Amsterdam DRO Regional Report - C-Change

C-CHANGE REGIONAL REPORT
2009 - 2012
Dienst Ruimtelijke Ordening
Amsterdam

Healthy Climate WeZt / Creative
Urbans
1. Project Description
Asustainable future will have to be developed and
implemented by young people. In Amsterdam-
West over 30 students of diverse ethnic and
cultural backgrounds have been taught and challenged
to develop and champion climate-proof urban
development solutions for a functionalist post war
neighbourhood nearby the Sloterplas. The programme
was developed and executed by Creative Urbans in
cooperation with schools in the
boroughs around the Sloterplas
and it was embedded in the
curriculum. These students
designed climate-proof urban
development plans for one of
the most problematic (diverse
population, low income, poor
public space) neighbourhoods,
called Buurt 5. They presented them to a professional
jury, with the Dean of the Technical University Delft as a
member, as well as to the responsible Amsterdam
Alderman.
Until C-Change introduced it to them climate change and
sustainability in urban development did not form part of
the programme of Creative Urbans. Neither was it an
obligation or common practice to take climate change
into account from the start of urban development
schemes in Amsterdam at the time. During 25 weeks the
students were trained to develop climate-proof spatial
plans. First they investigated the inhabitants’ needs and
then concluded that improvement of the public space in
addition to more facilities and businesses should be the
first priorities.
The relation between spatial planning and low carbon,
healthy life styles was introduced to them and they had
to find ways to incorporate these complex issues in their
spatial plans for the
neighbourhood. Visits to
sustainable urban development
sites, to Search BV, which is
known for its outstanding
expertise on building and climate
change, as well as lectures on
climate change were organised. It
is, at least for the Netherlands, an
innovative way of engaging young people in climate
change and to give them the responsibility of developing
climate-proof urban areas.
The following elements in the approach are crucial:
• Empowerment as a citizen is central, this was created
by encouraging the students to feel connected with the
environment, to take responsibility for it and to develop
strategies and solutions to change and improve it. They
were challenged to develop their own ideas and defend
them.
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Amsterdam
• The training was sound and well structured. The focus
was not only on developing skills and knowledge, but
also on building their personality, by means of a theatreworkshop
and developing presentation and
communication skills.
• The focus is on inspiration instead of on the “how to
do” approach.
• Climate change and climate-proof urban development
and low carbon lifestyles are a continuing thread in the
curriculum. Different and conflicting approaches of
climate change are introduced to the students. A lecture
on the Transition Movement, which promotes and
actually develops initiatives of energy independency at
a grass roots level, is also included in the programme.
• The relation between spatial plans and low carbon and
healthy life styles is introduced to them.
• The participants are carefully selected: they have to
be eager and daring. The programme is embedded in
their school curriculum, but they have to be prepared to
spend a lot of their spare time in attending the course
every Wednesday evening and Sunday.
• The participants received a professional training-onthe-job
in developing spatial plans by two professors of
the Technical University Delft.
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2. Key Outputs, Activities and
Achievements
Outputs
The students have succeeded in finding ways to
incorporate climate change in their spatial plans at
neighbourhood level. Not only themes like mitigation
and adaptation have been adopted and internalised, they
have also practised finding solutions for climate-proof
urban development in their designs and included the
relation between urban development and healthy
lifestyles. On top of that, some have even developed
designs which integrate multi-cultural themes .
The students gathered from October 2009 till the end
of June 2010 and participated in 21 workshops, 7
excursions, 4 debates and 2 master classes. They
attended 10 lectures, investigated the needs of the
neighbourhood and set up two exhibitions.
A booklet, seven films on the designs, and a film
recording the discussion between the students and the
responsible Amsterdam Alderman, publications in local
papers, presentations for a specialist audience of spatial
planners of the City of Amsterdam, participation in and
contributions to public debates, a mid-term and final
exhibition.
Some of the designs produced by the young people
during Healthy Climate WeZt
The outputs in numbers
40 participants in the programme
239 registered visitors to exhibitions and master classes
58,595 people reached through the websites
(Housing Association Far West , Creative Urbans,
New-West, Kennisdag Ruimtelijke Sector)
212,500 copies of publications for the general public
71,850 copies of publications for specialist audience
3. Objectives Addressed
Healthy Climate WeZt is a demonstration project, which
showcases the successful empowerment of young
people (Action 8) by challenging them to develop a
climate-proof urban area. At the same time the project
demonstrates approaches to developing climate-proof
and sustainable urban areas (Action 18).
