In March, the campaign to turn Rotterdam into a National Park began! The campaign kicked off with an exhibition at Rotterdam’s Natural History Museum, followed by a breakfast, tour and visit to the exhibition. A festival May is set to follow.
What is a National Park City?
National Parks are defined differently around the world. They are defined as “special places where we have a better relationship with nature, culture and heritage and can enjoy and develop ourselves. Combining the long-term and large-scale vision of National Parks with cities has the potential to shift our collective understanding of what and who a city is for.” National Park Cities are not National Parks, but they are inspired by them.
Over the past 10 years, communities have come together in London, UK and Adelaide, Australia to become National Park Cities – sharing curiosity, building relationships, exploring ideas and taking action together – and now Rotterdam is next! Find out more about the growing international National Park Cities movement here: https://www.nationalparkcity.org/about/
What is Rotterdam National Park?
What if the streets in Rotterdam were ten times greener? What if schools did more lessons outside? What if there was less pollution and the air we breathed every day was cleaner? What if we could pick our food on the street? What would the city look like then? How would the city smell, feel and taste? Welcome to the Rotterdam National Park: a greener, healthier and wilder city for everyone!
To achieve this ambitious goal, Groen010, the team behind the Edible Cities Network Living Lab in Rotterdam, has launched a multi-year campaign in 2023 and declared Rotterdam a National Park City. All Rotterdammers are invited to get involved! With this campaign they want to inspire and activate people to become greener, to become more sustainable and to have an eye for the nature around us. Groen010 challenges everyone to participate: citizens, companies, schools, churches, mosques, music and gyms, children, parents, grandparents… Everyone is welcome and participating is simple: from hanging a planter on your balcony, organizing from a sports activity in nature, planting flowers along a facade, to swimming in the Kralingse Plas lake.
With this campaign, Rotterdam is joining the international movement ‘National Park Cities’. This movement has existed since 2019 and aims to improve life in our cities worldwide. In a National Park City, people and nature are healthy and happy, connected to nature and to each other.
The Rotterdam National Park City Manifesto
The goal is to build a radically inclusive movement where everyone feels involved in the Rotterdam National Park campaign. The goal is a new identity for Rotterdam where everyone works together for:
- Healthier lives and more social well-being for the inhabitants of Rotterdam; more connection with nature and with each other.
- More wildlife, trees and flowers. We let nature take its course
- Natural habitats, cleaner air, water, sea and land
- Time outside with each other through culture, art, playing, walking, cycling, eating, etc
- More locally grown food and responsible consumption; less food waste and less food from far away.
- Working together, sharing, deciding and learning from each other; everyone thinks and participates.
- Connection with nature and with each other
- Using green to promote equality and justice; healthy food and green outdoor space for everyone!
Find out more at the official website: https://www.nationaalparkstadrotterdam.nl/
