The Power of Partnership: Resilient Delta joins Two Pioneering Regio Deals
Resilient Delta has partnered with both Smart Delta Drechtsteden and the Waterweg Region, aiming to uplift the quality of life, housing, and work environments within their municipalities. This collaboration unites local government, businesses, schools, and the community around a common vision. Both these partnerships have resulted in a significant leap forward—two ambitious applications for Regio Deals, seeking 36.5 million and 20 million in funding from the central government. Both initiatives aim to catalyze and accelerate the establishment of a robust foundation for broad prosperity.
Smart Delta Drechtsteden: building a strong foundation for broad prosperity
The Smart Delta Drechtsteden Regio Deal focuses on stepping up to enhance the lives and opportunities for residents while making the environment healthier. The spotlight is on using technology to drive social progress. To make this happen, there’s a need for strong financial support and involvement from everyone – government, businesses, schools, and the community. That’s why the national government is being asked for a boost of 36.5 million to kickstart these important changes that will create a more vibrant and fairer future for the Drechtsteden region.
Resilient Delta will play a significant role by contributing through the SPRING research consortium and the T-Roffa Tree Lab. SPRING focusses on collaborating closely with public authorities, companies, citizens, and various stakeholders, to conduct research aimed to enhance lifestyles, improve the living environment, and increase the life expectancy of residents. We do that by means of long-term research with, for and by residents and other local parties. The T-Roffa Lab uses a mobile forest to investigate how we can develop cities together with citizens and make cities climate-resilient through the placement of greenery.
The Waterweg region: plans for liveability, work and sustainability
Maassluis, Rotterdam, Schiedam and Vlaardingen – the Waterweg region – are joining forces to improve the quality of life, living and working in their municipalities. The Waterweg Regio Deal consists of three interrelated pillars. The first pillar aims to improve liveability in neighbourhoods. This should lead to greater self-reliance of residents, more social interaction in the neighbourhood and better opportunities for young people and young adults. The aim of the second pillar is sustainable employment by making better use of existing talent. There will be suitable training paths leading to stable jobs. The third pillar aims at sustainable, circular living and working, by encouraging companies to work sustainably and healthily and by building a future-proof living environment.
As Resilient Delta we will focus our research efforts on various areas as part of the Waterweg Regio Deal. Some of the topics we’ll delve into include enhancing livability, promoting equal opportunities, fostering overall prosperity, implementing neighborhood-level interventions, encouraging citizen participation, and more. This research aims to explore, analyze, and develop strategies that positively impact these areas within the context of the New Waterway Regio Deal.
About the applications
In Regio Deals, the central government and regions work together to increase the quality of life, living and working for residents and entrepreneurs. By the end of the first quarter of 2024, it is expected to be clear whether a Regio Deal has been awarded. Not only the government is supporting, public and private parties are also contributing.
A region board provides guidance on the main lines. This includes the mayor or an alderman from the municipalities involved, a deputy from the province and social partners involved. Residents and partners such as entrepreneurs and educational institutions had an important role in the preparation. They also keep that role in the elaboration and steering. This cooperation provides a good basis for working on the above challenges, together with the province of South Holland and the various government departments.