Dordrecht Spring School: pilot projects on climate adaptation

31 May 2018 - Published by Ellen Kelder

This week the 'Dordrecht Spring School' has started. It is a pilot school on climate adaptation in the week from May 28 up to and including June 1. Experts, students, policymakers and stakeholders of public and private partners gather at the SpuiLAB210 in Dordrecht, The Netherlands to enhance pilot projects tackling the consequences of climate change.

The pilot projects - aimed at converting Dordrecht into a bluegreen, climate resilient city - have been developed by the Municipality of Dordrecht, water authority waterschap Hollandse Delta and the province of South-Holland. The pilots cover a wide range of aspects related to bluegreen projects. Therefore, they vary in size, status, theme and stakeholders. They all have high potential for follow-up, and are the frontrunners of a largescale, integral approach in the future. The three projects are 'Waterkraan' (Water Tap), 'Wantij Zone XL' and the BEGIN pilot project 'Vogelbuurt'.

Pilot projects

The main theme of 'Water Tap' is water quality. In addition, it focuses on green infrastructure, recreation and sports. Water authority Hollandse Delta is the lead partner of the project. Felixx landscape architects coach the pilot team. The Municipality of Dordrecht is the lead partner of the pilot 'Wantij Zone XL'. Urban planner Loes Verhaart coaches this pilot team. Main theme is the synergy between living environments and nature, including ecologie, living, working and industrial activities. The Municipality of Dordrecht is also the lead partner of the third pilot project 'Vogelbuurt', which is an Interreg BEGIN pilot project. The pilot team is coached by civil servants of the municipality, and employees of housing corporation Woonbron, the Sports Council, and the Vogelnest. Main theme is area development and climate adaptation as 'superchargers' for revitalization and social economical development of the neighbourhood.

Pilot teams

The participants of the Dordrecht Spring School develop strategies and designs. They elaborate ecological principles, investigate financial and legal frameworks or determine specific climate adaptive measures. They are a diverse group consisting of students water management, engineering, environmental management, communication, and landscape architecture. The students are from the Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Highschool Rotterdam, Technical University Delft, The Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design. On Friday the pilot teams present their results.

Narrative for Vogelbuurt

One of the workshops of the Dordrecht Spring School is dedicated to formulating narratives for the BEGIN pilot project Vogelbuurt.