The way to sustainable well-being in a Dutch neighbourhood
Researchers from the University of Twente plan to work closely with the citizens and municipality of Enschede in the Netherlands to design changes to the city landscape. Supported by the EU-funded WISER project, they are targeting Enschede’s Twekkelerveld neighbourhood and aim to improve citizens’ well-being. Their case study is part of an effort to explore the role of urban green and blue spaces such as parks, rivers and ponds, and how they affect well-being. “We want to understand the needs, wishes and challenges of the citizens,” states Carmen Anthonj, associate professor at ITC, the University of Twente’s Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, in a news item posted on ‘U-Today’. The Twekkelerveld neighbourhood was chosen because of its proximity to the university and the important role it plays in the community. Like many urban areas, it has the potential to become greener. “If you look at the map of Enschede, Twekkelerveld is an area with a high density of buildings compared to other parts of the city,” explains Anthonj. “Another reason for selecting Twekkelerveld is its diverse community. Access to public blue and green spaces is beneficial for all, particularly in areas with disadvantaged groups where there may be fewer private gardens.” Green and blue spaces do indeed have undeniable benefits. They make areas cooler, help prevent flooding, enhance air quality, and also improve people’s physical and mental health. “Green and blue spaces also increase social cohesion in the area because they bring people together,” remarks Javier Martinez, also an associate professor at ITC. “They offer more possibilities for physical activity because they provide more attractive places for people to walk, play and exercise.”
So what is the plan?
To help improve well-being, the researchers have already begun to work with Enschede’s municipality and will soon also directly involve local residents. “We want to co-design public blue and green spaces with residents based on their own needs and desires. We are very interested in understanding their perspectives on the built and natural environment, and how it impacts their wellbeing,” states Martinez. To achieve this goal, the team will be using advanced technologies such as a new AI tool from UrbanistAI that citizens can use to indicate desired changes for their neighbourhood. “The tool displays photos of Twekkelerveld and allows the people to directly change these photos. For example, they can add more trees, benches, water fountains, and so on,” explains Martinez. “It’s a great tool to communicate with the people and see what they need in terms of green and blue spaces.” This is an opportunity to bring citizens and decision-makers closer together, according to Anthonj, who also hopes that it will raise awareness about the many population groups’ different needs. “Even just one neighborhood is a very diverse community, but different groups of people are often not considered,” ITC’s associate professor observes. The study forms part of the WISER (WISER: Well-being in a Sustainable Economy Revisited) project, which is creating a new economic development framework that balances current well-being without compromising the future. The project ends in September 2026. For more information, please see: WISER project web page
Keywords
WISER, well-being, blue space, green space, city, urban, Twekkelerveld, Enschede, neighbourhood, community, resident, citizen
