Revitalising the city centre

OKRA transformed the central area of the city of Nijverdal into an attractive and lively place that is friendly and welcoming, with plenty of space for cyclists and pedestrians. The redevelopment of the 800-metre-long Grotestraat is notable because of its green-blue structure with climate-adaptive wadi and water-bearing plant pockets around the trees. The revitalisation of the central area and dealing with climate change go hand in hand in this project.

Climate Adaptive

Sustainable technical solutions for water management, water collection and drainage make the area climate adaptive and resistant to recent climate developments with periods of extreme precipitation and periods of severe drought and heat in summer. Rainwater is stored under the pavement to provide the trees with sufficient water and to feed a water playground with fountains.

Water Resilient Cities

The landscape qualities of the ridge and stream valley have now been made visible and tangible right up to the core of Nijverdal, contributing to an attractive, healthy and liveable village centre. By linking attractive living space to the climate wadi, double use is created for both the water system and the users of the public space. For this design OKRA has won the Water Resilient Cities Award 2019 for ‘The best sustainable drainage system for rainwater in an urban environment’.