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Article
Exploring the Potential of Urban Digital Twins In Climate Adaptive Development
Cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change and, consequently, the urgent need for incorporating climate adaptation strategies into urban planning is frequently highlighted. In this context, Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) have emerged as a promising technology that can potentially aid urban planning processes and facilitate the implementation of climate adaptive initiatives. Despite the rapid development of this technology, UDT research is still in its infancy and more research is required to justify its potential in this context. Therefore, this research investigates the practical application of UDT technology in the context of urban development, with a specific focus climate adaptation. This study is performed through a real-world case study approach on the Gnephoekpolder, an area with significant urban development plans in the Netherlands. This study demonstrates the wide range of possibilities offered by the UDT, which can aid better-informed decision-making regarding climate adaptive efforts. Furthermore, this study identifies the benefits, risks and limitations of UDT technology through a comprehensive user evaluation, based on the UTAUT framework. These insights can serve as a guide for future development of the UDTs. Moreover, the strength and significance of the most important drivers for the adoption of UDT technology are determined. In this study, the importance of social influence is highlighted. With this information, practitioners can design strategies to promote successful adoption the technology in the context of climate adaptation in urban development. Finally, the findings are synthesised, limitations are acknowledged, and future research directions are determined regarding UDT technology in the context of climate adaptation in urban development.
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Article
Understanding the Chinampa system to identify opportunities for better governance.
The thesis identifies, maps and critically analyses the different sub-systems that compose the area of Mexico City known as the Chinampa System. This system is a peri-urban cultivated wetland famous for its autochthonous agricultural techniques and the indigenous species that live in it. The objective is to formulate an understanding of that system that helps recognize the knowledge gaps that challenge its governance and the threats it faces: the interests of the real estate market of Mexico City and its government, and the stress of the waterscape that feeds the system. These threats are exacerbated by Climate Change and lead to rising conflicts over the use and management of this space. In this thesis I map the interscalar and intersystemic actors and factors that interrelate and affect this system to find the knowledge gaps, vulnerabilities, challenges and strengths in the representation of the system and its governance. The thesis concludes that there is a general lack of cohesion and dialogue between the institutions that govern the Chinampa system, worsened by the obsolete paradigm of the urban-rural divide and the systemic rejection of local, anticolonial knowledge and practice.
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Article
Designing dynamic water storage systems to mitigate drought stress in urban environments
As a result of ongoing climate change, urban environments are put under increasing pressure from extreme weather events. Insufficient research is being done into the modeling of urban drought resilience. Most urban drought resilience and water network optimization models are designed for city-scale demand with regional water supply networks and vegetation water demand models generally address agricultural systems. This research addresses this gap by developing a neighborhood-scale digital representation of the Bajeskwartier water system to assess drought resilience while incorporating the local vegetation water demand. Starting with a system thinking perspective, the interconnections of soil moisture processes in the local water systems provide the base of the model.
By incorporating scenario analyses on climate change projections and vegetation types, the water demand and drought sensitivity patterns become clear. Furthermore, the implementation of an optimization solver to assess a rainwater capture, storage, and irrigation system results in a robust water system. The system proves to have sufficient capacity to prevent drought stress in a 1-in-30-year drought.
This research not only contributes to enhancing urban drought resilience within the Bajeskwartier but also provides a valuable foundation for future studies in similar urban contexts. It emphasizes the importance of considering local vegetation water demand and climate change scenarios in urban water system modeling, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to address evolving climate-induced challenges in urban environments.
As a result of ongoing climate change, urban environments are put under increasing pressure from extreme weather events. Insufficient research is being done into the modeling of urban drought resilience. Most urban drought resilience and water network optimization models are designed for city-scale demand with regional water supply networks and vegetation water demand models generally address agricultural systems. This research addresses this gap by developing a neighborhood-scale digital representation of the Bajeskwartier water system to assess drought resilience while incorporating the local vegetation water demand. Starting with a system thinking perspective, the interconnections of soil moisture processes in the local water systems provide the base of the model.
