The Panderpleinproject
The Panderplein Project is the first interactive urban agriculture project in The Hague in which a historic square was depaved to grow fruits and vegetables and to provide cooling of the city. The publicly accessible, anonymous stone square is transformed into a sustainable agricultural town allotment which has been given a new interactive feature for residents and visitors to the square.
Social effects of urban agriculture
Wageningen UR has conducted research into the social effects of urban agriculture. For example, the contacts that arise as a result of the work in a neighborhood garden were studied, and the value of those contacts for the participants. In addition, we looked at a possible change in food patterns resulting from participation, and to what extend participation in a community garden can be seen as politically motivated. This study shows amongst other things that growers in this kind of urban agriculture get to know each other better and ask for help more easily.
The design of the Binnengasthuisterrein in Amsterdam
The ‘Binnengasthuisterrein’, a relatively green part of the city center of Amsterdam, is used extensively by residents, students, employees of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), and tourists to live, work, study and recreate. Wageningen UR, as an external party, helped to bring the conflicting needs and interests of residents, the UvA and various other parties together in an integrated design.
The effect of green on ADHD
There is growing evidence that green in the residential environment is good for your health. Especially the calming and restorative effect of contact with nature seems important here. New research by Wageningen UR shows that a greener environment is also associated with a lower risk of ADHD in children. This conclusion can indirectly be drawn from the fact that children living in a greener environment are less likely to use an ADHD medicine, such as Ritalin. It is remarkable that this relationship exists only in less affluent neighborhoods.