BEESTREET

greening in the city center of Leeuwarden

Beestreet is a project that focuses on the greening of inner cities for people and bees, the reduction of heat stress, rainwater storage and it is especially about a cozy city!

Smart Leeuwarden
BeeStreet was launched in 2018 as part of Smart Leeuwarden: a project in which smart cooperation is paramount for innovation and a pleasant living environment. In 2018, the activities focused on the area around the Blokhuispoort and Oosterstraten. With this sequel, we focus on the area around the Ruiterskwartier, Zaailand and Wilhelminaplein.

Changing city centres
The need for measures against flooding and heat stress comes at the same time as the change process that inner cities undergo. The city centre of Leeuwarden is transformed from a place to buy to a place to b (e) e. Visitors increasingly come to the city centre for recreational purposes.

Have a nice stay
For a quick, targeted purchase, we often go online or to a neighbourhood shopping centre. We visit the city centre to go out, for a combination of hospitality, retail, culture and/or an event. We want to experience something there, feel comfortable and safe, meet people there and enjoy ourselves.

Economic vitality
Not only is greening necessary for environmental reasons, but also for a favourable economic future for the city centre. It is one of the elements that will ensure economic vitality.

Flooding
The cities are becoming more and more petrified and we have to deal more with heavy rainfall. Since 1950, the number of days with heavy rain – where 50 millimetres or more rain falls – has doubled and it will increase. Due to fossilisation in cities, rainwater cannot sink into the ground and the sewer must drain all the water, thereby draining the sewer systems.

Heat stress
To prevent this, we want to retain part of the rainwater for use in greening the cities. This way, we can solve another problem at the same time, namely heat stress.The rainwater that is stored can be used during hot and dry days to water the greenery in the city. Especially in places where plants are not in the open ground, but in planters and areas with bee-friendly planting, for example. With the planting, we also hope to achieve more biodiversity in the city so that wild bees and birds hopefully return to our city centre.

Design Pressure Cooker (DPC) with House of Design
During previous conversations with entrepreneurs and residents, design questions were formulated that were worked out in the DPC. Residents and entrepreneurs want ‘something green’ on their façade. Something that is easy to install and fits according to the regulations of the municipality. House of Design supervises the circular design sessions. Together with Verhoeve Groen, we oversee the process where a producer is commissioned to carry out the designs a.

ACTIVITIES

• meetings residents and entrepreneurs
• Design Pressure Cooker to arrive at innovative and sustainable solutions
• meet and eat area
• greening party with students- MossArt
• graffiti with moss
• façade gardens
• Harvest Festival