Noord-Hofland Neighborhood Climate Adaptation Plan Adopted
Extreme heat, drought, and extreme precipitation. To address the problems these conditions cause, the municipality of Voorschoten is developing so-called climate adaptation plans. Recently, the municipal executive adopted the plan for the Noord-Hofland neighborhood.
Our climate is changing. In the Netherlands, too, summers are becoming increasingly hotter and drier. More extreme rainstorms can lead to flooding. The municipality is taking measures to address this through climate adaptation plans. For each neighborhood, the municipality outlines the challenge as specifically as possible, along with a plan for making the necessary adjustments.
Stress Testing
The municipality has conducted so-called climate adaptation stress tests for the entire village. These tests assess the impact of extreme precipitation and heat. The results showed that certain neighborhoods are more severely affected by heavy rainfall and drought than others. Four neighborhoods have therefore been identified as priorities: Krimwijk, Noord-Hofland, Starrenburg, and Vlietwijk. The municipality is drawing up neighborhood plans for these areas. After Krimwijk, Noord-Hofland is the second in the series.
Together with residents and other stakeholders
“Following the stress tests, we began talking with residents, housing associations, and interest groups in Noord-Hofland,” says Alderman Schokker. “We used the findings as input for the neighborhood plan. One example is redesigning a number of housing associations’ courtyard gardens, including exploring options for replacing paved areas with greenery. In this way, this neighborhood plan represents a significant collaborative step toward a climate-resilient Voorschoten, as we have outlined in our climate adaptation policy.”
Next Steps
Now that the plan has been adopted, the municipality will begin in 2026 to further develop the plans and to prepare and implement the measures.
Want to know more?
The neighborhood plan, the report from the residents' meeting, and the climate adaptation policy can be found at www.voorschoten.nl/klimaatadaptatie. Do you have a question? Send a message to klimaatadaptatie@voorschoten.nl.