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4. Results and Conclusions
Urban Development
The students have successfully incorporated interesting
and practical solutions for a climate-proof and
sustainable neighbourhood (action 18) - which should be
used everywhere- in their designs and plans. As such
Climate Healthy WeZt is not only a successful example
of empowerment (Action 8). The plans also include
solutions for economic and social revitalisation. The
following principles for implementation of climateproofing
urban development have been distilled from
the Healthy Climate WeZt designs.
Public Space
Public spaces should contribute to climate-proofing the
cities. Public places should showcase places for water
storage and running water, which will not only help to
cope with heavy rainfall but also lead to better cooling
and enhancing of urban areas. Renewable energy could
be produced in public spaces by integrating production
facilities for solar and hydro energy or biomass in the
design. Demonstrating the production of renewable
energy in public space will help to make renewable
energy mainstream as well.
Climate change should be taken into account in every
phase of urban development. The right orientation of
buildings and housing blocks for sun and wind is an
important condition for low-energy buildings and areas.
The design of buildings should optimise conditions for
the use of sunlight for lighting and heating and wind for
natural ventilation. Green roofs are effective in combating
the heat-island effect by their cooling effect, the handling
of grey water to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall and
producing food. Besides, it might be a breakthrough in
the improvement of biodiversity as well.
Production of renewable energy should be a feature in all
buildings, areas and cities. The students integrated solar
energy panels and windmills in their designs: the flower
building has solar panels in its petals for example.
By adding features which encourage to move and meet,
the students have created buildings which facilitate the
development of healthy lifestyles.
Examples of innovative climate-proof solutions in
architecture and spatial planning:
Low carbon and healthy lifestyles are an important
condition in climate-proofing cities. Low carbon lifestyles
should be promoted in public spaces by encouraging
and sometimes even forcing people to move. For that
reason, parking lots have been located at a distance from
housing blocks and cycling and walking routes have
been added to enrich public space. Public space,
whether on the ground, on roofs or inside buildings
should demonstrate urban horticulture and agriculture
at a large scale, not only to reduce food miles but to
promote low carbon lifestyles as well. Urban harvest
parties could be organised to stimulate social cohesion
and to improve the feeling of being more connected with
nature.
Sustainable public spaces should encourage and
facilitate the feeling of ownership by engaging users of
public space to keep it clean and take care of it. Aiming
at a sustainable mix by developing zones for different
age groups could prevent destruction.
• An energy-efficient centre for different religions: the
flower building with glass walls, solar energy and water
around it for cooling
• An energy-efficient glass building with a snakelike slide
to go down, and relax on, green roofs
• Climate-proof floating icicle houses
• The winning design, Cousmous, the name is a
combination of Moroccan couscous and Dutch
applesauce, applied the energy theme in different ways.
Bright colours were used to energize people, to make
them feel better and more eager to socialise, whereas
energy-efficient solutions, like the right orientation for sun
and wind were used to create a sustainable area.
• A community centre in trees with facilities for different
age groups.
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Sloterplas Natural Playground
1. Project Description
The ‘Western Garden Cities’ (Westelijke Tuinsteden) have
been built as the example of post war functionalist urban
extension. It was designed by the famous urban planner
Van Eesteren of the City of Amsterdam (1929 till 1959) ,
The plan was profoundly inspired by the De Stijl, the art
movement of the early twentieth century with Mondriaan
and Rietveld as its renowned representatives. The district
has a growing, multicultural population. Of the 133,000
residents over half are minority groups. The annual family
income is 15-20% below the Dutch average. Almost a
quarter of the families earn the minimum wage and a
relatively high number of households are on welfare.
There are persistent social problems, unhealthy lifestyles
and out-dated, underused and polluted blue and green
spaces, such as the Sloterplas and Sloterpark. This is
partly due to the fact that the water in the Sloterplas is
polluted by blue algae. This has destroyed the successful
city beach of the seventies and eighties. The area has a
lot of watch-green, with little attractions or places to
meet. According to the Amsterdam strategic vision 2040
“Economically strong and sustainable” Amsterdam is
determined to extend the economically successful city
centre towards its outskirts. To that end the Sloterpas
area is expected to become a metropolitan area
attracting local and Amsterdam citizens and businesses,
so a better mix of inhabitants.
