Ranking the districts of Amsterdam on environmental sustainability : how do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and which local factors play a role in this?

(1)

Ranking the districts of Amsterdam on environmental sustainability

How do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and

which local factors play a role in this?

Source: Gemeente Amsterdam (2019).

Lara Welling (11247746)

17-6-2019

(2)

(3)

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and which local factors play a role in this. This was done with mixed methods research and a holistic multiple case study design with comparative elements. The cases are the districts of Amsterdam.

First, existing scientific literature regarding the subject of environmental sustainability will be

discussed. Subsequently, the research plan is outlined in great detail in the methodology section. Then follow the results, which exists of two parts. The first, quantitative part of this thesis ranks the districts on environmental sustainability using Z-scores. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to generate informative maps about this and aggregate data to the level of districts. The second,

qualitative part of this thesis helps to gain insight into why the districts score the way they do and how local factors play a role in this. Lastly, a conclusion and discussion with possible recommendations will follow.

The final ranking results of the districts are as follows (from high to low): Oost, Noord, Nieuw-West, Zuidoost, Zuid, West, Centrum. Furthermore, eight local factors are identified: residents, local governance, built environment, local problems, local organisations, homeownership, land ownership, and legislation. These local factors differ per district since every district has its own unique

(4)

(5)

1. Introduction

According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (2018) and the corresponding programme ‘Healthy Urban Living’, sustainability and climate are part of a healthy city. This is also acknowledged by the Municipality of Amsterdam (n.d. A.), which argues that serious action has to be taken to keep the city liveable for future generations. The municipality has many ambitions concerning making the city more sustainable, such as recycling more resources and increasing the share of green energy in the city (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. B). But how do these ambitions manifest themselves in practice?

In this thesis, the districts1_{of Amsterdam are compared in terms of environmental sustainability using}

different measures, like the number of solar panels per household and the amount of green space per square meter. No research has been made available yet that compares the districts of Amsterdam in this way, using multiple aspects of environmental sustainability. The districts of Amsterdam and their Executive Committees execute municipal tasks, amongst others in the field of sustainability and environment. Therefore, they bear responsibility for and have a great influence on this matter (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. D). However, there is no clear knowledge on how the districts score exactly in this field. There is only one study that compared the districts on sustainability, called Gebied in Beeld, but this only included aspects concerning double glass, energy labels and solar power (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. C). However, many more factors should be taken into account when discussing sustainability, such as charging points for electric vehicles and urban agriculture. However, the organisation De Gezonde Stad (‘The Healthy City’) did analyse the whole city of Amsterdam in terms of sustainability, using many different measures (De Gezonde Stad, 2018). This analysis showed that the city can still improve a great deal when it comes to sustainability measures, like recycling and green energy. The goal of this thesis is to uncover how the districts of Amsterdam differ regarding aspects of environmental sustainability.

The main research question is as follows: How do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and which local factors play a role in this?

This research is split up in two parts, which each answer a part of the research question.

In the first part, the districts of Amsterdam are ranked according to their environmental sustainability aspects. A lot of data about sustainable aspects in the districts is already made available, e.g. through Maps Amsterdam (n.d.). This data is used in this thesis in order to compare the districts of Amsterdam on sustainability using a Geographic Information System (GIS), which can easily generate

informative maps and aggregate data to the level of districts. The districts will be ranked using Z-scores. This research provides new insights into how the districts execute their municipal tasks concerning sustainability, and in which districts this appears to be more difficult.

The second part consists of a qualitative research. Employees of the Municipality of Amsterdam are interviewed in order to explain observed differences in the first part of the research. These interviews will reveal which local factors in the districts affect their sustainability and how this differs per district.

1_{Although there are eight districts in total, only seven will be analysed in this research. The district of}

Westpoort will not be taken into account. The reason for this is that this district is hard to compare to others and will bias the outcome of the research: it has very little inhabitants and is mainly an industrial area with many companies and ports (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018; Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. F). Thus, this district is too divergent to take into consideration for this research.

(9)

Mixed methods research, which integrates quantitative and qualitative research, is used in this thesis in order to achieve a more complete answer to the research question (Bryman, 2012, p. 62). The first, quantitative part of research will deliver a certain outcome and the second, qualitative part will try to explain this outcome. The ranking of the districts happens in a more objective manner and the interviews give a more complete image of the situation in the districts.

This research will first discuss existing scientific literature concerning the subject of environmental sustainability in the theoretical framework. Subsequently, the research plan is outlined in great detail in the methodology section. Then follow the results, which exists of two parts: the quantitative part comparing the districts on environmental sustainability, and the qualitative part where interviews are used in order to reveal which local factors play a role in the districts’ differences regarding

environmental sustainability and why. Lastly, a conclusion and discussion with possible recommendations will follow.

(10)

2. Theoretical framework

In order to analyse how sustainable the districts of Amsterdam are, it is important to consider what aspects encompass environmental sustainability and which local factors might affect the

environmental sustainability of an area. This is done in this section using existing scientific literature.

