One of the objectives of the National Environmental Vision (NOVI) is that the Netherlands must be circular by 2050. There is much focus on buildings, while the opportunities in the public space are underexposed in current plans. Therefore, in cooperation with the municipality of Leiden, W/E consultants, Superuse Studios and Other Spheres, we mapped out how circularity can be put central in the design of public space. The focus of this research, which was made possible by the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, is on post-war neighborhoods. Download the research.
A large part of the ecological footprint of municipalities is caused by the design and construction of public space. In addition, public space is the place that offers coupling opportunities for tackling circularity and other sustainability themes. Therefore, we investigated how the steps of a circular process can contribute to larger transitions in public space, such as CO2 reduction, climate adaptivity, water nuisance and heat stress.
Post-war neighborhoods
Post-war neighborhoods were built at a rapid pace with practical application as the starting point. These neighborhoods therefore have a large amount of surfacing, often consisting of materials such as asphalt and concrete that have a large environmental impact. However, we should not regard these locations as places with a high environmental impact, but rather as rich sources of material.
To paint a good picture of public space in postwar neighborhoods, a palette of five public space typologies, common in the Netherlands, was chosen. Currently, these are often functionally designed with a lot of space taken up by paving and cars (storage and use). These are the public spaces where sewer replacement will be needed in the coming decades, offering the opportunity for future-proof redesigns with more attention to biodiversity, energy transition, circularity and mobility transition. This will create a more attractive and better living environment.
Circularity is never standalone transition
A shift from linear to circular processes is an important prerequisite for reducing the impact of climate change. Some steps require complex system changes to be implemented. The only way to make a real impact is to integrate the transitions below while designing for a circular public space. All these transitions will have an impact on the daily lives of residents. A cultural mind shift is therefore also required among both residents and politicians in order to provide space for the transitions. Participation, inclusiveness, and education are important elements in this. The annexes in the report explain all these transitions in more detail.