Cultural heritage and urban climate adaptation

2017-2018, funded by Stimuleringsfonds voor de creatieve industrie, project leader: Martin Knuijt and Paul Kersten (OKRA), team members: Rijksdienst voor cultureel erfgoed, Stichting Arcadië, gemeente Utrecht, Sanda Lenzholzer

In the city of Utrecht many opportunities occur to combine the conservation and revitalization of cultural heritage elements with climate adaptation. The  re-interpretation of the historical water system and implementing new additions to the system offers chances to retain more rainwater. As many areas in the historical city centre also suffer from urban heat and drought problems, the water systems can also be used to regulate the thermal environment and irrigate cooling plants in the city.