The Pen | Act smart now for a healthy future

Indeed, climate change requires solutions to retain water. And it can be done! Do we realize that the Netherlands is the ideal 'Sponge Country'? 

1 million homes need to be built. But where? And how? And: can we embed all this in livable and healthy environments? But also: can we link these ambitious building plans to the challenge of dealing better with today's climate challenges. Because, in the (near) future, we will inextricably face periods of excessive wetness followed by periods of overheating and drought. 

This time of pandemic and climate change therefore calls for new awareness. How do we build new urban environments that offer sufficient (green) space to absorb and retain (!) a lot of water, to buffer and infiltrate instead of quickly draining away, so that in times of drought, water damage and heat stress, the water becomes available again in groundwater, in green and water networks. This is possible in the Netherlands. Soaking also offers opportunities for more biodiversity and better settlement environments! The regional green-blue structures, the basis for 'Sponge Country', can be strengthened.

Such large integral tasks require direction from the national level, similar to the Delta Plan. Where and how to develop? And how to serve multiple goals? After all, it is about a common and overarching vision. Indeed, it is about our livable future. It is even about health and well-being. However, the current decentralized decision-making and responsibility structure does not work, because these tasks cannot be solved as small individual projects. 

But then we are not there yet. 

Because, all the different disciplines in and outside the field will also have to seek much more cooperation with each other. From water management specialists to urban planners, architects and landscape architects, municipalities, water boards, agriculture and industry. The knowledge is everywhere but requires cooperation. After all, spatial planning is a collective responsibility because, for those 1 million homes, we ultimately have to achieve a good balance between urbanization and nature. 

Thus, climate change requires climate adaptation in programs or sectors in which major investments will take place in the foreseeable future. This can no longer be done through the sectoral approach. But it can be done by linking tasks so that one can achieve multiple goals with the same money, within the same planning and legal processes in the same time.

For our profession, this is a fantastic challenge. But it is also an important social responsibility. Because ultimately it is about the well-being of all of us. In short: let's act smartly and visionary now so that we can ultimately enjoy living and stay healthy.

Marja Nevalainen and Rong Hu, partners at NL Urban Solutions, urban planning and landscape architecture firm in Rijswijk. In 2020, the firm won the prestigious design competition for the Chishi River, a good settlement environment and climate resilient base for Shenshan, the new healthy city for 1.5 million inhabitants in China, with the project "DiverCity.