Gouda “Firm City” project

Gouda city centre is suffering from soil subsidence, which has a major impact on the historic buildings located there. This issue is also affecting other cities. What solutions have proven effective? How can owner-occupiers be properly supported? This project is intended to gain relevant knowledge.

Project objective

A key element in this project is sharing know-how and experience with other cities and areas that are faced with soil subsidence. Gouda is thus contributing to finding climate adaptation solutions that are geared to soil subsidence. The project ties in with the Coalitie Stevige Steden [Firm Cities Coalition], which, under the Slappe Bodem [Soft Soil] platform, focuses on enhancing complex and innovative projects in the field of urban soil subsidence in the Netherlands.

Implementation

A help desk will be set up where building owners can get information on foundation restoration, insulation, adapting individual sewers, cultural-historical issues, and the energy transition. A study into current and future differences in elevation will map the developments that will materialise in the future. This will provide a basis for developing a strategy to deal with potential issues arising from differences in elevation.

Gouda is lowering groundwater and surface water levels in the low-lying sections of the city centre. The effects of such measures are being monitored. The monitoring results are publicly available and can be viewed online, preferably in “real-time”.

To prevent further cost increases and problems caused by soil subsidence, momentum needs to be given to knowledge development, innovation, and dissemination of knowledge. To this end, the National Soil Subsidence and Foundations Knowledge Centre has been set up. In this Centre, administrators and professionals are collectively pursuing solutions. Furthermore, individual residents can apply to the Centre for information and advice.