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Schiedam’s approach to smart land use to sustainable communities has been put forward as an URBACT good practice example. The city is situated near Rotterdam, in the Netherlands’ most densely populated urban area. With a predominantly low-income population of 78,000, Schiedam decided to promote upward social mobility by improving its housing stock and facilities, encouraging talented, economically successful citizens to stay in the city.
The programme supports social cohesion and inclusion by developing new multifunctional sports facilities while adding 640 sustainable dwellings to facilitate local housing for citizens.
The good practice offers the following solutions:
- Efficient spatial integration of main national infrastructure;
- Substantial mitigation of air pollution and noise compared to the effects achieved by a traditional approach to motorway construction;
- Improved urban green areas that are well connected to the rural areas outside Schiedam by walking and cycling routes;
- Stimulating a healthy, active life style by building new and multi-functional sports facilities with added features like physiotherapy, a childcare centre and a (1,200 pupil) dance school;
- Vital sport clubs organising activities that contribute to social cohesion and inclusion;
- Development of 640 new, all-electric apartments and houses that contribute to a sustainable, differentiated and higher quality housing stock;
- Retaining higher income groups in the city by improving public facilities and housing stock;
- Supporting a local housing career for Schiedam citizens as a contribution to upward social mobility.
Read more about the solutions implemented by Schiedam here.