Linking water policy innovation and urban renewal: the case of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract

Different strategy positions are possible with regard to new urban water infrastructural investments. A relatively new position argues that new water infrastructure needs to be linked to ongoing urban developments. This article investigates how the urban water management organizations in Rotterdam developed its climate adaptation strategy by creating urban development strategies that are sensitive to water issues. A crucial factor was the recognition that water could contribute to solving urban problems by upgrading neighbourhood quality. In this case study, a multi-level analysis is used to reconstruct the urban water management cascade, that is, the turns in thinking made by the Rotterdam water professionals, leading to this new approach. In particular the interactions between the envisioning project Rotterdam Water City 2035 and the broader policy context in this cascade together with how they were managed strategically are investigated. This research indicates that the Rotterdam urban water management organizations realized a successful water policy innovation; however, the institutional mechanisms needed to realize, operate and maintain the proposed multi-stakeholder projects on a city-wide scale are still missing. This is currently the major challenge for realizing climate adaptation in terms of water sensitive urban development.

Analyzing Evidence of Sustainable Urban Water Management Systems: A Review through the Lenses of Sociotechnical Transitions

“…We also observed that most of the cases address the planning and implementation of sustainable urban water projects at either suburban/neighborhood (55) or urban (46) levels, but relatively less frequently at the regional, watershed, and river scales (12). One explanation for the lack of case studies addressing urban water challenges at the watershed/catchment scale may be due to our selection criteria, which limited our review to include case studies of urban water.…”

“…They also reveal the significance of a participatory approach involving relevant interest groups as a tool for allowing a space for experimentation and the development of technical niches and policy and societal innovations. The significance of these particular types of tools is stressed as a factor facilitating desirable sociotechnical changes [28,44,[52][53][54][55].…”

“…This shift in the roles of traditional actors is supported by other studies. Indeed, a shift from the current water infrastructure planning approach that often occurs in isolation from the broader planning of our urban environments and other social services has become a prerequisite for the optimal and effective system design, location, and management of space [49,55,94].…”

“…Examples of instruments are Decision support tools; Planning instruments; Policy, governance, and management instruments; Funding Schemes and Incentive Programs; Participatory implementation instruments. [28,44,[52][53][54][55] Processes Which stages of a generalized planning and implementation cycle does the case study article address?…”

A Perspective-Based Simulation Game to Explore Future Pathways of a Water-Society System Under Climate Change

“…The concrete method presented here entails what we call a perspective-based simulation game to develop scenario storylines for a case of Dutch river management. The game’s design closely follows theoretical concepts of Cultural Theory (Thompson, Ellis, & Wildavsky, 1990), Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) Theory (Sabatier & Jenkins-Smith, 1993), and societal transitions (Rotmans, 2005; Van der Brugge, 2009) presenting complementary views on the dynamics of the societal response. These concepts are translated into a simulation game format in which players take up the role of water managers of a river stretch within a delta being confronted with climate change.…”