Green cities

Cities play an increasingly important role in the transition to a sustainable future. With growing populations and rising pressures on space, climate, and living conditions, new approaches to urban development are essential. Wageningen University & Research works on creating green, livable, and resilient cities where ecosystems and human well-being go hand in hand.

Our focus is on designing cities that are climate-resilient, enhance biodiversity, and promote the health of their residents. We study how green and blue infrastructure improves urban climate, how nature-based solutions reduce heat stress, and how circular principles optimize water and resource use.

By connecting disciplines – from ecology and climate to design and social sciences – we develop knowledge and strategies for cities that are energy-positive, water-circular, and nature-inclusive. This supports governments, designers, and businesses in transforming urban areas into healthy environments for people and nature.

AMS Institute is an internationally leading institute where talent is educated and engineers, designers, and both natural and social scientists jointly develop and valorise integrated metropolitan solutions. The mission of AMS Institute is to develop a deep understanding of the city – sense the city – to design solutions for its challenges, and integrate these into the city of Amsterdam. This is done through three main activities: education, research & valorisation, and data.

Together with Delft University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Wageningen University & Research is the academic heart of AMS Institute. We closely collaborate on research assignments, education opportunities and establishing a data platform.