Selwerd – the Green Stamp

Investing in greenery and the public space pays for itself in the long term: trees capture fine particles and reduce health expenditure, there is less need to pump water away, and the value of property rises because the surroundings have become more attractive. But we have to start right away and get down to work. When it comes to dealing with climate adaptation, a lot can be gained from urban renewal.

The challenge to designing a pleasant and attractive urban climate lies in combining the soft aspects of nature with the hard wishes and demands of the city. That calls for a different approach to public space than has been the practice to date and a new design perspective. The solutions for the climate challenge lie, among others, in creating a good public space that is soft and green: people can use it, there are trees that can grow old in good health and afford shade and cool, and the soil is in good shape and can also handle a sudden downfall in the summer. At the same time that offers big opportunities to enhance biodiversity and improve the health of the city residents. Because that greenery is attractive and can also provide a good location for people to meet one another, investing in climate adaptation can also have social advantages.

A postwar reconstruction district like Selwerd – and that applies to more districts like this one – looks green, but can be made a lot greener. The existing greenery is fragmented, not very diverse, is not inviting and is poorly connected with the greenery in the surroundings. The district has large hardened surfaces, street life is dominated by cars, and hard edges close the district off from its surroundings. Our recommendation ‘Selwerd, the green stamp’, shows how a stamp district like Selwerd can adapt to the changing climate.

We recommend deploying the strength of nature for a healthy social environment. Wadis and porous ground can easily absorb sudden downpours, extra trees provide shade, filter the air and capture CO2. Create connected, qualitative recreational greenery and invite people to enjoy the outdoor space. Selwerd is now perfect for the driver who goes to work every day: wide straight roads, with plenty of parking space. So design for the slow user: children playing, students on their bikes, the elderly out for a stroll.

Whichever climate measures are chosen, always aim at breaking straight roads, banishing cars from the public space, connecting greenery, and linking the district with its surroundings.