Past attempts at developing the Sloterplas area as an
urban meeting place have failed. The development of the
natural playground by C-Change is the first major
attempt to upgrade the green space around the
Sloterplas. The playground is to enhance the famous
heritage of Van Eesteren and invite people to meet, enjoy,
teach and empower them to champion climate change
solutions. The playground should preferably attract about
30,000 visitors per year, thus becoming a true
metropolitan urban space. A careful process to engage
the residents has been the strategic key to the success
of this project.
Participation and co-creation
The design of the natural playground was developed in a
co-creation process with children, parents, residents,
stakeholders, professionals and politicians. The
participation process aimed at engaging the residents of
the area, especially the hard-to-reach groups: children
and parents in the area with diverse cultural
backgrounds. At the same time the climate-change
theme was introduced to them. By means of streetinterviews
twenty-five residents were asked about their
ideas on the natural playground. They found it hard to
imagine such a place, which necessitated the
development of more creative approaches. A tinker
afternoon with children was organised at the yearly
neighbourhood festival. There children could make their
own playgrounds of natural materials like twigs, moss
and cork. The children loved it and they created about 30
models of natural playgrounds. Via a junior creation team
the co-creation process was developed further with site
visits and an interactive afternoon with parents, experts
and politicians. The children presented their dream
playgrounds. Designing them with a senior creation team
was the next step. At first no representatives of the
Moroccan and Turkish mothers participated. Special
parent meetings at a school were organised to engage
the Moroccan and Turkish women. After that a
stakeholders’ meeting was organised. Although not
many stakeholders took part, it was a creative event and
yielded lots of ideas for the playground. During 6 months
a group of 15 children, aged 9 to 11 - the children’s
press agency - focused on the natural playground by
holding interviews with different stakeholders, such as
the playground’s landscape architect, the Alderman of
the city district and residents. This activity was
embedded in the curriculum of the primary schools in the
neighbourhood. Finally, the draft design of the
playground was discussed by a parent’s panel brought
together in one of the schools on afternoons for mothers,
and a wealth of ideas was delivered as input for the final
design.
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The Natural Playground materplan design
The participants of the co-creation process
expressed the following wishes incorporated in the
final design:
• A protected place for very young children and an
adventurous place for the “older” ones: a flower- and
herb garden for the young children and a wild nature
place for the bigger ones.
• Playing with the four seasons, different altitudes and
water
• Elements appealing to the senses
• Challenging and exciting playground equipment such
as a cableway, a look-out
• A marker for its entrance
• Supervision
• Lavatories
The final design
The final design of the natural playground was ready
December 14, 2010 and presented to the Council
Meeting New-West. The members of the Council Meeting
discussed whether they should confront children with
information on climate change. A majority agreed to do
so, thus championing climate change approaches. The
necessary additional budget for upkeep and a host
offering a variety of activities kept the discussion going
during four meetings of Council meetings. Since the
borough faces severe cutbacks in expenditure, the
Borough Council had to scrutinise every increase of its
budget. The participation process and co-funding by the
Interreg IV B project C-Change, protected the playground
from being dropped. Finally, the Council Meeting
approved the design in its meeting on March 2, 2011.
The natural playground is a demonstration model of
multifunctional green spaces leading to climate-proof
cities. Various functions are combined: it is a favourite
meeting place, challenge to move and play, education
on climate change, promotion of healthy lifestyles and
enhancement of the attractiveness of the area for the
right investors.
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Construction
After approval, specifications and conditions to be put up
to public tender were produced. Construction started on
September 19, 2011. At the end of April 2012 test playing
was started until the official opening, which is to take
place on July 11th.
In the playground natural materials have been used to
make children and their parents feel connected with
nature. The themes energy, water and biodiversity have
been elaborated in the final design and climate change
model-like examples showcased, such as
• A natural (helophyte) filter to clean the water will create
the enhancement of joy and room to play, and instruct on
climate change, so to tell part of the story about how the
water quality in the Sloterplas can become cleaner.
• A running water stream to turn the stationary water
nearby into running water and so a fascinating place to
play in or around.
• Soft borders along the stream to improve its selfcleaning
capacity
• Herb gardens and fruit trees like walnut and quince to
be planted
• Different ways of producing renewable energy: solar
and wind
• As part of the media campaign a marker is being
developed, which will also showcase biodiversity and
wind energy .
