In the context of climate change mitigation strategies in urban environments and reducing reliance on carbon-based energy sources, the Netherlands is gradually taking steps towards modification of its thermal energy system. Geothermal energy, widely used in agriculture, has recently emerged as a local, clean, and sustainable energy source able to fulfil the residential demand for space heating and has received growing attention in district energy planning. However, failed attempts in the past and the lack of experience with direct application of this technology in district heating systems has increased uncertainty with respect to the technical, spatial, and socioeconomic barriers to be overcome between supply and demand. This calls for the application of decision support tools in order to remove these barriers and facilitate more appropriate decision making towards the implementation of smart thermal energy grids in local energy communities. This research explores how the network of actors, those who see opportunities in direct use of geothermal energy in the Netherlands, can work on the transformation of the current centralised carbon-based energy systems towards local sustainable energy communities.@en

By jointly approaching the challenges we face – such as ongoing urbanization, climate change, energy transition and the introduction of new mobility such as automated and electric vehicles – urban areas can be made more resilient. The subsurface of the city can play a central role in this, for instance by using space made available by a different use of infrastructure for the ecological and functional improvement of the city. In order to combine ecosystem services, climate and urban systems in a single design that accounts for the dynamics of the subsurface, it must be seen as an integral element of spatial planning and design. Based on this idea this exploratory research was done into the effect of ‘soil first’ on three urban typologies. What is the design potential of these typologies, assuming a circular construction of the public space and a healthy soil? The result is a six step approach in which the city can become more healthy is regard to global challenges and respecting the soil as main carrier. @en