Measure your city! Amersfoort
Climate change and its effects on the Netherlands are widely discussed. But what do these changes mean for a city like Amersfoort? To find out, the Meet je stad! ("Measure Your City!") project was launched in 2015. For three years, residents collected data in their own neighbourhoods and investigated how climate change affects daily life in the city of Amersfoort.
Meet je stad! is a bottom-up research project by and for residents of Amersfoort. They developed the research questions, designed the monitoring methods and collected data across the city.
Three research groups are active within the project:
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One group focused on measuring climate factors such as temperature and humidity. Residents developed their own sensor boxes, which were installed at locations across the city.
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A second group explored how residents experience climate change in their local environment and developed ways to collect these experiences.
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A third group monitored the flowering times of common plant species in Amersfoort.
Residents worked together with the municipality of Amersfoort, the Vallei and Veluwe Water Authority, Gerb& and De WAR.
Results
The project resulted in a group of residents who actively contribute to climate research in the city. A network of sensor boxes was developed that uses the LoRa (long-range) network to transmit data. These sensors measured temperature at different locations throughout Amersfoort.
The project also collected residents' experiences of the local climate and gathered information on the flowering times of plants across the city. Together, these data provided valuable insights into the effects of climate change on Amersfoort's living environment.
Lessons learned from the project
- Give residents the space and confidence to develop and carry out research themselves.
- Focus not only on predefined goals, but also on the energy and commitment of participants.
- Bringing together people with different knowledge, skills and experiences often leads to new insights and ideas.
- Support from an organisation or individual with experience in community-led initiatives is an important factor for success.
Contact
Sandra Sijbrandij
Municipality of Amersfoort
0334694676
Aj.sijbrandij@amersfoort.nl