By incorporating scenario analyses on climate change projections and vegetation types, the water demand and drought sensitivity patterns become clear. Furthermore, the implementation of an optimization solver to assess a rainwater capture, storage, and irrigation system results in a robust water system. The system proves to have sufficient capacity to prevent drought stress in a 1-in-30-year drought.
This research not only contributes to enhancing urban drought resilience within the Bajeskwartier but also provides a valuable foundation for future studies in similar urban contexts. It emphasizes the importance of considering local vegetation water demand and climate change scenarios in urban water system modeling, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to address evolving climate-induced challenges in urban environments. -
Article
Giving up fire for air How social practices impact the transition from coal stoves to electric heaters in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, air pollution continues to be a serious health issue de- spite past measures. A large part of the air pollution originates from the coal stoves frequently used in the gers (Mongolian nomadic circular tents) in which many residents live. Air pollution could be reduced by transitioning to electric heaters, but adoption rates remain low, attributed to limited grid capacity and affordability issues. However, an under-investigated aspect is the role that social heating practices play in this energy transition. Through fieldwork performed in Ulaanbaatar in April and May of 2023, it was investigated how social practices around heating need to be adjusted when transi- tioning to electric heating. Six social practices were identified that form reasons to keep using a coal stove, including better thermal performance, its role in the preparation of typical Mongolian dishes, and in spiritual practices around fire. Households that had adopted electric heaters find them convenient, especially important for their children’s health, but frequently still kept their coal stove for other uses. Finally, recommendations to accelerate the adoption of electric heaters are provided, including to consider electric heaters as a supplement to coal stoves, rather than a complete replacement; to prioritize insulation improvements; and to make use of two social networks to spread benefits of and information regarding electric heating: family and Facebook.
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Article
Sewer Water Harvesting to Support Urban Green Spaces
This research has investigated how Sewer Water Harvesting (SWH) can be applied to provide a
climate-proof fresh water source to support Urban Green Spaces (UGS) in Amsterdam. SWH is the
process of extracting raw municipal sewage from the sewer and locally treating this to provide fit-forpurpose water in a dense urban environment while treatment residuals are discharged back into the
sewer. SWH can help to meet the increasing water demand of UGS in Amsterdam, which experience
exacerbated dry periods as a result of climate change, while conventional water sources are unlikely to
meet this demand.The overall aim was to provide a conceptual design example of how SWH could be applied in
the Amsterdam context to uncover what kind of impact can be achieved and advise on how SWH can
be implemented From an analysis of potential applications, irrigation of UGS during dry periods was
selected for the focus of the study. Suitable locations were identified, from which the Vondelpark was
selected as study area for this research. Quality requirements for irrigation water and discharge of
treatment residuals were determined. The water demand of the study area was determined by
modelling the soil moisture balance using transformed weather data, taking into account climate
change. Based on these requirements, a conceptual design of an SWH-unit comprised of fine
screening, MF, NF and UV steps. To evaluate this potential impact for Amsterdam as a whole, the
findings from the study area were extrapolated. The cost of SWH were compared to alternative water
sources and the potential direct economic benefits. This demonstrated that costs of SWH are
acceptable and can be further decreased. Furthermore, the potential impact on plant and soil health was
evaluated. Interviews with stakeholders identified barriers and opportunities of SWH and resulted in
some recommendations for larger scale implementation.The results of this research indicate that SWH can provide a new and reliable water source
during dry periods to support UGS. SWH-units can be designed as mobile and modular units that can
for a large part be operated and monitored remotely. The results further demonstrate that potential
negative environmental effects can be prevented or mitigated and SWH can even improve the plant
and soil health of UGS. From an engineering perspective, challenges related to the water quality are
unlikely to be insurmountable. However, three aspects still require a significant amount of time and
investment before SWH can be implemented on a larger scale. These are: (1) the lack of regulatory
