Project Future Cities - International Decentralised Cooperation

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L a u r a

S e r r a

1 0 4 1 3 0 7

2

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M u n i c i p a l i t y o f N

i j m e g e n

Nijmegen, a future city in The Netherlands

Faculty of political sciences

International Decentralised Cooperation

Docente: Valmorbida Antonella

Semester 2, 2012



Abstract.

The aim of the project was to choose an activity of decentralised cooperation. Therefore this project

will be focused on the European Interreg IVB- project ‘Future Cities’.

Future cities is a European collaborative project in which structural solutions are sought for the

overheating and flooding in the cities through the deployment of green, water and alternative energy

sources.



Table of Contents

Abstract. .................................................................................................................................................. 1

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

2. The municipality .............................................................................................................................. 4

3. Multilevel Governance .................................................................................................................... 5

4. Project Future Cities ........................................................................................................................ 6

4.1 Origin of Cooperation ............................................................................................................. 7

4.2 Description of the Actors......................................................................................................... 9

4.3 Motivation and Development ................................................................................................ 11

4.4 Content of the project ............................................................................................................ 12

4.5 Successes in Nijmegen .......................................................................................................... 15

4.6 Future – Assesment ............................................................................................................... 17

5. References ..................................................................................................................................... 18

6. Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 19



1. Introduction

Climate change in Europe and the Netherlands in particular, may have different consequences.

Summers become warmer and drier with more and longer heat waves, rainfalls become more extreme

and will persist longer. The effects of global warming are first tangible in the cities because there is

where the so called Urban Heat Island effect occurs. Compact and densely built cities are one of the

causes of this phenomenon. By day, cities absorb a lot of heat, but lose it inadequate. The temperature

at night, for example, can be five to ten degrees higher than its surroundings. The mild winters of

recent years have already led to a shift in energy from winter to summer by the increase of all

equipment for cooling. Furthermore, the effect leads to an increase in health problems such as

dehydration, exhaustion, concentration and breathing problems, sleep problems and allergies.

However, this effect can be counteracted. Green, such as trees and green roofs can help in mitigate the

heat absorbing.

An initiative is the European Interreg IVB- project ‘Future Cities’. The municipality of Nijmegen

decided to collaborate with 7 partners from 5 countries. The objective of the Future Cities project is

making city regions in Northwest Europe fit to cope with the predicted climate change impacts by a

proactive transformation of urban structures. The partners will develop together solutions how cities

can prepare themselves for the consequences of climate change. Criteria and procedures will be

developed to support decisions for sustainable urban development in which they lay emphasis on the

combined and effective use of green, water and urban morphology to reduce the effects of climate

change. In addition, the project also looks at the use of renewable energy, such as reducing the

emission of heat and carbon dioxide.



2. The municipality

Country. The Netherlands

Province. Gelderland

Municipality. Nijmegen

Population. 164,540

Area. 5778 km2

Alderman, Jan van der Meer:

" Green does not just look pretty,

i t makes our people health ier. "

Nijmegen is a city that is situated on the banks of the Waal, a branch of the Rhine in the region of the

‘Great Rivers’, and near to the border of Germany.

Nijmegen is the oldest city of the Netherlands. It celebrated its 2000th

anniversary in 2005. The name

is from origin Roman 'Noviomagus' meaning 'new market'. Apart from the history that Nijmegen has,

there are also other aspects that makes the city attractive; historic monuments, shops, panoramas and

so forth.

In addition, Nijmegen is also known for its green appearance and environment. Being a green city is

an important aspect for the municipality of Nijmegen. Nijmegen is a city where people live, work, go

to college and spend leisure time. Therefore, for them, as a municipality green plays a big role in

being an attractive and livable city for the citizens.

The municipality divided the policy of green into three documents. The manual urban trees and two

projects the ‘Green Allure Inner City’ (Groene Allure Binnenstad) and the green project ‘De Groene

Draad’. In the manual urban trees is written how the city treats the trees in the city. Furthermore, the

“Green Allure Inner City” is an interesting project that the municipality of Nijmegen started in 2007.

This project is an idea book with various possibilities and suggestions of how the center of Nijmegen

can add green in an innovative way. Examples are green roofs, walls and squares. Another project of

the municipality is the green project. This is a continuation of the green structure plan 'Nijmegen rijk

aan groen’ (Nijmegen rich in green) which dates from 1995. This plan shows how the municipality

wants to develop the coming years green in and around the city. 1

______________________________________________________________________

1 http://www.nijmegen.nl / accessed on 20.05. 2012.



