The municipality of Delft has developed a climate adaptation strategy to prepare the city for changes in the climate. The focus of this strategy is on water:
- Delft wants to retain as much water as possible with a resilient system with maximum sponge effect.
- Heat stress must not increase.
- The approach must be taken in collaboration with residents and businesses, because more than 50% of the land is privately owned.
- Measures require a tailor-made approach, as they depend on local characteristics.
- Climate-adaptive measures also offer opportunities to improve the living environment.
Examples of this sponge effect are the water storage areas in Park Spoorloos, the Garden of Delft, and the Bagijnhof, where the Nieuwe Delftse Waterloop takes you. Maximizing the sponge effect also means that the sewer system is relieved: fewer clean water sewers need to be constructed to drain rainwater.
Another example where climate adaptation and living environment come together is the Van Leeuwenhoekpark. This park will be 600 m long with a surface area of approximately 2.5 ha. It is built on the railway tunnel and runs from north to south, starting at the bus station to the end of the railway tunnel. Part of the park is ready. The second part awaits the completion in 2025 of “de Hooghe Delft”, a 41 m high building with offices and the Lumen cinema. From 2028, you can walk around in the third part of the park south of the Ireneboulevard. The park will be multifunctional, you can sit, play, drink a cup of coffee, etc.
The multifunctional Van Leeuwenhoek Park.
The park also has to be very green. Because it is built directly on the railway tunnel, there is not much space for water storage. That is why reservoirs are built next to the park where rainwater is stored, such as in a cellar under the Houttuinen, next to the Westsingelgracht . If it gets very dry, that water can be returned to the part. This is done with pumps.
The greenery in the park provides cooling. The central axis, “the runner”, is located deep in the greenery, where you can walk, skate, etc. The slopes along the runner provide a cooling breeze on hot days. The water feature in the park also provides cooling. Calculations show that the temperature around the bus station will be 2 – 5 o C lower. Delft University of Technology has installed measuring instruments to measure the effect of all these measures. The Van Leeuwenhoekpark has thus become one of the TU’s climate labs.
Here you can read more about the Van Leeuwenhoek Park.