framework, (2) the unresolved responsibility for operation and (3) extensive water quality testing and
environmental impact assessment. To accelerate innovation it is recommended to start as soon as
possible with addressing these remaining issues. Commercial operation of SWH can provide an
interesting opportunity, all the more so because SWH can also be used for household or industrial
applications. The involvement of a wider variety of stakeholders can further help to overcome the
remaining barriers.Author: Jan-Joris van der Plas
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Article
Exploring the Robustness of Current Development Directions of Zwolle Region in Distant-Future Sea Level Rise Scenarios
Foresight used in the current developments of the Zwolle region limits itself to short-and-medium term foresights. Based on the hypothesis that prioritizing decision-making based on short-term, risks and opportunities may inadvertently omit crucial factors, while a focus on longer-term perspectives enables a more comprehensive understanding of complexity and uncertaint y, questions the robustness of the developments. Therefore, this thesis conducted a case-study to assess the durability of current and novel development directions of the Zwolle Region focussed on distant-future sea level rise scenarios to amplify anticipatory consciousness, and therefore broadening the scope of policy directions for decision makers. For this, this thesis turned to the question: How robust are the current proposed development directions of the Zwolle Region compared to Sea Level Rise scenarios up to 2300? Based on a systematic grey literature an overview of the novel development directions of the region have has been created. According to a Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways analysis, the developments were compared to distant-future sea level rise scenarios that were based on interim KNMI sea level rise scenarios and semi-structured expert interviews. Following the analysis, it was determined that the proposed development directions assume the existing condition of the regional water system. Given the projected rise in water levels due to SLR, which is expected to significantly impact the regional water system, leading to increased moisture and frequent flooding, this thesis asserts that the current proposed developments lack robustness.
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Article
Reservoirs Beneath: Groundwater sustainability in India’s Ramganga river basin
This research studies groundwater sustainability in the Ramganga river basin of northern India. This region experiences a trifecta of hydrological stressors from groundwater over-extraction, frequent flooding during wet seasons, and agricultural droughts during dry seasons. There is a growing body of interventions known as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) which attempts to co-manage these three concerns. One such example is a technology known as Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) proposed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI.) The most common mode of UTFI is recharge ponds and IWMI has technically proven its validity along with extensive piloting work in rural regions of the upper Ramganga basin. When it comes to groundwater planning, what is missing is a holistic approach that encompasses rural and urban (R & U) to study their collective demand for groundwater and plan for implementation of recharge structures; thereby ensuring better groundwater sustainability. Considering this, this thesis analyzes opportunities and barriers for UTFI’s scale-up in growing rural-urban regions of the Ramganga basin by unpacking rural-urban linkages. It proposes a holistic R+U approach for land-use planning to incorporate recharge infrastructures and in so doing, identify rural & urban implementation zones like existing ponds and parks for mixed interventions. This work adopts mixed-methods of qualitative and quantitative to conduct desk research and fieldwork, backed by relevant academic theories. The thesis culminates in land-use planning recommendations for the rural and urban to cohesively take steps towards groundwater sustainability and hydrological disaster resilience within a chosen study region. These recommendations are useful for planners and policy makers in the field, along with specific spatial, community, institutional and planning strategy aimed for IWMI’s use.
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Article
Heat Stress in Outdoor Spaces in Amsterdam
Due to the global temperature rise and urban heat island effect Amsterdam, like many Dutch cities, will suffer aggravated consequences of heat. The high temperatures have consequences for both health and liveability, particularly among vulnerable groups such as elderly with less financial means. Although previous research has been extensively conducted on urban microclimates and heat stress, more research needed to be done in the context of the temperate climate, across multiple scales and for the demographic group elderly. Therefore, this research investigates which design interventions are effective in decreasing outdoor heat stress around social housing for elderly.
