Human Well-being and Ecological Potential for Public Space in dense Urban Environments

Abstract

Urban environments in the Netherlands are under a lot of pressure. Deca
des of urbanization, emitting greenhouse gasses and diminishing ecology
have created far going consequences for our living environments. Cities
are experiencing increasing heatwaves, heavier and more frequent rain
fall, social problems are getting more and more severe, and congestion
is causing much needed space to be taken to widen roads mostly for
individual car users. 
This research gives an insight in a new potential way of designing our
public space that prioritizes sustainable mobility and frees up space for
climate and ecological interventions. The research includes a design for
Delfshaven, one of the densest neighbourhoods of the Netherlands. The
design integrates ecological, mobility, social and climate adaptive so
lutions that benefit both the natural world as well as the human world
significantly. The project achieves un-paving around 45% of public space
and creating a continuous network of walkable natural spaces. Special
attention is paid to kids, aiming to rejuvenate the idea of kids playing out
side and developing important social skills at a young age. The nature-in
clusive design has the potential to increase physical- and mental health
of all residents significantly. This does not only benefit us directly but can
theoretically reduce healthcare costs and earn back funds needed for
the transformation. Timeframes and limitations are included to create a
comprehensive vision for the future. Overall, the project gives a full image
of what the future of Dutch cities could look like and how we can benefit
from this change.