Routepunt 8: Water in de stad - Routekaart Nieuw Delft
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Nieuw Delft is prepared for the changing climate. With space for water and greenery. Curious as to how?
The climate is changing. It is getting warmer, heavy rain showers and drought are becoming more frequent. How can we adapt cities to this? So it will still be nice to live in Delft in the future? Arjaan Hoogeboom, urban planner, explains how we do this in New Delft.
In the city, what do we notice about climate change?
"In the city, we are particularly affected. Houses, asphalt and concrete absorb more heat than greenery. Lots of stone also means: faster flooding. When it rains hard, large amounts of water wash into the sewers all at once. Water that is gone can no longer be used for greenery. As a result, we also suffer more drought in the city."
What can we do about it?
"We are adapting the layout...
The climate is changing. It is getting warmer, heavy rain showers and drought are becoming more frequent. How can we adapt cities to this? So it will still be nice to live in Delft in the future? Arjaan Hoogeboom, urban planner, explains how we do this in New Delft.
In the city, what do we notice about climate change?
"In the city, we are particularly affected. Houses, asphalt and concrete absorb more heat than greenery. Lots of stone also means: faster flooding. When it rains hard, large amounts of water wash into the sewers all at once. Water that is gone can no longer be used for greenery. As a result, we also suffer more drought in the city."
What can we do about it?
"We are adapting the layout of the city to the changing climate. We call this climate adaptation. And because we are making a new piece of city in New Delft, we have a great opportunity to experiment with it and do it as well as possible."
How exactly does that work?
"We are trying to set up 'the city as a sponge'. The principle is actually very simple: you add more greenery and less paving. Small showers are then collected in the environment. The greenery can use the water again in times of drought. And during heavy showers, you have less pressure on the sewer system, because water is also collected and seeps away via the soil. At the same time, you cannot do without stone altogether. You also need pavements, cycle paths and buildings in the city. That's why we have to come up with creative solutions."
What kind of solutions are there?
"On the Industriestraat you can see this very well. For the footpath here we are trying something new: the ZOAK tile. These are bricks with a ceramic top layer. Through tiny holes, rainwater can easily seep into the soil. Along the street, green zones and rows of trees have been created as a kind of wadi. Did you know that one tree provides as much cooling as eight air conditioners? For the car parks, we use grass clinkers with special soil underneath. Sturdy enough to park your car on, but the holes allow rainwater to run off and grass to grow. The result: a fresh, green car park."
What about in the rest of New Delft?
"There, too, we are paying a lot of attention to climate adaptation. In New Delft, for instance, we have two hectares of surface water - in the form of the Nieuwe Gracht canal and the water in the Coendersbuurt neighbourhood. This is not only cooling. It also ensures that we keep our feet dry in New Delft. We are creating new green space, such as park Spoorloos, the Van Leeuwenhoekpark and Tuin van Delft. And we also ask developers to do their bit. For instance, they create buildings with green roofs, facades and gardens. Like down here, at PoortMeesters."
What are you most proud of?
"In New Delft, three beautiful neighbourhoods are being built. With not only houses: there are already restaurants, GPs, physiotherapists, schools, shops and offices. That variety really makes it a lively, attractive part of town, where everyone
