title: The soil-water system as basis for a climate proof and healthy urban environment: opportunities identified in a Dutch case-study.
abstract: One of the effects of climate change expected to take place in urban areas in the Netherlands is an increase in periods of extreme heat and drought. How the soil can contribute to making cities more climate proof is often neglected. Unsealed soil and green spaces increase water storage capacity and can consequently prevent flooding. The planning of public or private green spaces can have a cooling effect and, in general, have a positive effect on how people perceive their health. This paper reviews existing guidelines from Dutch policy documents regarding unsealed soil and green spaces in the Netherlands; do they support climate adaptation policies? Scientific literature was used to quantify the positive effects of green spaces on water storage capacity, cooling and public health. Finally we present a case study of a model town where different policy areas are linked together. Maps were made to provide insight into the ratio of unsealed soil and the number of green spaces in relation to existing guidelines using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Maps marking the age and social-economic status of the population were also made. The benefits of green spaces are difficult to express in averages because they depend on many different factors such as soil properties, type of green spaces, population characteristics and spatial planning. Moreover, it is not possible to provide quantifications of the benefits of green spaces because of a lack of scientific evidence at the moment. Based on the maps, however, policy assessments can be made, for example, in which site a neighborhood will most benefit from investment in parks and public gardens. Neighborhoods where people have a low social-economic status have for example fewer green spaces than others. This offers opportunities for efficient adaptation policies linking goals of several policy fields.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Jacqueline.claessens@rivm.nl.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Claessens
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dieneke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schram-Bijkerk
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesbet
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dirven-van Breemen
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harm
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Wijnen
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D009426:Netherlands; D011634:Public Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012987:Soil; D014504:Urban Health; D014881:Water Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Climate adaptation; Green spaces; Human health; Soil; Urban areas; Water storage capacity