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Pocket parks and public gardens

A search for locations to make Amsterdam greener

This project was conducted together with local stakeholders in Amsterdam and concerns a search for suitable locations for greening the city with pocket parks or public gardens. Prior research has shown that such little green spaces offer many benefits which far outweigh the costs involved. Urban green plays an important role in reducing the impacts of extreme weather events and for urban biodiversity. It also contributes to the health and wellbeing of citizens, often functions as a space for people to meet and can play a role in food production.

This project was conducted together with local stakeholders in Amsterdam and concerns a search for suitable locations for greening the city with pocket parks or public gardens. Prior research has shown that such little green spaces offer many benefits which far outweigh the costs involved. Urban green plays an important role in reducing the impacts of extreme weather events and for urban biodiversity. It also contributes to the health and wellbeing of citizens, often functions as a space for people to meet and can play a role in food production.

With these values of green space as a point of departure, a search was conducted to identify suitable locations in the city of Amsterdam where small-scale greening can have an important positive impact. On basis of available spatial data, four maps (1 per theme) have been drawn to search for good public spaces where greening is of value for climate adaptation, for nature, for social wellbeing and for the health of citizens. These four maps have been integrated into one ‘inspiration map’ which shows in which locations of Amsterdam greening can have a lot of impact. With this, we have identified 60 locations which appear to be particularly suitable for greening in the form of a pocket park or public garden – combining the inspiration map with data on the shape, area and current function of these spaces.

Greening the city is – in principle – valuable when done in a good manner. However, since our analysis is only based on spatial data, we highlight the important of looking beyond the ‘facts and figures’ in this report. We identify five special points of focus which need to be taken into account: underground infrastructure, soil quality, spatial plans and regulations, local needs for greening as well as the enthusiasm and support amongst local citizens. We see our inspiration map and list of suitable locations not as an end result indicating what needs to be done, but rather as an important point of departure for goal-oriented urban greening in Amsterdam.

Source: Hennen, W., & Mattijssen, T. (2020). Postzegelparken en buurttuinen: een zoektocht naar locaties voor vergroening van Amsterdam. (Rapport / Wageningen University & Research Wetenschapswinkel; No. 365). Wageningen University & Research, Wetenschapswinkel. https://doi.org/10.18174/531598

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Icon image: De Stad Wageningen - Arboretum

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