Last updated: November 2021
In the new district ‘Kop Zuidas’, water green strip is created along the sidewalk in which stormwater is temporarily stored by means of high-grade vegetation and a drainage system. The stormwater slowly infiltrates into the soil and only reaches the sewage system in case of extremely heavy rainfall. It is a pilot project for stormwater retention and will be upscaled throughout Amsterdam when successful. (1,2)
Water Decelerating Green Strip Infographic (2016)
Eline Oort (Municipality of Amsterdam), retrieved 08/18/2018 from Jouke Eppenga
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green areas for water management
- Swales and filter strips
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Project objectives
1. Relieve the rainwater sewer and protect the area from flooding in case of heavy rainfall (1,2,3)
2. Discharging the sewage system in case of heavy rainfall and thereby increasing the city's 'sponge capacity' contributing to Amsterdam's enhanced climate change resilience. (2)
3. Reduce the heat with the help of the planted vegetation (2)
4. Improve the aesthetic value of the area for citizens: the inhabitants of Kop Zuidas will have 'green entrances', with diverse vegetation. Also, it adds to green public space which improves the quality of life of citizens. (1,2)
5. Accumulate knowledge about innovative rainwater retention solutions: it is a pilot project and the effectiveness will be monitored in order to improve and upscale the intervention throughout the city. (1,2,5)
Implementation activities
- Creation of a 3 m widegreen strip along the street that is about 35 centimeters lower than the surrounding area with several layers including a water buffer on the bottom that can store water, different layers of soil and water absorbing vegetation layer with an overflow to the rainwater sewer (1,2)
- Plantation of 'high grade' and 'rainproof' vegetation in green strip that will also have a high aesthetic value (1,2)
- Building of kerb stones with gates that allow street water to flow into green strip but keeping rain waste on the street (2,3)
- Installation of rain pipes that allow storm water from roofs of buildings to flow into the green strip (2,3)
- Creation a green-blue rainwater retention system in urban area to reduce pressure on central sewage system in case of heavy rainfalls (1,2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was initiated by the municipality of Amsterdam (Dienst Zuidas and Stadsdeel Zuid) and Waternet (water company) (1,2) From the beginning of the planning stage other stakeholders were also involved including the Zuidas district, the management departments of the municipality and Waternet, the cable and pipeline companies, the project developers and the future residents of the Kop Zuidas neighbourhood. The implementation and maintenance of the NBS is a joint collaboration between the municipality of Amsterdam in colland Waternet (1,2,3)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The intervention was partly a reaction to the 'Visie Zuidas' (Vision Zuidas) of the municipality of Amsterdam, which is the urban planning guidance aiming at building up the climate resilience of this area, specifically focusing on storm water retention (4))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
1. Amsterdam Rainproof. (2016). Watervertragende groenstrook Kop Zuidas. Accessed on November 4, 2020, Source link
2. Amsterdam Rainproof. (2016). Groen en droog in Zuidas. Accessed on November 4, 2020, Source link
3. Waternet. (2016). Eerste watervertragende groenstrook is een feit. Accessed on November 4, 2020, Source link
4. Gemeente Amsterdam. (2016). Visie Zuidas. Amsterdam: Municipality of Amsterdam. Website not available
5. Gemeente Amsterdam (2017). Kop Zuidas: samen tot een fijne buurt. Amsterdam: Municipality of Amsterdam Website not available
2. Amsterdam Rainproof. (2016). Groen en droog in Zuidas. Accessed on November 4, 2020, Source link
3. Waternet. (2016). Eerste watervertragende groenstrook is een feit. Accessed on November 4, 2020, Source link
4. Gemeente Amsterdam. (2016). Visie Zuidas. Amsterdam: Municipality of Amsterdam. Website not available
5. Gemeente Amsterdam (2017). Kop Zuidas: samen tot een fijne buurt. Amsterdam: Municipality of Amsterdam Website not available
Source: https://www.rainproof.nl/watervertragende-groenstrook-kop-zuidas
Source: https://www.rainproof.nl/watervertragende-groenstrook-kop-zuidas
Source: https://www.rainproof.nl/watervertragende-groenstrook-kop-zuidas
Source: https://www.rainproof.nl/watervertragende-groenstrook-kop-zuidas
Source: https://www.rainproof.nl/watervertragende-groenstrook-kop-zuidas