“We want to be the Resilience Capital of the USA”

The Netherlands – one-third of which is below sea level – has spent more than a lifetime protecting itself from the sea. What better place to learn from than here? More recently – given climate change – the country has pivoted to include a greater focus on overall resilience, including riverine flooding, preparing urban areas for more extreme weather events, and developing an all-inclusive approach to city planning, with room for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport options in previously car-dominated, urban spaces.

Site-visits and presentations of both cycling and resilience experts

The programme – jointly produced by the Netherlands Water Partnership and the Dutch Cycling Embassy – included visits to Rotterdam, The Hague, and Delft, as well as a one-day programme to the Maeslant Barrier, the parking facilities under the dunes in Katwijk and the Noordwaard Polder – that is part of the Room for the River programme. Every city included contributions from both cycling and resilience experts. The NWP members involved included: Bosch Slabbers, Arcadis, Royal HaskoningDHV, the Municipality of Rotterdam, TU Delft, Blue21, Dutch Water Prevention, Obscape, and Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the State of Maryland and the City of Annapolis in particular. It is the beginning of a grand partnership and collaboration.