Utrecht, Netherlands
City population: 315851
Duration: 2011 – unknown
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 80000 m2
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

The Willem Alexander Park is the first roof park of Utrecht and is built on a highway tunnel (the A2 highway) and includes meeting areas, sports and activities and a community garden that contributes to social cohesion. It also allows for cultural development by creating spaces for art and culture and includes a sustainable drainage system (ref. 1, 2). In addition, the Willem Alexanderpark is the first park in which almost two hectares consists of prairie plantings (ref. 2). The park is intersected by the roads between the City road and Leeuwenstein-North. Each segment between the roads has its own thematic program, appropriate to the size and location in the urban context. The themes are: – connect & meet – art & culture – sports & games – nature & education – food & drinks (ref. 4)

Willem Alexander Park
Willem Alexander Park
Source: Ref. 4

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Green areas for water management
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

The main goals of the park are to promote social cohesion and to create a connecting ecological green zone (ref. 2) Social cohesion is promoted by meeting spots and a community garden with fruit trees (ref. 2) Biodiversity: the vegetation provides habitat for varies species including butterflies, bees and birds and by connecting the green zone to other green zones in the city, the mobility of species is supported (ref. 2) Pollination: habitat for bees is provided (ref. 2) Aesthetic appreciation and inspiration of art (ref. 1, 2) Recreation: the park allows for activities such as fruit picking, playing and resting (ref. 2)

Implementation activities

Meeting areas which allows citizens to communicate Spaces that allow for cultural development Habitat for butterflies, bees and birds that allow for biodiversity and pollination Sustainable drainage system that provides water to the park, which includes sand channels and water storing elements in the soil (ref. 2)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-management/Joint management

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Not available in the resources

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Green Structure Plan (Groenstructuurplan) of 2007, the park is one of the dedicated green zones within this plan [2,3])

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Improved protection against strong wind
  • Improved soil quality
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Enhanced support of pollination

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased access to healthy/affordable food
  • Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Gemeente Utrecht. (n.d.). Willem-Alexanderpark. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 28 July 2020)
2. Gemeente Utrecht. (2014). Beheerplan Willem Alexanderpark. Utrecht: Municipality of Utrecht. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Accessed 28 July 2020)
3. Gemeente Utrecht (2007). Groenstructuurplan Utrecht. Utrecht: Municipality of Utrecht. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Accessed 28 July 2020)
4. Willian Alexander Park. (2010-2012). DS. Available at: Source link (Accessed 28 July 2020)
5. World Landscape Architect (2015) Willem Alexander Park | Utrecht, The Netherlands | Team DS. Avaialble at: Source link (Accessed 30 November 2020)
Willem Alexander Park
Willem Alexander Park
Source: Ref. 4
Willem Alexander Park
Willem Alexander Park
Source: Ref. 4
Willem Alexander Park
Willem Alexander Park
Source: Ref. 4