Author(s)

W. J. Fikken, A. van Timmeren & J. W. F. Wamelink

Abstract

In area development the implementation of sustainability measures is often considered difficult and subject to devaluation of the original ambitions. One of the main reasons for this concerns the costs and benefits of those measures. Some measures require high initial investments, while the return on those investments sometimes takes up to several decades. Another reason is that some measures require investments of stakeholder A, while stakeholder B receives the benefits, and stakeholder C will be confronted with the negative environmental impacts. In such cases making decisions is not always easy. This paper presents the first outcomes of a Climate KIC PhD study. The goal of the study as a whole is to support climate proof area development by systematically analyzing the role of costs and benefits of measures in the design, development and decision making process, and – based upon the results – by formulating recommendations for improvement. Questions to be answered include, how should the various stakeholders, as mentioned above, be taken into account? Besides this, the study tries to find answers related to impacts beyond the geographical boundaries and/or the timeframe of a project. The first part of the study concerns an evaluation of two Dutch reference cases in which sustainability has been one of the leading goals. The first case is the (re)development of a large part of the city of Delft. The second case concerns Schiphol Trade Park, a new industrial area to be developed the coming years nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Keywords

area development, climate mitigation and adaptation, costs and benefits, equalization, sustainability measures, stakeholders, synergies, urban planning