Guide to Greenery in and around the City
The importance of green spaces in cities is increasing due to the challenges of climate change and housing shortages. Municipalities must take biodiversity, climate adaptation and quality of life into account in urban development. The Green in and around the City Guide offers an integrated spatial approach at various scales, such as street, neighbourhood and region, with a focus on the functions of green spaces. It focuses on various qualities and functions of green spaces, with strict quantitative and qualitative requirements. The application of the guide is voluntary. Municipalities and provinces can implement it at their own pace.
Minister Hugo de Jonge and Minister Christianne van der Wal have published the Green in and around the City Guide. This guide provides municipalities and provinces with substantive and procedural advice to ensure that greenery is fully incorporated into the planning of new residential areas (infill and expansion) and existing built-up areas. The guide contains guidelines for the creation of green spaces in the region and the city, but also in a street, neighbourhood or district. It also contains information about the benefits of green spaces and the use of the right vegetation. The step-by-step plan helps to determine the right measures, at the right time, in the right place. The guide also provides developers and designers with more clarity about how to work on the task for the whole of the Netherlands. This signal is in line with the needs of the construction domain of Collectief Natuurinclusief.
The guide accompanies the progress letter Green in and around the city, which the ministers sent to the House of Representatives on Friday, 31 May 2024. In the coming years, the Dutch population will grow, and with it the housing challenge. It is essential that the construction of new residential areas provides sufficient space for greenery in and around the city for people, animals and nature. Green spaces are important for socialising and provide space for playing or sports. Green spaces and water also provide cooling. All green spaces and water contribute to this, from verges, gardens and parks to green roofs. To support this, both ministers are working on the programmatic approach Green in and around the City. The results of the explorations will provide the next cabinet with tools to determine the follow-up approach.
What can you do with it?
The guide offers municipalities a useful tool for conducting a (zero) scan, which provides insight into the state of the municipality’s total green space, also in relation to its own green policy. This helps municipalities to determine the next green step. The need for support and the task at hand may differ between municipalities and provinces. Where necessary, this distinction is made in the guide. The need may also differ between municipalities. For example, one municipality may have the time and capacity to work on its own specific standards, while another may not, or to a lesser extent. The guide can be tailored and used flexibly. It is possible to interpret green percentages and (additional) qualitative requirements and/or parameters in your own way. However, you can also use the standard assurance system from this guide.
Who is it for?
The guide is intended for municipal and provincial officials involved in the green challenge in and around the city. In addition, the guide is also of interest to designers from consultancies, developers, construction companies, housing associations and green entrepreneurs. It may also be of interest to students studying subjects related to policy and planning, design for and of the physical living environment and greening the city.
Municipality of Groningen gets to work with the guide
Jacky van Geffen, policy officer for the Quality of Life programme at the municipality of Groningen, was involved in developing the guide. She indicates that her municipality will be applying the guide:
“It is important to green both public and private areas in order to combat heat and flooding and to strengthen biodiversity and the health of humans and animals. The municipality of Groningen is investigating how climate and green standards can support making our living environment healthier and more climate-proof. This is a challenging puzzle, and the guide supports the process. Furthermore, the experiences of municipalities provide valuable input for the further development of the guidelines and national policy on national guidelines and standards for greenery in and around cities.”
How was the guide developed?
The guide was developed on behalf of the Ministries of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, led by Arcadis, &Flux and in collaboration with various municipalities, provinces, green and nature organisations and other relevant stakeholders. Their knowledge and experience were utilised and the substantive requirements that the guide must meet were verified.
Status and follow-up
This tool was developed in a short period of time and is still being refined, partly on the basis of the learning agenda. Naturally, there is room for feedback from users to optimise the guide. In the coming period, the guide will therefore be further tested in practice. Municipalities are invited to start using the guide! The aim is to learn from this: what are the challenges we face? Where are improvements needed, etc.? Several municipalities have already shown interest.
