2 neutral district in the Netherlands (Heerhugowaard) realized by our partner Nautilus Eco-Solutions. By using specific plants, they not only beautified the area but improved the ecological water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Heerhugowaard
Source: https://www.eugreencities.org/post/stad-van-de-zon-the-first-co2-neutral-district-in-the-netherlands
The European Green Cities/Sites Development Foundation supports and stimulates green projects in urban areas and is thrilled to see these seven seeds blossom and flourish through the city of Rotterdam.
Do you want to find out more about the effective use of green in urban areas?
Click the link below:
Enabling Nature-based Solutions
Original document:
Published: 28-04-2021
Personal author(s): van Dalen, Ditte