Green climate adaptive urban development standard

Related theme: Transition Strategies for a Future-proof Living Environment 

The changing climate is having a noticeable impact. Our cities and villages are having to cope with more extreme weather conditions. If we want to keep our feet dry during extreme rainfall and our heads cool during heatwaves, we need to adapt our living and working environment.  
Three ministries in the Netherlands initiated the development of a nationwide standard for climate adaptive spatial planning. TAUW was the leading consultant and cooperated with Arcadis in developing this standard. 

Challenge

A national standard with room for regional diversity
The ministries asked us to develop a standard for green climate adaptive construction. That meant taking into account widely differing factors. Spatial planning of cities, towns and villages calls for different approach given the building density. And we needed to consider water and soil factors such as whether the location is below or above sea level, the types of soil, etc. 

Solution

Strategic stakeholder involvement and building on regional examples 
We designed the national standard based on agreements, policies and experiences with green climate adaptive urban developments across the country. Local governments of several provinces as well as consultancy firms and project developers worked together on these regional policy documents.  

During the process of developing the standard we identified the themes that are important to green climate adaptation, set up rules and guidelines to achieve that and by which to measure them. The standard contains guidelines to address issues such as pluvial flooding, drought, heat, biodiversity, soil subsidence and flood impact reduction. It sets general guidelines and norms to restrict soil hardening and add shade and cool areas; it offers norms for residual settlement of soil and sets a percentage for green and biodiverse designs.

These guidelines are not written in stone but can be adapted to the specific location and design. 

Impact

Applying the standard in practice
The standard is a helpful and necessary tool for climate adaptive construction, which local governments, project developers and construction companies can use and adapt to account for regional differences.  

After conducting an analysis of the location, the water levels, ecosystem and soil type in each project, the standard can be used to assess which themes are relevant and to select the corresponding guidelines and norms to create a climate adaptive design. In the spatial planning of a residential area in a brook valley location for example, the flood norms and water levels of the standard can help determine the construction height. Including wadis and green gardens in the design to comply with the standard will ensure sufficient water storage areas during extreme rainfall and soil infiltration in dry periods. The area along the brook can be developed with plants, play areas and trees space for biodiversity as specified by the standard. 

Partnership

Open cooperation towards a standard supported by stakeholders 
Project leader Leon Valkenburg is very happy and proud that the Maatlat is now in place and ready for use and the House of Representatives was informed.

Leon says “I found it a challenging but exciting assignment as a project leader. With a strong and flexible team from Arcadis and TAUW Netherlands and open collaboration with the Ministries of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the others who thought and worked with us, we were able to firmly establish the ‘Climate standard’! Now we can build and design green, climate-adaptive cities and villages in every project!”