LILa construction January - March 2024

The biggest news is the possible new name for the LILa: UT Field Lab, and also a new name for the main website.

 January was a cold month with some snow and thus little construction activities.

During February there was mostly some remaining soil transportation and finalizing of the underground cables.

In March all the remaining ground work before path construction was rouunded off.

 

Urban Resilience in a Changing Climate - Excursion

Today the students of the master course Urban Resilience in a Changing Climate had an excursion organized by the municipality Enschede (thank you, Koen Wagelaar!) and facilitated by the Saxion University for Applied Sciences.

Our first stop was at Saxion for Koen's presentation on Enschede's situation and measures taken and planned.

We then go to see the climate square, designed by students and with a weather station as well as a temperature sensor (https://ruuvi.com/ruuvitag-pro/). The weather station includes the equipment:

• Vaisala WXT536
• Kipp & Zonen CMP3 pyranometer
• Eltek AQ110 Air-Quality sensor
• Eltek GS44H (voltage logger)
• Apogee SL-510/610-SS
  

This in contrast to the weather station to be applied at LILa, which can be found here: https://metergroup.com/products/atmos-41/.

The climate square has several lower lying areas capable of storing water (wadis), and we got to see these across Enschede as well. 

The market square had some stationary and mobile green infrastructure. Given the activities on market days, finding space for trees is a challenge but the mobile containers can contribute a bit.

 

 

One area where an older building was demolished now has several trees planted, rather than erecting a new highrise building. 

 

 

 

Enschede has several wadis installed around the main streets and wherever else possible, as every drop counts. These are lower lying areas with vegetation that can temporarily store water and help delay it reaching the sewers. 

 

 

The street running next to the municipal government office is quite steep, so to add wadis without causing more floods was an additional challenge. The wadis have different vegetation not just for biodiversity but to help catch water, whereas the shapes of the wadis are designed to runoff excess water into the sewage channels through the gutters.

Followup invitation of the workshop 'Cities to Nature' - CITIES TO NATURE: We’re crafting the city green

 Please join our event at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for free on Friday 12 April.

 

CITIES TO NATURE:

We’re crafting the city green

 

Friday 12 April 10:00-15:30 Botanical garden Amsterdam Zuidas Van der Boechorststraat 8 1081BT Amsterdam

 During this workshop we will explore how green professionals and everyday citizens can collaborate to green the city, with a focus on the Randstad. With this, we have the ambition to transform the built environment into nature-inclusive areas, for and with all inhabitants.

 

Green roofing, walling and gardens have multiple benefits as such measures help to improve the management of water quality and quantity, biodiversity and human well-being. In terms of impact, they can contribute to decreasing heat stress, air pollution, energy use and biodiversity loss, and help to adapt urban areas to climate change.

 

The workshop especially focuses on the role of citizens in the process of crafting the urban environment green. The programme consists of a mix of presentations, pitches and discussions, and also includes a visit to the blue-green roof at the VU main building.

 

You can register here: https://forms.gle/L7y6nsHNDXJsgmMHA

 

PROGRAMME   Botanical garden Amsterdam Zuidas Van der Boechorststraat 8 1081 BT Amsterdam https://botanischetuinzuidas.nl/english/
Time	Activity	Where
10:00 – 10:15	Coffee and tea	Greenhouse
10:15 – 10:30	Welcome	Greenhouse
10:30 – 10:50	Presentation by Luc Sour Amsterdam’s city council
10:50 – 11:10	Presentation by Jan Henk Tigelaar Rooftop Revolution
11:10 – 11:20	Break	Botanical Garden
11:20 – 11:40	Speaker to be confirmed	Greenhouse
11:40 – 12:-00	Scientist pitches dr. Sean Vrielink – Living Innovation Lab Mus Muslimov – carbonturf.nl dr. Bep Schrammeijer – Athena Institute	Greenhouse
12:00 – 12:45	Lunch	Terrace
12:45 – 13:45	Rooftop visit with dr. Ralph Lasage	Blue-green roof at VU main building
13:45 – 14:45	Roundtables	Greenhouse
14:45 – 15:15	Plenary discussion	Greenhouse
15:15 – 15:30	Goodbye	Greenhouse