Measure your city! Amersfoort
Climate change and its impact on the Netherlands is widely discussed. But what does it entail for the city of Amersfoort? In early 2015, the Meet je stad! [Measure your city!] project was launched. For three years, residents conduct measurements in their own environment, and study the impact and perception of climate change in the city of Amersfoort.
Meet je stad! is a bottom-up research project for and by residents of Amersfoort. They themselves have formulated the research goals and developed the research technology. They have now entered the data analysis phase.
Three research groups are active.
- One group engages in the actual measuring of climate factors. They build their own measuring boxes. The first prototypes have been measuring temperature and humidity since the summer of 2015. During 2016, sensors were placed throughout the city and linked in a network. The data produced by these sensors are available on this website.
- Another group is mapping out climate perceptions in individual living environments in Amersfoort. Together they are developing a method enabling the residents of Amersfoort to share their climate experience.
- A third group is surveying the flowering times of common plants in Amersfoort. A list has been drawn up and everyone can help take stock.
The residents are expending these efforts in collaboration with the municipality of Amersfoort, the Vallei en Veluwe district water board, Gerb& consultants, and De WAR pioneering collective. The development process of the project is outlined in the Meetjestad booklet (pdf, 1.2 MB).
Results
The project has generated a group of residents who are independently conducting research into the climate in the city. In addition, a measuring box has been developed that operates on the LoRa (long range) network. LoRa enables the wireless transmission and reception of small volumes of data.
Currently, 80 such boxes all across the city are continuously measuring the temperature in the city. Some 70 stories have been gathered about the perception of the climate in the individual living environment. The flora observations currently number 200 and counting.
Lessons to be learnt from the project
Municipal authorities, district water boards, and, e.g., universities should have confidence in residents. They should allow the project to evolve, focusing on energy rather than goals. Cities harbour a great deal of knowledge. Gathering a wide range of people together generates new developments.
Commitment from a club or someone experienced in the supervision of grassroot initiatives is a precondition.
Contact
Sandra Sijbrandij
Municipality of Amersfoort
0334694676
Aj.sijbrandij@amersfoort.nl