2.1 Literature review

2.1.1 Environmental sustainability

Sustainability encompasses many aspects: environmental, economic, social and institutional

sustainability (Turcu, 2013). Since the focus of this thesis is the environmental and climate aspect of sustainability, only environmental sustainability will be discussed. Environmental sustainability is about urban form and resource use that synthesize with the natural environment, rather than parasitize it (Basiago, 1999). Several aspects that make a city environmentally sustainable: urban green space, recycling and waste management, clean transport. urban agriculture, and local green energy. These aspects will be discussed separately in the following paragraphs.

Urban green space is essential for sustainable living and wellbeing (Lee, Jordan & Horsley, 2015). It has various environmental benefits, like negating urban heat, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the impact of storm water. However, urban green space does not only encompass ‘standard’ green spaces like parks and forests, but also the more modern green roofs. Green roofs may offer even more environmental benefits, like reduction of building energy consumption, increasing sound

insulation and ecological preservation, all of which makes buildings and cities more sustainable (Berardi, Ghaffarian Hoseini & Ghaffarian Hoseini, 2014). Additionally, previous research has shown that green space has positive effects on both mental and physical health. It provides spaces for

physical activity and social interaction, which are important for overall human wellbeing (Irvine et al., 2013).

A big problem in almost every city is that not only the use of resources is substantial, but also that a lot of these resources go to waste and are not being re-used. This connects to one of the main environmental problems: the growth of the inputs of resources and not adequately managing the increased outputs (Newman, 1999). In order to make cities more sustainable, the efficiency of resource use has to be improved and more waste has to be recycled. This does not only conserve resources, but also the energy with which they are produced since less resources have to be produced from scratch. Also, a correct and precise separation of different kinds of waste is indispensable here.

The most important resources to recycle are plastic and textile. Firstly, plastic is a non-biodegradable material, so when it is not recycled and it ends up in the regular trash or as street waste, plastic waste can sit in landfill for many years without degrading (Al-Maaded et al., 2012). Not only does plastic take years to break down, but when it does it causes a leakage of chemicals into soil and water, which depletes natural resources and causes harm to almost all living things. Some plastics even release toxic chemicals during the degradation process. Thus, recycling plastic will reduce the release of harmful gases to the environment, energy use (recycling plastic requires much less energy than manufacturing it from scratch), environmental harms and the amount of space used in a landfill for plastic products (Al-Maaded et al., 2012). Secondly, textile is something everybody wears and uses and is one of the primary needs of human beings (Muthu et al., 2012). However, clothing creates a carbon footprint in every phase of the life cycle of a textile product. It is a long and complicated supply chain, and every part (production, transportation, usage, consumption) enlarges the carbon

(11)

footprint, e.g. by emitting greenhouse gases. One of the most promising ways to minimize this footprint is to recycle textile products at the end-of-life.

Another important factor for healthy and sustainable cities is clean air. Bad air quality has negative effects on people’s health and quality of life (Elliott et al., 1999). In addition, air pollution has adverse effects on the environment. For example, it has negative effects on plant growth (Agrawal et al., 2003). This is a problem for several reasons. As mentioned before, urban green space is very

important for healthy and sustainable cities. Reduced plant growth eventually means less green space. Secondly, plants take up carbon dioxide which is positive in terms of climate mitigation and reducing air pollution. However, when plant growth decreases these positive effects will also diminish. Thirdly, vegetation influences the land surface temperature, consequently reducing the urban heat island effect and improve adaptation to climate change (Maimaitiyiming et al., 2014). Thus, while bad air quality has negative effects on urban green space, urban green space helps mitigate air pollution.

Since air pollution stems from energy use and production, like the burning of fossil fuels that happens in a car, it is important to try to reduce this (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2019). Possible ways to do this are decreasing transport that uses fossil fuels and increasing electric transport. Electric cars are very promising, not only due to environmental benefits, but also because of the expected depletion of fossil fuels (Wee, Maat & De Bont, 2012). Electric vehicles could have substantial benefits for the environment and reduce energy consumption. However, to promote the use of electric vehicles there have to be sufficient and widespread charging locations in order to make sure that these vehicles can move in a flexible and independent way (Román et al., 2011).

Urban agriculture is another aspect of a sustainable city. This encompasses generating food and other agricultural products and conserving resources and using waste (Smit & Nasr, 1992). This indirectly contributes to reducing emissions, since food and other products no longer have to be transported from other, further locations into the city.

