The Dutch approach to sus­tain­abil­i­ty in urban­ism, archi­tec­ture, and mobil­i­ty is wide­ly regard­ed as one of the most inno­v­a­tive in the world. Sus­tain­abil­i­ty in Hol­land is not so much focussed on tech­no­log­i­cal solu­tions, but rather on low-cost, high-impact strate­gies. An impor­tant aspect of the Dutch approach is a focus on com­pact and mixed-use urban devel­op­ment. Rather than sprawl­ing, car-depen­dent sub­urbs, Dutch cities are char­ac­ter­ized by dense, walk­a­ble neigh­bor­hoods with a mix of res­i­den­tial, com­mer­cial, and cul­tur­al uses. This not only reduces the need for car trav­el but also fos­ters a sense of com­mu­ni­ty and social cohesion.

In terms of archi­tec­ture, the Dutch approach empha­sizes ener­gy effi­cien­cy and the use of sus­tain­able mate­ri­als, in order to become more envi­ron­men­tal­ly friend­ly and reduce its car­bon foot­print. The Dutch gov­ern­ment has set ambi­tious goals for reduc­ing green­house gas emis­sions, and archi­tec­ture plays a cru­cial role in meet­ing these targets.

A char­ac­ter­is­tic of all Dutch projects is the cre­ative mind­set and open­ness for unusu­al, inno­v­a­tive solu­tions. This can be seen in a large vari­ety of project types, from brown­field and har­bour con­ver­sions to bot­tom-up ini­tia­tives, cli­mate-proof neigh­bour­hoods and play­grounds made from recy­cled mate­r­i­al. Anoth­er aspect is the focus on cre­at­ing build­ings that are adapt­able and flex­i­ble, so that they can be eas­i­ly mod­i­fied and repur­posed as needs change.

Find out more dur­ing one of our tours!