3. Multilevel Governance

The activities of the municipality of Nijmegen in the field of sustainability (climate, green,

energy, air) are inspired mostly by its involvement at the regional level, The Arnhem Nijmegen

City Region. The City region consists of twenty municipalities, and forms one government together.

Furthermore is the city region one of the most urbanized regions in the Netherlands. The region has

about 740,000 inhabitants on an area of over 1,000 square kilometers. The mission of the region is to

work on an attractive, well-connected and internationally competitive region for their inhabitants,

companies and visitors. Through the implementation of concrete projects the region works on their

mission.

In addition, the municipality of Nijmegen signed in May 2009 for the participation of the Covenant of

Mayors. In this participation, their CO2 emission reduction target is 30%. With this target, they help

the European Union to meet and exceed the 20% CO2 reduction objective by 2020. At the moment, 18

municipalities of the Netherlands have signed so far.



4. Project Future Cities

The Interreg IVB-project "Future Cities - urban networks to face climate change" was launched 10

May 2007 and will end June 2013. The project is realized by 8 partners from 5 different countries. The

lead partner of the project is Lippeverband (Germany) who has joined forces to create the project,

other projects partners are the Nijmegen, Arnhem, Tiel (Netherlands), Emschergenossenschaft

(Germany), The Hastings Borough Council (United Kingdom), Rouen Seine Aménagement (France)

and West Vlaamse Intercommunale (Belgium).

The project in one phrase:

Future Cities is a European collaborative project in which structural solutions are sought for

overheating and waterlogging in cities, for example through the use of green, water, and alternative

energy sources and an appropriate design of the city.

The main aim is:

Making city regions fit to cope with predicted climate change impact. 2

___________________________________________________________________________

2 www.future-cities.eu accessed on 20.05. 2012.

http://www.future-cities.eu/






4.1 Origin of Cooperation

The request of the project Future Cities was approved within the transnational program North West

Europe in the summer of 2008. The Interreg IVB North West Europe programme aims to stimulate

transnational cooperation and strategic projects to tackle common challenges more efficiently by

cross-region collaboration. Furthermore, international cooperation is also cost effective by joint

deployment of expertise and information exchange.

The project ‘future cities’ is striving to develop and implement effective means for adapting the urban

environment.

The initiative to participate on the project came mainly from the Eureka program of the Arnhem

Nijmegen City Region. Three municipalities of the city region Nijmegem, Arhnem and Tiel participate

on the project. Eureka is an umbrella that concludes 5 programs in the field of green, air quality, air

quality management, cleaner and sustainable fuels and efficient transportation systems. Hence the

Eureka program the city region works to improve the urban air quality and combating climate change.

However, at the moment the program focuses on 3 topics; climate change, the energy issue and air

quality. In all of these topics the city region works closely with other parties such as, universities,

research institutes, NGO’s and public authorities on the local, regional, national and European level.

EU involvement

The project is co-funded by Interreg IVB. As I mentioned above the Interreg IVB North West EuropeProgramme aims to stimulate transnational cooperation and is a financial instrument of the European

Union's Cohesion Policy. Future Cities is linked to programme priority 2, sustainable management of

natural resources and of natural, in which it is focusing on two objectives. One aim is to promote an

innovative approach to risk management and prevention, in particular water management in the

context of climate change and the second one aims to promote a transnational and spatial approach to

improving the quality of soil, water and air, to minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and to reducing

noise pollution. However, the project refers also to two other objectives of priority 4, promoting strong

and wealthy communities at transnational level. The objectives of this priority on which the project is

focusing are, to promote transnational actions that will enhance the economic and social performance

of cities, towns and rural areas and to identify and develop collective actions that will improve the

environmental quality and attraction of towns and cities including the sustainable use of the cultural

heritage, tourism, the creative economy and sustainable and innovative energy practices.



Financing

The total budget of the project is €11.089.602. The European Union’s contribution is 50% and thus

5.544.801 euros. Furthermore, the municipality of Nijmegen invests a maximum amount of 700.000

euros.

SIC Adapt!

