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Green Infrastructure in the Netherlands: a policy-maker's perspective

I was asked to reflect on the ESPON Policy Brief ‘Green Infrastructure in Urban Areas’ from the point of view of a policy-maker in the Netherlands. The thing that immediately struck me is the sentence: ‘In terms of the distribution of values, there is a concentration of core cities with lower shares of green (and blue) urban areas in a corridor from the UK, over the Benelux countries, to Germany and the northeastern part of Europe (Poland and the Baltic countries).’

Based on this research, it seems that we, as policy-makers in the Netherlands, need to step up action to create green and blue spaces in urban areas. But, for me, this research contradicts what I see as the reality in the Netherlands. The thing I love most about living in the Netherlands, besides the fact that the bike is such an important mode of transport, is the fact that, by bike, no matter where you live, in about a quarter of an hour you are in a green area.

Polycentricity and concentration have been core principles of Dutch spatial planning for decades. We have buffer zones to separate cities from each other, a three-step system ( ) for sustainable urbanisation and a vast green agricultural area, the ‘green heart’, within our most densely populated area. This type of planning has led to the aforementioned benefit of being close to green space wherever you live, and also to less sprawl.

But does this automatically entail the non-sustainable urbanisation of core cities as defined within the ESPON ESPON GRETA (Green Infrastructure: Enhancing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Territorial Development) project? Maybe it is not that black and white. The book Amsterdam Urban Jungle – Unseen Nature (Lemmens et al., 2017) highlights the amount of wildlife that can be found in the city of Amsterdam, a city that has, by the way, a dedicated tree specialist. I became aware of the importance of trees while working as alias programme manager for the incentive programme for spatial adaptation within the Dutch delta programme.

"New locations for housing and employment are above all needed in our cities and urban areas, preferably within existing city boundaries, so that open spaces are retained between the various urban centres "

Different tree species are effective in different ways. Some are better at cooling, some are better at absorbing peak rainfall, etc. There are a lot of private initiatives such as Operatie Steenbreek (meaning ‘operation breaking the stones’), an initiative supporting municipalities, provinces and water boards to make the living environment greener. In other words, it supports the replacement of unnecessary pavement in private and public spaces with a diversity of greenery with the indispensable help of residents and businesses.

Municipalities determine their approach together with residents, local businesses and organisations, for example sport and student associations and housing companies.

In the same period, I also became familiar with the added value of green–blue networks, for instance for the prevention of heat island effects and pluvial flooding, and for improving the health and well-being of people living in the city. I can, therefore, say, yes, there is still a lot that can be done, but also that much is already being done to create more green and blue spaces in the (inner) cities. Most importantly, efforts to create more green and blue spaces are part of an integral approach within (spatial planning) programmes that are already mainstreamed such as the delta programme. This approach involves cooperation between different layers of government and other parties such as housing agencies, water boards and (local) businesses. This multilevel governance and multi-stakeholder approach and involvement contribute enormously to the effectiveness of the different actions related to climate adaptation.

At the moment, the Dutch government is working on national strategy on spatial planning and the environment (NOVI), which will provide a long-term vision and sustainable perspective to our living environment that comprises both the built and the natural environment. Ensuring strong and healthy cities and regions is one of the four priorities of NOVI. New locations for housing and employment are above all needed in our cities and urban areas, preferably within existing city boundaries, so that open spaces are retained between the various urban centres. We aim to ensure that the quality and security of the living environment keep improving.

Our cities are shifting towards an active and sustainable mobility system that also creates green space in the cities. This means that, before new locations are selected for urbanisation, it must be clear what requirements need to be met in terms of the quality and safety of the living environment and what additional measures are needed when these locations are chosen. This will help guarantee the health of our cities and regions.

We will, however, not focus exclusively on growth. We also aim to strengthen vitality and quality of life in areas where population numbers are falling. A combined approach to creating green spaces in the city, trying to meet several goals – including those related to quality, economic value, health, climate adaptation, and opportunities to experience nature and biodiversity – is the path we want to take.

Instruments and tools that can help policy-makers make the right decisions are invaluable. For instance, the Climate Impact Atlas can help identify spots where green areas are most needed in terms of climate change. So, although I believe that we do face challenges, I am optimistic and believe that we can tackle them. for the challenge.

A tool within the Climate Impact Atlas is the TEEB City tool. TEEB – the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity – is a global initiative dating from 2007, facilitated by the United Nations.

The TEEB City tool provides insights into the value of greenery, in terms of not only economic value but also social values such as enjoyment of residence and health. The tool calculates values for several of the positive effects of the green and blue measures of a project. For example, how do green roofs contribute to energy saving? How does the construction of a park affect the real estate value of houses in that neighborhood? What effects does greenery have on air quality, rainwater storage in the soil and carbon dioxide sequestration in trees?

This article appears in Green infrastructure and reuse of spaces

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