Rotterdam water squares - Rainwater makes playing outside on the square in Rotterdam great fun
When heavy downpours hit Rotterdam, some parts of the city flood quickly. The city’s water system is not able to process large amounts of rain. With a clever redesign, squares in residential areas are able to catch the rainwater and drain it away in a controlled manner. At the same time, these water squares are an attractive meeting place in the neighbourhood.
Results
Benthem Square, with 1,800 m3 of storage capacity, is literally the large model project for future water squares. The scale of the project also means that the costs are high, for one reason because the ground needs to be piled in order to construct a water square. Small-scale water squares are proportionately less expensive. Opportune for funding the project is the fact that Benthem Square received a national government subsidy from the Beautiful Netherlands Innovation Programme (Innovatieprogramma Mooi Nederland), and an INTERREG subsidy from the European Union.
In addition to Benthem Square, a couple of other small-scale water square projects are in preparation and/or in progress, such as Bellamy Square in Spangen (borough of Delfshaven). The square will be given a water square section that has 250 m3 of storage capacity. The water square under the Kleinpolder Square (borough of Overschie) consists of a tank into which water can overflow from the surface water nearby (primeval swamp). This tank also serves as a depot for public sculptures. These sculptures stand on plinths so that the water does not damage them.
Rotterdam has embraced the concept as a part of its urban policy. It also forms a part of the implementation programme Rotterdam Climate Proof (RCP) of the Duurzaam Programme Office. The programme is focused on measures aimed at adapting to climate change. The water square was presented at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, among other places.
Contact person
Daniel Goedbloed
Municipality of Rotterdam
d.goedbloed@gw.rotterdam.nl