SIC Adapt is a cluster of strategic initiatives for climate change. Interreg projects with corresponding

themes organize themselves all together in Strategic Initiative Clusters (SIC). This is an important

trend within the Interreg IVB North West Europe Programme. With these clusters project better results

can be obtained, more synergies can be realized and policy advice can be stimulated.

In the first phase of this cluster, tools and measures will be identified for all projects through desk

research. The findings or this research will be contained in a manual and a catalogue of adaption

measures. In the second phase, policy recommendations will be elaborated. In this phase there is also a

Cluster Expert Board which consists of experts from each project, and those have has an important

role in the formulation of the results.

At the moment, three Strategic Initiative Clusters exists in the Interreg IVB North West Europe.

Within the SIC Adapt, eight projects are approved and has almost 100 project partners.



4.2 Description of the Actors

Germany. Lippeverband as Lead Partner

Lippeverband is a water board association that

was founded in 1926 and responsible for the

water management in the Lippe catchment, North

Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.

Lippeverband works together with

Emschergenossenschaft on an integrated

organizational structure.

Germany. Emschergenossenschaft in cooperation with Bottrop

Germany’s oldest and so the first water

management association. The association wasfounded on the 14th of December 1899 and

inspired a lot of water boards. The water board is

responsible for the Emscher catchment, North

Rhine-Westphalia in Germany

Bottrop is a city and municipality in west central

Germany, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, in North

Rhine-Westphalia with a population of 116.000

inhabitants.

Great Bri tain. Hastings Borough Council in cooperation with the former South East England RegionalAssembly and Sea Space

Hastings is a town and borough in the South East

of the United Kingdom with a population of

approximately 86.000 inhabitants. Furthermore is

it the second tier of local government.

The South East England Regional Assembly was

the regional assembly for the South East England

region of the United Kingdom. The assembly was

publicly funded, however it was not seen as a public authority and therefore it was dissolved in

2009.

Sea Space is a company that was set up in 2003

to help boost economy in Hastings and Bexhill.



France. Rouen Seine Aménagement in cooperation with Rouen

Rouen Seine Aménagement is agency that works

on product development and is composed of:

Local authorities: 1. Agglomération Rouen-

Elbeuf-Austreberthe (CREA), 2 . Département dela Seine Maritime, 3 . Ville de Rouen.

Public bodies and organisations: 4. Groupe

Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (C.D.C.),

5. Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de

Rouen (C.C.I.), 6. Comité Interprofessionnel du

Logement (C.I.L.).

Rouen is a municipality in the Haute Normandy

in France with an estimation population of

110.000 inhabitants.

Netherlands. Arnhem

Arnhem is another municipality located in the

province of Gelderland in the Netherland. The

city is situated between the nature reserve ‘ The

veluwe’ and the river Rhine.

Netherlands. Tiel

Tiel, is a smaller city and municipality in the

province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.

Belgium. West Vlaamse Intercommunale

The WVI stands for West-Flanders

Intermunicipal – service association. The

association is active in 54 municipalities and in 5

areas; economic development, development of

housing projects, project management and

consultation and studies in the field of spatial

planning and mobility and environment and

nature.



4.3 Motivation and Development

The Arnhem Nijmegen City Region wants to visualize the impacts of the climate change for the cities

in the region in order to protect themselves or/and guard against the impacts in the future.

In addition, the city region wants to join international/ national knowledge and experience, to extendit, and finally translate into practical and pragmatic applications.

Furthermore, within the Eureka programme, the impact of the climate change is set up in three ways,

Mitigation, Compensation and Adaption. Firstly, mitigation which means the reduction of greenhouse

gas emissions. Mitigation is a long term strategy and it will only be successful if other countries

participate. Secondly, compensation that is defined as further plantation of forests in order to try to

reduce the concentration of certain greenhouse gasses in the air. Thirdly adaption, it is seen as the most

important strategy to prevent the climate change and can have directly effect. It is an important

strategy because it is not sure that all climate change can be mitigated. The adaption strategy can be

seen as adjustments in the city to reduce its vulnerability for example to place green roofs, or walls.

Adaption is a reason for the municipality of Nijmegen to participate the project. The municipality can

realize the project the ‘Green Allure Inner City’. The municipality is mainly focused on the

stimulation of green roofs. The creation of green roofs has more than one advantage. For example, the

green roof retains water, this creates CO2 capture, crills captures down, this creates cooling and

insulation of buildings and provides a better environment on. In addition, more research can be done to

possibilities for more water in the city, less carbon dioxide emissions and energy efficiency.