This study investigated which social housing buildings for elderly are located in heat-prone areas and selected three buildings suffering from extreme heat stress. Afterwards, the microclimates of these cases were simulated with the use of ENVI-met. The microclimate analysis investigated the heat stress and which different climatic elements (air temperature, radiation, humidity and wind) was most influential in the high heat stress. In the third part of this research interventions were explored based on literature, of which interventions were selected based on the probable main cause of the heat stress. The chosen interventions were assessed based on their efficiency through simulations and their suitability through interviews with several housing corporations.
The findings of this study contributed to finding practical implications for urban decision-makers for interventions in heat stress mitigation. The results suggest that many outdoor spaces social housing buildings suffer from heat stress. The probable causes of the heat stress differ; however, one common cause was a decreased wind speed.
The results imply that single interventions are insufficient in decreasing heat stress. Further research could be done to investigate combinations of multiple interventions. Also, the application of temporary interventions for heat stress mitigation and strategic placement of interventions should be further investigated.
Author: Ilse Ellenbroek
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Article
Tranquilitree: the Potential of Trees to Mitigate Aircraft Noise Pollution from Schiphol Airport
Flying has become increasingly accessible in the last few decades, leading to enormous growth in aircraft traffic worldwide. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is the fourth-busiest airport in Europe based on passenger traffic, and noise pollution from the airport affects over 63,000 individuals daily. This study aims to determine if the presence of trees has the potential to significantly mitigate noise pollution from aircraft across seasonal leaf patterns and across different configurations in a simulated street canyon near a major airport.
Thirty-six adolescent Common Linden trees were placed in a simulated street canyon near Schiphol Airport’s Kaagbaan runway, where sound, weather, and flight data were collected between February through May. Two additional configurations of the trees were also tested to evaluate the effect of planting density and patterns on scattering
and reflecting noise. Trends in sound pressure levels measured inside the street canyon were compared to levels measured by a reference microphone, and a linear regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of weather and trajectory variables on the differences in sound pressure levels between these two environments. Between 0.68 and 3.3 dB of noise attenuation were observed in the experimental courtyard for arriv- ing flights, versus between -2.65 and 0.5 dB of noise attenuation for departing flights. Furthermore, while around 10 percent (R2 =0.099) of variation in the noise attenuation
of arriving flights could be explained by flight trajectory and weather variables alone, this percentage was significantly higher for departing flights (R2 =0.46). These results are in line with previous research which found that the interaction of building properties with meteorological variables and flight trajectory have the most influence on sound propaga- tion of aircraft noise within a street canyon environment, but also suggest that vegetation can play a role in mitigating noise pollution. Further research is required to determine if the presence of adult leaves or the psychological effects of greenery on the human per- ception of aircraft noise pollution could augment the modest noise pollution attenuation effects of trees seen in this experiment.Author: Lanie Preston
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Article
Valuing Vertical Green
The rapid development of Dutch Distribution Centres near airports pressures the environment. Vertcal Green Systems are considered a promising measure toward a more nature-inclusive development of Dutch distribution centers. However, an integral quantitative impact assessment model is needed to retrieve funding and facilitate an evidence-based decision-making process for the implementation of VGS. This research therefore aims to develop a multi-criteria decision model to assess the impact of VGS in Dutch DC’s near airports to enhance the decision-making process for the implementation of VGS. The main research question was formulated as follows: ‘How can a MCDM tool on the quantitative performance of VGS in delivering ecosystem services be developed and applied, in order to facilitate the impact assessment and evidence-based decision-making in the context of Dutch DC’s near airports?’
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Article
MSc MADE Thesis AMS Institute - The Roots of the Problem
Which above- and below-ground factors contributed to the collapse of solitary urban trees during Storm Eunice in Amsterdam?
