Green Transformations

Make neighbourhoods healthier, more beautiful, and climate resilient. Green transformations turn overly paved inner-city areas into green, liveable neighbourhoods. With green and blue interventions we reduce heat stress, retain water, strengthen biodiversity, and connect neighbourhoods. In doing so we increase neighbourhood value for residents and biodiversity alike.

Together with more than ten cities we developed an approach that delivers a complete plan for green transformation at relatively low cost, with resident participation. We can now green cities cost effectively with broad public support.

Every city carries the legacy of past decisions. What once seemed functional or aesthetically fitting often becomes a challenge over time. As the climate changes, densely inner city areas face increasing difficulties. Considered unsafe, unpleasant, and suffering from urban heat island effects and poor air quality.

The solution lies in green transformations, implementing diverse nature, open soil, and smart water management. Green transformations create multiple benefits and contribute to a resilient, livable city for the future.

Why green transformations

Many inner-city places are paved over and become unbearably hot on warm days. At the same time, cities face flooding, declining biodiversity, air pollution, maintenance challenges, and social issues such as vandalism and a lack of social cohesion. Green transformations address these challenges in an integrated way.

What green does, in short

• Reduces heat stress and improves air quality
• Retains water and relieves pressure on sewers
• Increases biodiversity and connects ecosystems
• Boosts wellbeing, encourages activity and social encounters
• Makes neighbourhoods more attractive and increases property value
• Saves energy through cooling, shade and windbreaks
• Improves soil health, strengthening the entire urban ecology

Our service: two tracks that work together

We offer a streamlined trajectory that can be used as separate steps or as a complete program.

Service 1) Strategy map: scan of opportunity locations

Duration: 6 weeks. We look at the city as a whole, identify promising locations and their interrelations, and determine where to start. Deliverables: strategy map, action plan with timeline, and next steps.

Six-step approach

1. Analysis and preparation: collect and study plans and data
2. Site visit with relevant officials
3. First draft of the map with interactive co-creation
4. Feedback and refinement
5. Final strategy map and action plan
6. Presentation and discussion of next steps
   

Outcome
A shared, actionable starting point: where greening has the greatest effect, which interventions fit each place, and the smartest order of implementation.

Service 2) Concept design: transform a location

Duration: 5 months. For one opportunity location we develop a complete concept design, including resident participation, cost estimate, and impact assessment. The plan is ready for technical detailing.

Six-step approach

1. Analysis and site research with relevant departments
2. Information session with stakeholders, including residents and local businesses
3. Two design scenarios based on input and initial explorations
4. Co-creation session to select the preferred direction
5. Design iterations with detailed cooling and greening measures
6. Presentation, impact calculation, and delivery
   
   

Typical measures
Smart water management and retention, green roofs and streets, bioswales and ecological corridors, manageable native planting, and underground integration

Impact in numbers: Edelstenenbuurt, Middelburg

Together with residents and the municipality we worked on a 1970s neighbourhood with a cul-de-sac “cauliflower” layout. The results show what a green transformation can deliver:

• +84 new trees, with extra attention to fruit species
• Permeable surface increased from 1.75 to 33.21 percent
• Green area doubled to 44.37 percent of the plan area
• Less paving, less heat stress, and a noticeably calmer environment with a 3 dB noise reduction

See our climate-adaptive park transformation Stadstuin van Hasselt (Roosendaal), featuring wadi swales, reused materials, and biodiversity zones. The garden captures up to 1,000 m³ of rainwater and received the Lighthouse Award.

Working in co-creation

Green transformations succeed through early involvement of residents, entrepreneurs, and maintenance teams. We facilitate co-creation in every step, so design choices align with local values and maintenance realities.

Our approach: systems thinking as a foundation

We work with Symbiosis in Development (SiD), Except’s framework for integrated, systemic sustainability. SiD links analysis and design, accelerates decision-making, and ensures that measures for water, green space, mobility, and the social fabric reinforce each other. Read more about SiD and our Sustainable Cities & Environments services.

Who it’s for

Municipalities, provinces, area developers, and housing associations that want affordable, widely supported greening with measurable impact on liveability, health, and climate adaptation.

What you receive

• Strategy map with opportunity locations, prioritisation and phasing
• Action plan with timeline and investment indication
• Concept design per location, including cost estimate and impact assessment
• Participation report and maintenance principles
• Visualisations and key maps, ready for technical detailing
  

Examples and further reading

• Stadstuin van Hasselt, Roosendaal: climate-adaptive park transformation with large-scale water retention and biodiversity.
  
• Cool Neighbourhoods (Interreg) – Edelstenenbuurt, Middelburg: neighbourhood greening with demonstrable cooling, water infiltration, and social quality. (case data above)
  

More inspiration: our services overview and our integrated systemic SiD approach.

Want to know more? Download a brochure below (available in Dutch and English), or contact us to talk about what we can do to help transform your city.