Storytelling
Digital storytelling on these themes has been developed
as well. It is a new application and interactive storytelling
on smartphones has thus become a reality . To use
a smartphone application seems appropriate because
over 90 % of the New-West inhabitants are expected to
have a smartphone in 2013. The concept of digital storytelling
was “borrowed” from the cultural heritage sector.
A visit to the Klima house in Bremerhafen, which was
organised by our Frankfurt partner, inspired the
development of a unique concept of story-telling on
climate change. Two stories have been developed first: a
fairy tale version for children under the age of six and an
interactive adventure version for children over six. It is a
flexible system and it will be easy to add new stories in
the future.
Communication
The communication plan for the playground was
developed in 2011. The campaign aims to brand it as a
special place where Amsterdam’s children and their
parents will like to go. The following starting points were
defined:
• Communication will start low profile and build up
towards the opening in July, 2012. Timing is important
and visitors will have to be attracted gradually with
activities to engage the neighbourhood first and get
people involved and feel responsible. The opening will be
the main event for the generation of free publicity.
• Target audience: residents of the city district (about.
110,000 residents) and all others in Amsterdam
• Different media will be used: printed, social media
(Facebook and Twitter), website, marker, information
signboards, film.
• A logo and last but not least the name De Natureluur
will be used in all the media.
• Activities will be organised: the first one was on the
national Tree Celebration Day, on which children form the
nearby school planted trees. An unexpected large
number of 300 visitors took part.
• Information signs and a marker are being have been
developed, as well as the plaque displaying the
INTERREG IVB logo.
2. Key Outputs, Activities and
Achievements
1. The design of the natural playground has been
successfully developed in co-creation with inhabitants
and stakeholders, the strategic key to success.
Hard-to-reach groups came on board because of
a flexible and creative approach.
2. The communication strategy was aimed at over
100,000 people. Use of social media was an essential
part of the strategy. The opening will be the main event
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One of a series of illustrations used in the digital storytelling
for the generating of free publicity. Activities will be
organised in the coming years.
3. The Edible Map New-West, to promote climate
neutral food-growing in the city as well as healthy lifestyles,
was published in March, creating quite a bit of
attention and media exposure.
4. The natural playground is a demonstration model of
multifunctional green spaces leading to climate-proof
cities. Different functions are being combined: It is a
meeting place, which challenges to move about and
play, educates on climate-change, promotes healthy
lifestyles and produces renewable energy.
The outputs in terms of engagement with climate change
(Action 8 and Investment 1) are according to the
application. The output in numbers sometimes exceeds
expectations, though it is not always possible to get the
European Union and Interreg IV NWE Programme
mentioned in press articles.
• A website, facebook page, a film and a twitter account
have all been developed for the Natural Playground.
• Edible map New-West
• Articles ( 166,000 copies) in Parool, Westerpost,
Newsletter New-West
• Websites ( 204,000 visitors per year): Farming the City,
New-West
• Presentations at expert meetings: Network Urban
Farming, Youth Food Movement Amsterdam, City of
Almere, Farming the City, Borough of Amsterdam East,
Almere, students.
• The Council meeting of the city district New-West has
approved a budget for continuing activities.
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Digital storytelling in action
3. Objectives Addressed
Action 8: Community engagement
1. The design of the natural playground was developed
in a co-creation process introducing the theme of climate
change , informing its participants on these issue.
2. Interactive digital story-telling was developed to
educate and empower people on climate change.
3. The communication strategy targeted over 110,000
people. An on-going programme of educational and
cultural activities, addressing climate change and
healthy and low carbon life-styles will be continued in
the years to come.
4. The Edible Map New-West was published to promote
climate neutral food-growing in the city and healthy, low
carbon life-styles .
Investment 1: Sloterplas Sustainable Urban Meeting
place
The natural playground is a demonstration model of a
Sustainable Urban Meeting Place leading to climateproof
cities. Different functions are combined: a favourite
meeting place to build a stronger community, which
challenges children to move about and play, educates
on and showcases climate change in a practical way,
promotes healthy life-styles and enhances the
attractiveness of the area for the right investors.
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Amsterdam Climate Proof Spatial
Planning
Economically Strong and
Sustainable
The Strategic vision “Economically
strong and sustainable” has been
approved by the Amsterdam
Council Meeting in 2011. It is the
first time that climate change is
incorporated as a cross -cutting
theme. The targets are ambitious
and solutions have to be found
by developing demonstration
projects.