In this multi-analytical research, a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods have been utilised to explore the complex relationship of trees with their urban environment. Focusing on the significant number of treefalls that occurred during Storm Eunice in 2022 as a case example, the various aspects that hinder tree resilience and survival across the city of Amsterdam during storms was undertaken, spanning four stages. First, physical parameters of Amsterdam’s fallen trees were derived and analysed to identify what species, height or age of trees are most susceptible to collapse during extreme weather conditions. Second, specialist interviews were undertaken to focus on what factors above and below the ground contribute to susceptibility to tree fall. Third, a spatial analysis was made linking the locations of fallen trees to selected factors derived from the prior qualitative analysis to further identify correlations between cause and effect. Lastly, the data were used to make a series of recommendations on biotic and technical aspects of tree pits, and which tree species along with planting techniques are best suited for particular conditions to help prevent future tree falls in Amsterdam.Author: Alexander Brown
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Article
MSc MADE Thesis AMS Institute - I Wish I Had a River
The city of Tepic is facing severe issues regarding water due to increasing pressure as the product of climate change. The disruption of the water cycle, the lack of proper water management, and the way governance is organized has hindered the implementation of sustainable water management solutions. The Mololoa micro-basin holds the potential to be a strategic starting point to encourage a more sustainable water management model for the city of Tepic. This research assesses the water governance of the city of Tepic to pinpoint barriers and drivers for the implementation of sustainable water management solutions. It evaluates the social vulnerability of the city through a GIS Analysis to understand the distribution of complications caused by water problems and makes a case for a Water Sensitive City Vision as a solution to alleviate the water related problems of the city.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Roberto Marquez Estrada
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Governing in a Multi-Scale World: Exploring alignment in climate adaptation policy: A case study in Amsterdam’s adaptation to pluvial flooding
This research aimed to explore in what way multi-scale interactions influence the alignment. Amsterdam and its adaptation to pluvial flooding were used as a case study to identify how the current process of alignment is established and influenced by multi-scale interactions. Hereby, the study aimed to contribute to the literature by providing more insights in alignment. Next to this, the aim was to show the importance of looking at not just the jurisdictional scale for alignment but at multiple scales.
show the importance of looking at not just the jurisdictional scale for alignment but at multiple scales.
References can be found inside the document.Governing climate change adaptation is affected by various challenges relating to the multifaceted,
interconnected and uncertain character of climate change. The characteristics of climate change ask
for an approach incorporating more than just one scale. In a multi-scale world of governing climate
adaptation, alignment has become increasingly important as a means to achieve policy coherence and
policy integration. In this research, alignment is defined as the process of linking policy-related means
such as ambitions, frames or policy outcomes. Despite the extensive alignment activities in practice,
limited research on alignment has been done. However, further insights on alignment are necessary
for successful adaptation to climate change.Author: Amy Kurver
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Revaluing City Trees: Using i-Tree Eco to make the urban green infrastructure a guiding principle for urban (re)development
Green in the city has been recognised as a crucial strategy to maintain a climate adaptive and liveable future urban environment and has many ecosystem services (ES). Especially trees have environmental, social and health benefits for the city. However, urban green infrastructure (UGI) has been found fragile in urban (re)development areas. This research focusses on the value of trees and how the tool i-Tree Eco could support in making UGI a guiding principle for urban (re)development.
References can be found inside the document.This research illustrates the position of green, substantiated with a literature review and interview results. Results show that the quality of green is the most important value to preserve, but that ES are not insightful at the moment. Besides, the whole planning process regarding urban development is not set to UGI. Tree Eco was used in a case study to assess its potential for urban redevelopment projects. This tool estimates the ES of trees and was used to explore different scenarios and forecast functionalities. It has been found that solely estimating the ES of green is insufficient for supporting the position of UGI. Therefore, further analysis or comparison of the estimates is necessary. In conclusion, policy guidelines need to be created to imbed the position of green in the urban planning process. i-Tree Eco could contribute to making ES of trees insightful by creating more awareness, setting threshold values and comparing different designs. Further research is needed to expand the Dutch version of i-Tree Eco to estimate more ES.