Opportunities

Expanding their network (transnational cooperation; authorities, water boards, universities)

Expanding their knowledge which can also be used in projects in the future

The realization of the project the ‘Green Allure Inner City’

Engaging citizens and communities



4.4 Content of the project

The partners work together to tackle problems, find solutions to adjust structures of cities.

Future Cities uses strategies that has 3 major aspects

Deal with the key components, green, water and energy of the urban environment and their

combination

Use the potential of combining effects to improve economic efficiency

Focus on selected key components where the partners have specific expertise.

The combination of key components as green structures, water systems and energy efficiency, for a

pro-active transformation of urban structures.

The strategy of Future Cities tackles three problems of the climate change.

1. The increasing temperature in densely built cities Green Structures

2. The increasing runoff and flash flooding in wintersWater systems + Green Structure

3. The increasing temperature and drought in the summer Water systems

Structure

Project management. The project management is located at the Lead Partner and secures that all

actions, financial and project management, are carried out correctly.

Regional partners. The regional partners are responsible for: their activities, their reports to the

leadpartner, the results of work packages, common actions and their leadership in transnational

exchange of know-how.

Sub partners. The sub partner is responsible for the singular activities that are in the project.

Project steering group. In the project steering group is the central steering body in which collaborates

1 representative of every partner.

Scientific advisory tool. This is a body that provides scientific support and guidance on regional and

national policies.

Thematic work groups. These are groups that are related to one of the four working group that are

described below. Every working group/ package has 2 chairs from different countries.

Work packages

Future Cities comprises 4 work packages. Each of these packages each partner is tested and applied in

a concrete project. For the municipality of Nijmegen it is the project the ‘Green Allure Inner City’.



Each packet flows into a joint product that the 8 partners feed with their own experiences. The end

result should be useful for urban areas in other regions. The four packages are:

1. Guidelines for climate resilient cities

The partners will develop common guidelines on water, green, and energy, on the basis of everyone'sexperience. The municipality of Nijmegen develops an ambition to note to achieve a sustainable city

and will thus common feeding guidelines.

2. Action Plans

The project partners are developing action plans that are combing the four key components, thus green

structures, water systems, energy efficiency. Furthermore will be applied the guidelines from work

package 1 in action.

The action plans are systematically evaluated. The feasibility of the methodology is tested and

evaluated. This should lead to an improved method that is tested for the reality and can be spreadto other regions.

Furthermore adjustments of guidelines can be made after the feedback from the action plans. Also, by

the realization of the action plans each partner works closely with another partner to look over the

plans.

3. Implementation and presentation

Each partner applies the results of work package 1 and 2 (the guidelines and action plans), evaluates

them and presents the results to the other partners.

4. Raising awareness and communication

An important aspect of the project is to raise awareness of politicians, officials, architects, contractors

and other "influencers", but also of the population. Therefore a joint strategy is developed which not

only includes information and communication but also participation.

The actions of Nijmegen

Work package three is the implementation of the action plans, so basically the pilot projects.

Nijmegen uses the climate research that the municipality accomplished for the city region and

therefore started with implementing the green/blue measures.

Policy. Nijmegen is working out the water vision and the underground vision that will be used for the

structure of Nijmegen. For example, the water vision will improves the quality and quantity and with

the underground vision the situation of the underground of now and in the future will be visualized.

The idea book “Green allure inner City”. As a said before, the idea book gives various possibilities

and suggestions of how the center of Nijmegen can add green in an innovative way by using green

roofs etc. The municipality of Nijmegen is investigating what are possible locations in the city for

sustainability. Based on this research they will look at the feasibility on financial and technical

possibilities for this project(s). Together with the residential building cooperation these projects will

be implemented and monitored. These experiences will give new input in the climate research.Successes will be showed later in the project.



The Climate Campaign “Our Green Heart”. This campaign started in 2009 and ended in 2011. The

aim of the campaign was to stimulate the inhabitants to save energy. The objective was to save every

year 3 percent energy in the city. However, the campaign is still running but in another way. The SOM

(educational and environmental projects foundation) gave “Our Green Heart” a sustainable point. A

shop and consultation centre for energy efficient living.

The municipality brings under attention at the existing consultation desk of the shop the municipal

subsidies that inhabitants can use. Hence, the shop makes it easy for residents to achieve energy-

saving actions with assisting them in the grant application and they bring people in contact with

companies that can deliver materials or can help them in their action/project.