CO 2 reduction: 40 % in 2025 and
75 % in 2040 (reference date 1990)
The strategic vision creates conditions for the
implementation
of the CO 2 reduction policy, by formulating both aims
and ways of realisation:
• Reduction of energy demand by transforming the built
environment (energy-efficiency, and renewable energy in
existing buildings; from 2015 onward development of
climate neutral buildings only; behavioural change of
inhabitants and industry)
• Production of more renewable energy: 25 % and 50 %
of consumption in 2025 and 2040 (wind, solar, heat and
cold storage, green district-heating)
• Improving the efficiency of the use of fossil fuels by
extending district-heating and ‘greening’ transport
Urban Greenspace and Biodiversity
For the first time urban green is a very important issue in
the strategic vision: Investments in parks in high density
areas.
• Optimisation of routes for cycling
• Promotion of green roofs and green facades in new
and existing areas
• Realization of ecological structure (in accordance with
recent ‘vision’ report)
• Master plan for each green/ blue wedge
• Optimisation of green in public
spaces
• Stimulation of urban sustainable
agriculture by improving sales
potential in the city
Water - flooding, drought,
shortage of drinking water, water
compensation bank
• Protection against flooding
Nieuw Amsterdam’s Peil:
Amsterdam has had a sophisticated
water management system for
more than
a century. Renowned experts are
convinced that Amsterdam’s water
management system is 100 years ahead of Venice and
Rotterdam. However, enhanced protection is necessary
by adapting its locks to the IJsselmeer, the sea barrage
at IJmuiden and the dykes along the northern part of
river Lek.
Additional disaster retention for flooding should be
created, probably in one of the nearby polders.
• Surface water
To encourage more self-regulation at district level
differentiation of areas with respect to (with or without)
fluctuations of water levels will be investigated.
• Underground water
A water compensation bank will be developed to
guarantee a balanced water level of underground water
to cope with drought. Model projects have been
developed in the main business area the Zuid-as and
Buiksloterham in Amsterdam North.
• Heavy rainfall
Green roofs and new design principles for public space
will be developed to cope with heavy rains. Part of the
solution will be to improve the possibilities for water
storage in public spaces.
• Drinking water
Shortages because of drought and salinization are
expected. The water management department will
develop a coherent vision with respect to these issues.
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Nieuw-West
The strategic vision provides the framework for the
development of residential, business and green/ blue
areas in Nieuw-West. Now the focus has to be on
implementation. Healthy Climate WeZt demonstrates the
successful empowerment of young people and illustrates
approaches to developing climate-proof areas.
A housing association is involved in the project and the
intention is to derive ideas for a regeneration project.
Due to the crisis the project has been put on-hold.
The ‘Natural playground’ project demonstrates how
the underused green spaces can be developed into true
multifunctional urban areas, where people meet and
learn about climate change, growing food and healthy
lifestyles. At the same time it contributes to diminish
pollution in the Sloterplas by showcasing how natural
cleaning of water by a helophyte filter, soft borders and
more responsibility on the part of visitors. It will make
the place more attractive both for businesses and new
urbanites.
The Amsterdam City Council approved the Economically
Strong and Sustainable Structural Vision: Amsterdam
2040 in 2011. It is the first strategic vision with ambitious
policies on CO2 reduction, sustainable development and
climate change. Via de C-Change project we have
learned how our fellow countries and cities define
policies and develop practical solutions to readdress and
mitigate the effects of climate change. In Amsterdam,
the focus will have to be on its implementation in the
coming years. This will be the case in most areas
involved with C-Change. At the same time the
economies are putting heavy strains on the available
budgets, also: economic revitalisation has become an
important theme.
The Amsterdam C-Change project is important for the
realization of a climate- proof Amsterdam, because
it does not only showcase solutions for the
implementation of climate-proof urban development at
a grass roots level, but it also demonstrates manners of
engaging people in different ways by means of relatively
cheap and flexible story-telling and co-creation. We have
learned from working transnationally. The C-Change
Expert Joint Planning Groups have demonstrated
different ways of engaging people with climate change
and incorporating climate change in policies and putting
it into practice through demonstration projects.
The majority of the C-Change partners have produced
a long-term spatial development strategy for climate –
proofing their cities, areas or country. In the years to
come the focus should be on the implementation of
these strategies.
Further exchange between the partners on the
practicalities of climate-neutral developments, for
example on sustainable built areas, on renewable energy,
on smart grids and monitoring, can facilitate the
transformation to climate-proof cities and areas, make
the change easier and more successful.
The Creative Urbans
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