Author: Niek van der Steeg
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Intitute - Lights off! Assessing the resilience of electricity grid sectors to extreme weather disruptions
Cities and regions around the world are experiencing an increase in extreme weather-related disruptions as a result of climate change. These disruptions are testing the integrity of en ergy systems including electricity grids. An emerging concept to assess the vulnerability of systems to disruptions is the concept of resilience. Resilience is used to assess the entire cycle of a disruptive event or specific phases such as the before, during, and after the event. In this thesis, a set of criteria to assess the resilience of the electricity grid is defined. Then the electricity grid sectors of Harris County, Texas are assessed by applying the developed and operationalized resilience criteria. This is done to understand the current resilience condi tions of electricity grid sectors.
References can be found inside the document.The criteria are applied for assessment purposes by using the MultiAttribute Value Theory (MAVT) method of MultiCriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The results of this method are displayed using a series of maps. Results from the electricity grid sectors’ assessment provide an understanding of the resilience of a city’s electricity grid sec[1]tors, highlighting which low scoring sectors need more attention. In turn, having an overview of the resilience of electricity grid sectors can be used to plan or improve infrastructure including the integration of local renewable energy generation.
Author: Nicolás Carvajal Ordóñez
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Public Space, Place Identity And COVID-19: Towards More Suitable Public Spaces for Amsterdam's Young Adults
The ongoing COVID -19 pandemic has had serious implications regarding the ways, and the places in which we interact. As a result of government imposed measures on traditional realms of social life (e.g. second and third places), urban residents have - if allowed - in large numbers turned to public spaces to engage in social interactions, play, exercise, and recreation. This new dynamic within the public realm calls for a more integrated understanding about how urban residents relate to public spaces during the pandemic, and subsequently, how we can (re)configure these places in ways that cater to the (renewed) needs of its users. This study investigates the place identity of one particular user group - young adults - with the aim to (i) better understand their public life in the public realm during the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, and to (ii) better inform the decision making process regarding the design of suitable future public spaces.
References can be found inside the document.Insights into the place identity of young adults was gained by assessing what meanings they attribute to public spaces, what activities they engage in when in these places, and what design characteristics of these places they value. The findings of this study conclude that, in large, participants are spending more time in public space than prior to the pandemic. Reasons for this enhanced engagement are largely attributed to the lost access to other realms of social life - third places in particular - and the overwhelming confinement to first places. Moreover, the findings of this study suggest that specific design characteristics of public spaces are guiding in the activities and interactions that young adults wish to engage in. Based on these preferences, this study presents a set of guidelines to consider in future public space design processes.
Author: Lucas Zarzoso Hueck
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Article
MSc MADE Thesis AMS Institute - Limiting amount of information can increase chances for successful collaboration
The main aim of the research was to examine the civil servants engaged in the procurement of innovation and uncover their views and values to understand how they perceive their surroundings, what they are focused on and in what manner they approach their network.
This study found a few most important characteristics that can serve as an inspiration for making public procurement more successful in finding right actors to supply solutions to the wicked problems. They can also be effective in sustaining long-lasting impact of the government activities on society, market, and environment. These characteristics of the network gatekeepers in procurement of innovation are that they are focused on surroundings and they adjust amount of information to build collaborative relations with other actors. This thesis consists of theoretical framework, research methods overview, results and conclusion which describe in detail the research undertaken by the author.
