Vlissingen, The Netherlands - Municipality of Vlissingen
What / where is the pilot?
The pilot project in Vlissingen is in an urban area at the mouth of the Westerschelde where the river arm and the North Sea come together. The project provides the design and implementation for a new way of thinking about climate-adaptive public spaces in urban areas by the sea. The objective is to focus on natural and green sustainable measures, which in the long term will protect the urban area against flooding during storms. In addition, research is being conducted into the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the foreshore and in the primary sea defences. The measures in the pilot are implemented in a street and as part of an area development in "De Spuikom". The implemented measures must contribute to the natural appearance of the urban area.
Why is the pilot needed and what are the benefits?
In urban coastal areas, the right balance must be sought between coastal defence and urban development. The addition of NBS creates new opportunities for a new way of spatial development. The ambition is to have the aspects reinforce each other. The variety of forms of coastal defence in Vlissingen (beach, concrete barrier, green dyke) will teach the various other pilots within the SARCC partnership. The Dutch coastal strip is primarily designed as a sandy coast, which means that valuable cross-border knowledge can be brought in for Vlissingen. If no measures are taken in the area of the pilot, the dike will eventually have to be raised by three meters. This has a very large negative impact on the urban quality of Vlissingen.
How is the pilot using Nature-based solutions?
The design of the public space protects the inner city of Vlissingen from damage caused by flooding and wave overtopping. Green barriers absorb seawater and carry it off naturally to the urban water system. This limits the chance of damage to property and people. As part of an area development, 'De Spuikom' is being made suitable for responding to sea level rise in the long term. Innovative concepts of urban development (climate adaptation and spatial adaptation) are elaborated here. Green, quality, urban development and adaptive coastal defence are combined in a coastal city.