Green infrastructure in the Netherlands: robust and coordinated
Green spaces provide urban dwellers with nature, space, peace and quiet. Green spaces represent the rural component of urban surroundings. If people are to experience these green values, the green spaces have to be robust. In addition, the spatial coordination of urban green spaces is important in terms of their use by people and animals. It is not only better for green spaces to be linked; links with outlying areas also allow them to be used more.
What determines the condition of the green infrastructure?
Three indicators provide us with an idea of the condition of the green infrastructure:
- the proportion of green spaces;
- accessibility to outlying areas;
- the accessibility of public green spaces in towns.
Proportion of green spaces in the built-up area (see map)
A robust, coordinated, green infrastructure is only possible if substantial proportions of built-up areas consist of green spaces. This idea is the basis for the policy plans for maintaining the balance between green spaces and urbanisation. The development of the proportion of green spaces in built-up areas is the indicator for measuring this balance, which includes all types of green spaces, including agricultural areas. As a result of the lack of national data about small green spaces with no specific function, gardens and street trees, these components have not been included in the indicator. The way the indicator has been completed at present underestimates the 'green appearance' of urban municipalities.
Accessibility of outlying areas and public green spaces in towns (not in the map)
Green infrastructure plans for large towns pay more and more attention to the accessibility of green spaces. Accessibility depends not only on the distance between homes and green spaces, which is included in the availability indicator, but also on the nature of the routes to the green spaces in and around towns. Over 50% of the municipal green-space projects submitted for Urban Renewal Investment financing in the period 2000-2004 concentrate on the development of safe, green routes without obstacles (Bezemer & Visschedijk, 2002). The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP) is working on a project to operationalise the indicator for the accessibility of green spaces in and around towns. The indicator allocates weightings to the distance from the home to the green space on the basis of how attractive the route is and on the basis of the presence of obstacles such as major infrastructure and waters.
Interactive atlas for green spaces in and around towns
You can consult the information in the Environment and Nature Compendium about green spaces in and around towns interactively using a digital atlas. To help you along, we have selected a map for you: Green infrastructure: robust and coordinated. This map describes the situation in 1996, showing the total area occupied by public green spaces, semi-public green spaces and agricultural areas as a percentage of the existing built-up area.
You can consult other maps using the atlas.