References can be found inside the document.Public procurement in the European Union is an important part of interaction between governments and the market. According to the European Commission1 every year over 250 000 public authorities in the EU spend around 14% of GDP (around €2 trillion per year) on the purchase of services, works and supplies. Often perceived as a purely bureaucratic process, it is in fact one of the key procedures to shape the quality of the public spending. Public spending in question addresses wide range of the problems including metropolitan challenges of the modern world. As the local and national governments approach key issues such as climate change, public health, or transition towards zero-emission economy, they need to do it accordingly with the public procurement regulations. There are always exceptions possible but overall and on bigger scale it is not possible to avoid them. Having said that, public procurement with all its own challenges is one of the key elements of public policy creation and implementation. From the author's own working experience, challenges of public procurement include a wide range of issues from personal relations, procedural and financial requirements to sourcing knowledge and information necessary for describing the procured services, works or supplies. This experience showed also that certain people working in the field of procurement are more successful than others although they must follow the same set of rules as the rest of the organisation. This observation sparked interest which resulted in this thesis.
Author: Jakub Supera
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Healthy Built Environment Index: Creating an Assessment Tool for the Built Environment that Evaluates a City District on How Healthy the Living Environment is, through the Use of Geographical Data.
The healthy neighborhood is seen as an important means of promoting health and the quality of life for citizens, and reducing differences between citizens. Due to the Environmental Act, municipalities and provinces will soon have to explicitly include health in their environmental policy and formulate Environmental Visions for both the municipal as well as the city district levels. In order to include health in the Environmental Vision, the healthy living environment needs to be evaluated and monitored, but instruments that specifically focus on assessing the healthy built environment on the city district level, are lacking. The aim of this study is to create a Healthy Built Environment Index that assesses the state of the physical living environment in terms of health, and demonstrate its applicability by applying it to a case study (municipality of Amsterdam).
This research applies a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop a framework that measures the state of the healthy built environment using geographical data. This resulted in a Healthy Built Environment Index consisting of 39 indicators divided over 6 domains.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Brian van Laar
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Governing in a Multi-Scale World: Exploring alignment in climate adaptation policy
Governing climate change adaptation is affected by various challenges relating to the multifaceted, interconnected and uncertain character of climate change. The characteristics of climate change ask for an approach incorporating more than just one scale. In a multi-scale world of governing climate adaptation, alignment has become increasingly important as a means to achieve policy coherence and policy integration.
In this research, alignment is defined as the process of linking policy-related means such as ambitions, frames or policy outcomes. Despite the extensive alignment activities in practice, limited research on alignment has been done. However, further insights on alignment are necessary for successful adaptation to climate change.
This research aimed to explore in what way multi-scale interactions influence the alignment. Amsterdam and its adaptation to pluvial flooding were used as a case study to identify how the current process of alignment is established and influenced by multi-scale interactions. Hereby, the study aimed to contribute to the literature by providing more insights in alignment. Next to this, the aim was to show the importance of looking at not just the jurisdictional scale for alignment but at multiple scales.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Amy Kurver
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Using ABM to explore the effects of social factors on the proposed drought policies for Amsterdam
During the last summers Amsterdam experienced urban drought issues due increasing heatwaves. An urban drought occurs when the water supply cannot meet the water demand for an extended period, causing negative effects to the urban area. These urban droughts have negative effects on Amsterdam such as infrastructural damage to the wooden poles and heat stress for its civilians. Amsterdam wants to be more resilient against the droughts that will happen in the future due to global warming. The current policies regarding droughts, an escalation model proposed by the RIVM, focus mainly on the drink water supply and each phase in the model progressively restricts more water consumptions(e.g. washing the car, showering or gardening). These are actions that citizens are restricted in. History and experience has shown us that civilians rarely act exactly as the policy makers had intended. This is partly because the human behaviour considered by the policy makers is a proximation based on implicit assumptions (e.g. economic rationality) which can differ in reality. These assumptions are not tested and accounted for in policies. Therefore, this research is a first exploration into what influence social factors have on the drought policies proposed for Amsterdam through an agent based approach.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Cihangir Tuna
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Healthy Urban Habitats: Transformations at the Edge of Land and Water
Globally, the rate of biodiversity loss has surpassed the safety threshold for the stability of ecosystems and the climate is rapidly changing. Delta-biotopes are collectively under pressure, and with them, the edge between land and water that shapes their relationship with nature. In order to bend the curve of biodiversity loss, a fundamental societal change is needed, shifting from prioritising economic growth to a way of living in balance with nature and within the planetary boundaries.
