OECD Promotes 'Area-Based' Climate Action
A new OECD paper, launched under the EU's Regional and Urban Policy program, highlights the effectiveness of "area-based initiatives in neighbourhoods" for tackling climate change and social cohesion. The paper emphasizes participatory, place-based strategies that empower local governments to tailor interventions. This approach aligns with Dutch planning practices like "gebiedsontwikkeling."
- The new OECD paper, "Area-based initiatives to transform neighbourhoods: An international policy mapping," analyzes over 40 case studies, concluding that linking economic, social, and physical development is key to addressing inequality and exclusion. It advocates for a model that combines a focus on both people and place to test new delivery models and strengthen local community capacity for change. - This integrated approach is reflected in the Netherlands' national strategy, which frames spatial planning as a shared responsibility across governmental levels. The National Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment (NOVI) provides a long-term vision, with 16 designated "NOVEX areas" where the national government collaborates with local authorities on complex spatial challenges like housing and the energy transition. - Dutch climate policy for the built environment aims for a 95% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, with a major focus on phasing out natural gas for heating in nearly 8 million homes. A key strategy involves a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood approach, exemplified by a pilot program in 66 areas to transition homes off the gas grid. - In Rotterdam, the Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) district serves as a prime example of "gebiedsontwikkeling," transforming a former port area into an innovation hub. The plan integrates manufacturing, housing, and cultural facilities, positioning itself as a testbed for the circular economy. This aligns with the city's broader goal of becoming 100% circular by 2050, a key driver of which is the potential for significant job creation. - The push for a circular construction sector is a national priority, aiming for 100% circularity by 2050 with an interim goal of a 50% reduction in the use of primary materials by 2030. This strategy is complicated by a concurrent housing shortage, requiring the construction of an estimated 981,000 new homes by 2030. - Digital innovations are central to achieving circularity in construction. The Madaster platform, a Dutch initiative, functions as an online library for materials used in buildings. This creates "material passports," which give materials an identity and prevent them from becoming waste, a critical step for enabling large-scale reuse. - The European Green Deal provides a broader context and funding for these local initiatives, aiming to make the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It mobilizes over €1 trillion through mechanisms like the Cohesion Fund and Horizon Europe to support projects in areas like energy efficiency, circularity, and green infrastructure at the local and regional levels. - From a systems thinking perspective, such area-based initiatives are seen as essential for managing the complexity of sustainable urban development. This approach moves beyond siloed, sectoral policies to an integrated model that considers the dynamic interactions between housing, climate adaptation, economic development, and social well-being to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities.
