Wetter, Hotter Weather - Adaptation to climate challenges in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sammanfattning: Climate change is happening, right now. Its effects will become more pervasive in our daily lives, and it is part of our task as urban designers to explore how to adapt our cities and communities. One of the places which has been at the forefront of climate resilience from centuries until nowadays is the Netherlands, especially regarding water management, sea level rise and flooding. In fact, Amsterdam, has built a Climate Adaptation Strategy, which pinpoints 4 key scenarios to address in the coming years: heat, drought, flooding and increased rainfall. Buiksloterham is a post-industrial area under redevelopment in Amsterdam Noord, located by the waterfront of the river IJ. This site presents multiple opportunities to apply climate adaptation in urban design, while addressing some of the issues Amsterdam has in an urban scale such as housing shortage, and the lack of public space and green infrastructure in Noord. The site is characterized by a mix of contemporary buildings, industrial remainings, unused brownfields, and waterfront spaces. The project BLUiksloterham formulates a site-specific design toolbox of architectural typologies, public space and landscape design elements to climate-adapt the site into an area ready for the future challenges. A mix of green corridors, permeable surfaces and floodable spaces address heat, while a system of ponds, canals and dykes create wetlands to address drought and slow down the run-off of increased rainfall. A new soft mobility axis crosses the site, and the typologies aim to provide optimal sun hours, deflect wind and address flooding in the perspective of either being water-hermetic, being able to float when needed, or directly sitting on top of the water. BLUiksloterham aims to create spaces fostering a livable, resilient and climate-smart urban environment, an improved connection with water and more possibilities to bring biodiversity into the urban realm.