The aim of this research is to investigate the barriers practice encounters in integrating circularity and biodiversity concepts towards transformative change and to explore a strategy in which place-specific urban development can play a role in achieving transformative change. By combining qualitative research with design research and future studies, deliberate transformations in the urban context can be investigated and influenced using the urgent renovation of edge between land and water in the Delta-city of Amsterdam as a case-study. ‘Room for the experiment’ and ‘ownership’ are the most important drivers for including circularity and biodiversity in urban development. The finer grained spatial scale can play a crucial role in allowing biodiversity to return to the city. Through experimentation and iteration, place-specific urban development can contribute to deliberate transformative change under a climate of deep uncertainty through niche development of healthy urban habitats.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Anne Bruggen
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Exploring the flood resilient city: Amsterdam in the context of high-end sea level rise
Sea levels are rising and represent an increasing threat to urbanized deltas all over the world. Recent studies on the potential contribution of Antarctic and Greenland ice masses present the possibility of extreme scenarios. In the Netherlands, these extremes may push the current flood risk management and its adaptation strategies to their limits. To prepare and enable timely adaptation, it is essential to explore the extreme scenarios and plan for alternative futures.
Next to answering the research question: How to facilitate a transition towards the flood resilient city in Amsterdam? This thesis reflects on the role of (student)researchers in sustainability transitions. The research strategy combines methods of re - search by design, action – research and transition management to contribute to the change process.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Renée Swinkels
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Graduation thesis ‘Geveltuinen’: informal self-governance by Jennifer Pels Metropolitan Analysis Design and Engineering
The public policy - private-‘just do it’ dilemma, urbanization trend and densification put pressure on the
quality and quantity of urban green spaces. Green self-governance and proximity to urban green spaces
is crucial for context-sensitive urban green and beautification of the living environment. Focusing on
‘geveltuinen’: green placed on the nexus of private and public, statistical analysis (N=287) on the
governance of citizens revealed the levers and barriers to engage. Conclusion; ‘private geveltuinen’
flourish within an informal public governance structure.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Jennifer Pels
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Article
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Resilience By Renovation: Opportunities for nature-based climate change resilience alongside the renovation of Amsterdam’s quay wall waterfronts
Quay walls are waterfront structures that have important functions. These functions include providing stable land for the construction of buildings, roads, and the safe movement of people on land. On the waterside, quay walls are needed for containing surface water networks, flood management, and transportation functions. Quay walls are therefore an essential infrastructure in waterfront cities with river and canal networks such as Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands. The ongoing renovation of 200 kilometres of Amsterdam’s quay walls is an example of how age and other urban processes combine, creating a resource intensive challenge for cities to address.
The results of this thesis show that the renovation of Amsterdam’s quay wall waterfront spaces can be a vehicle for implementing a city-wide climate adaptation programme that serves two long term objectives: making the city more resilient to climate change, and extending the service lifetime of walls already built in the city.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Noelle Teh
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Article
MSc Thesis - Green facades for cooling urban hot spots
To limit heat problems in cities, green areas are being implemented in the urban context. Since space is often scarce in cities, an opportunity lies in the use of green facades. This research has investigated the cooling effect of natural green facades in the form of Hedera helix. Both the effect on thermal comfort inside and outside buildings was investigated during a five-day heatwave using a model approach in ENVI-met. For this purpose, energy labels and the urban heat island effect were used as heat exposure indicators to determine urban hot spots in Amsterdam.
The results demonstrated that green facades could account for small decreases in air temperature and outdoor thermal comfort. This cooling effect was more pronounced for indoor temperatures.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Florinde Vessies