The Resilient Delta Initiative, part of the Convergence Alliance, is a partner in two Regio Deals. For these deals, the central government has allocated €25 million to Smart Delta Drechtsteden and €17.7 million to the Waterweg Region. These funds are aimed at improving the quality of life, living and working in their municipalities. This joint effort brings together local governments, businesses, schools and the community, united around a shared vision of progress.
Smart Delta Drechtsteden: building a strong foundation for broad prosperity
The Smart Delta Drechtsteden Regio Deal focuses on stepping up to enhance the lives and opportunities for residents while making the environment healthier. The spotlight is on using technology to drive social progress. To make this happen, there’s a need for strong financial support and involvement from everyone – government, businesses, schools, and the community. That’s why the national government is being asked for a boost of 36.5 million to kickstart these important changes that will create a more vibrant and fairer future for the Drechtsteden region.
Resilient Delta will play a significant role by contributing through the SPRING research consortium and the T-Roffa Tree Lab. SPRINGOpens external focusses on collaborating closely with public authorities, companies, citizens, and various stakeholders, to conduct research aimed to enhance lifestyles, improve the living environment, and increase the life expectancy of residents. We do that by means of long-term research with, for and by residents and other local parties. The T-Roffa LabOpens external uses a mobile forest to investigate how we can develop cities together with citizens and make cities climate-resilient through the placement of greenery.
The Waterweg region: plans for liveability, work and sustainability
Maassluis, Rotterdam, Schiedam and Vlaardingen – the Waterweg region – are joining forces to improve the quality of life, living and working in their municipalities. The Waterweg Regio DealOpens external consists of three interrelated pillars. The first pillar aims to improve liveability in neighbourhoods. This should lead to greater self-reliance of residents, more social interaction in the neighbourhood and better opportunities for young people and young adults. The aim of the second pillar is sustainable employment by making better use of existing talent. There will be suitable training paths leading to stable jobs. The third pillar aims at sustainable, circular living and working, by encouraging companies to work sustainably and healthily and by building a future-proof living environment.
As Resilient Delta we will focus our research efforts on various areas as part of the Waterweg Regio Deal. Some of the topics we’ll delve into include enhancing livability, promoting equal opportunities, fostering overall prosperity, implementing neighborhood-level interventions, encouraging citizen participation, and more. This research aims to explore, analyze, and develop strategies that positively impact these areas within the context of the New Waterway Regio Deal.
About the Resilient Delta Initiative
To create solutions to the urgent and complex societal challenges of our time, TU Delft, Erasmus MC, and Erasmus University Rotterdam join forces within Convergence.
The Resilient Delta Initiative, part of Convergence, tackles major social issues in deltas through transdisciplinary research. This brings together knowledge from alpha, beta, and gamma sciences. This approach connects science with practice and links long-term solutions to short-term actions. By working closely with both the public and private sectors, the Resilient Delta Initiative aims to develop a future-proof delta.
About the Regio Deal application
In Regio Deals, the central government and regions work together to increase the quality of life, living and working for residents and entrepreneurs. Not only the government supports, public and private parties also contribute. Today, the Cabinet decision announced which region deals will receive funding. Following this, the deal-making process will start to arrive at signed deals in autumn 2024. The Regio Deals have a duration of four years for developing the plans.
This article was first published on 9 February by Erasmus University Rotterdam.
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