4.5 Successes in Nijmegen

Park Korenmarkt

The Korenmarkt was a parking location with one three, and this location is changed into a park. The

park is recently officially opened

on 5 April 2012 by the Alderman

Jan van der Meer.

The official opening with Jan van

der Meer.



Mobile Green – Waalkade

Vertical Green

Roof of the municipality of Nijmegen



4.6 Future – Assesment

The Project Future Cities shows already diverse results that partners achieved. The main results of the

participation of the municipality of Nijmegen includes the idea book “Green allure inner City” in

which several ideas already are realized as showed in the sub chapter above. Furthermore the Climate

Campaign “Our Green Heart” can be considered as a great success in the municipality of Nijmegen

and recent projects include the rehabilitation and extension of sewerage water systems and the

extension of green areas.

I think these results that the municipality is obtaining, gives every time more motivation to the

municipality to become one of the most sustainable cities of the Netherlands but also to take

challenges with new projects and campaigns.

However, the results are not only the projects and the campaigns but as well the expansion of their

network with stakeholders, universities, other regions, Ngo’s, energy companies. The expansion of

their network will give benefits for them for in the future.

In addition, the municipality works with housing cooperation’s, architects, this will help the

municipality as well in the future to develop green in the city, but it gives also the possibility for these

companies to maybe use it in their internal projects.

The realization of ideas that are suggested in the “Green allure inner City” is a good opportunity of the

municipality to make the city green. However it can not only be realized through the project FutureCities. Citizens of the city need to be good informed about the advantages and disadvantages of

placing green roofs, walls and squares. Therefore it is need to inform citizens about the costs and the

benefits it will bring after placing. This will help the municipality to realize more green in the city.

To conclude, the city is certainly in a good way to gain their objective become the most sustainable

and green city in the Netherlands. The expansion of their network, the experience of the first European

project, the exchange of knowledge does help will help the city to their goal.



5. References

Future Cities

www.future-cities.eu

The municipality of Nijmegenhttp://www.nijmegen.nl/

Partners

http://www.eglv.de/

http://www.arnhem.nl/

http://www.bottrop.de/

http://www.hastings.gov.uk/

http://www.rouen-seine.fr/

http://www.rouen.fr/

http://www.tiel.nl/

http://www.wvi.be/en/

The Arnhem Nijmegen City Region

http://www.stadsregioarnhemnijmegen.nl

SIC Adapt!

http://www.sic-adapt.eu/

The Interreg IVB North West Europe

http://www.nweurope.eu/

(Interreg IVB North West Europe programme: priority axes.)

http://www.nweurope.eu/nwefiles/file/Priority_Axes.pdf

The Covenant of Mayors

http://www.eumayors.eu/about/covenant-of-mayors_en.html

Articles

http://gdsc.nlr.nl/gdsc/en/news/fotovlucht_boven_%E2%80%98hot%E2%80%99_arnhem_en_nijmeg

en_geslaagd

http://www.stadsregioarnhemnijmegen.nl/news_detail.asp?NewsID=616

http://www.emscherplayer.de/playMedia.yum?mediaID=50184

Contact Person Future Cities of the Municipality of Nijmegen: Ton Verhoeven

PO Box 9105

NL-6500 HG Nijmegen

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)24 329 2785

Fax: +31 (0)24 329 9019

E-mail: [email protected]



http://www.nijmegen.nl/


http://www.eglv.de/

http://www.eglv.de/











http://www.tiel.nl/

http://www.tiel.nl/



http://www.stadsregioarnhemnijmegen.nl/









http://gdsc.nlr.nl/gdsc/en/news/fotovlucht_boven_%E2%80%98hot%E2%80%99_arnhem_en_nijmegen_geslaagd

















http://www.tiel.nl/






http://www.eglv.de/





6. Appendix

Strengths

Already knowledge of ‘Green’ The different levels of cooperation:

International, national, regional and

local

Open minded

Good interaction with their citizens

Weaknesses

No international experience The financial resources

Opportunities

Expansion of their network: Local

municipalities, stakeholders, Ngo’s

research institutes

Reciprocity Capacity building.

Threats

The different levels of cooperation

Refusals of citizens

Legislation: building problems etc.

The Future Cities model



Documents

Project Future Cities - International Decentralised Cooperation