Amsterdam launches shade project with movable greenery to combat summer heat

If you’ve been in the Dutch capital during a heatwave, you’ll know that it can feel sweltering with no shade in sight. To combat this, the city of Amsterdam has begun testing cooling solutions for hot summer weather, including movable greenery and sun sails. 

Innovative cooling solutions tested in Amsterdam

Not only are many households struggling to cool their homes during heatwaves, but while out and about, the lack of shade can easily cause overheating. The municipality of Amsterdam has come up with the Schaduwmakers (shade makers) project in an attempt to cool the city. For the next two years, five temporary cooling solutions will be pilot-tested in areas where residents have complained about the heat to determine the best long-term approach to combat heat stress in the city.

The ManyTree is one such solution - a “fake tree” with climbing plants growing on a frame in the shape of a tree that generates shade and provides seating for residents. The Urban Jungle Project is another example, where a living elm tree is placed in a movable container that allows the plant to be self-sufficient, requiring very little maintenance. Other options include the Green Pergola from StreetLife and sun sails from ShadowArt.

Rising temperatures lead to heat stress in Dutch cities

With temperatures rising every year, the built-up city of Amsterdam means heat lingers. According to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), cities are on average 7 degrees warmer than rural areas. Extreme temperatures are more often leading to health complaints, with an extra 40 people dying per day during heatwaves - a 12 percent increase in mortality rate, reports RTL Nieuws.

Over 80 spots in the Dutch capital get dangerously hot when the mercury hits tropical temperatures. One such area is the Oosterdokskade near Amsterdam Centraal Station, also known as “heat street”, where temperature feel can get as high as 40 degrees celsius in the summer. This is the main location to pilot test the Schaduwmakers.

"It's getting incredibly hot in the city," said Alderman Melanie van der Horst during the opening of Schaduwmakers. "We need to cool down by means of shade and greening, this innovation is badly needed for that." Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences lecturer in Climate-Proof City, Jeroen Kluck, believes more plants and trees are indeed the solution. "They not only provide cooling shade, but also cool the air through evaporation. A tree can lower the perceived temperature of the environment by 10 to 15 degrees through its shade."