The energy transition is an important part in the creation of a sustainable future. It is necessary we shift away from fossil fuels and towards green and renewable energy in order to tackle climate change. Action is needed at all governance levels, but the local level is also key in this transition (Neves & Leal, 2010). Thus, local energy production initiatives, like solar panels, play a significant role (Arentsen & Bellekom, 2014). Not only does this increase the share of sustainable energy, but it also reduces the need for imported energy from other places. It is also important to look at the solar power of solar panels, i.e. how much power a solar panel provides, and thus how much energy it can generate (Rizk & Chaiko, 2008). In other words, it is about the energy efficiency of a solar panel. Additionally, it is crucial that we decrease overall energy use. Continuing population growth, especially in cities, and rising affluence drive up the energy use in an unprecedented way (Holdren, 2007). For cities to be truly sustainable, this has to change as well. One way of promoting this is having more energy efficient homes. Energy labels tell something about the energy efficiency of a home (Gram-Hanssen et al., 2007). A lower label, like D, E or F, means that a lot of energy is wasted, and that this energy does not come from a green source. Ways to improve energy efficiency and thus obtain a higher label, like A of B, are e.g. the installation of solar panels or better insulation of a home using double glass. To illustrate; double glass lowers energy requirements with about 20% (Kaynakli, 2008).

Currently, there is no study available that compares parts within cities, such as districts, on multiple aspects of environmental sustainability. A study that comes close is that of Bourdic and Salat (2012), that compared districts within cities but only looked into energy consumption and greenhouse gas

(12)

emissions. As this theoretical framework has shown, many more factors should be taken into account when discussing environmental sustainability.

In most existing literature concerning this topic, entire cities are analysed and compared as a whole, instead of parts within a city. However, cities are complex systems and have many different internal dynamics (Bettencourt, 2015). Hence, it is important to not only investigate the city as a whole, but also parts within the city.

2.1.2 Influence of local factors on environmental sustainability

The local factors at play in the districts of Amsterdam may influence their environmental

sustainability. Examples of these factors are internal drivers for local environmental action, capacity constraints, different priorities and social and environmental values of residents (Barr, 2003; Homsy & Warner, 2015; Zeemering, 2009). These factors may differ per district. The interviews in the second part of this research will uncover which specific local factors play a role in the districts of Amsterdam.

2.2 Research questions

The main research question is as follows: How do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and which local factors play a role in this?

This research question is divided into two sub-questions which correspond to the two different parts of the research:

1) How do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability? 2) Which local factors play a role in the environmental sustainability of the districts of

Amsterdam?

2.3 Conceptual model

In Figure 1, a conceptual model shows what aspects encompass the concept of environmental

sustainability on the basis of the reviewed literature. No conceptual model is given for the influence of local factors on environmental sustainability, since these local factors will be uncovered by the

interviews in the second part of the research. Instead, a conceptual model will be constructed based on the information provided in these interviews.

(13)

Figure 1. Aspects of environmental sustainability.

Environmental

sustainability

Urban green space Clean transport Local green energy Recycling and waste management Urban agriculture

(14)

3. Methodology

In this section, the outline of the research and how it is conducted is described.

3.1 Research strategy

This research consists of two parts. The first part uses GIS to generate maps and aggregate quantitative data about environmental sustainability to the level of districts and ranks the districts using Z-scores. The second part is a qualitative research which consists of interviews which help to explain the results of the first part of the research.

The first part compares the districts of Amsterdam concerning sustainability on the basis of quantitative data. This data consists solely of statistics and numbers about these districts, e.g. the percentage of houses with double glass or the number of solar panels per household. This analysis of the districts is required for the second part of the research, because it is necessary to know how the districts actually score. GIS is used to aggregate the data to the district level and to generate informative maps about the district scores. The districts are ranked using Z-scores.

In the second part, a qualitative research is conducted to uncover why the districts score the way they do. In other words, this part explains the outcome of the first part of the research. With qualitative research, detailed information can be acquired about why a certain phenomenon, in this case the scores of the districts, occurs and what the context is (Bryman, 2012, p. 401). Interviews provide this kind of information. In the interviews, questions which will truly show the views and opinions of the interviewees are asked (Bryman, 2012, p. 498). With only literature research or quantitative analyses, one would not collect this kind of information.

The interviews are conducted with employees of the Municipality of Amsterdam working at different districts. This way, a better understanding is gained about what is happening at the district levels concerning environmental sustainability and what factors play a role here.

Since the first part is quantitative research and the second part qualitative research, this research can be described as a mixed methods research. This type of research integrates quantitative and qualitative research within one research (Bryman, 2012, p. 628). A combination of these types of research brings together the strengths of both types of research. By including both of these methods, a more complete answer to the research question can be achieved, since the ‘gaps’ left by one method can be filled by another (Bryman, 2012, p. 637). In this case, the quantitative research will deliver a certain outcome (the ‘what’) and the qualitative research will try to explain this outcome (the ‘why’). This makes the research more complete and robust.

This research can be described as a mix between descriptive and exploratory research (Noor, 2008). The first part can be seen as more descriptive, where the sustainability of the different districts of Amsterdam is described and mapped. The second part is more exploratory, since the goal here is to find out why the districts score the way they do. Through this research, a hypothesis or theory is generated about which local factors influence the sustainability of parts within a city and how.

3.2 Analytic approach

During the first part of the research no analytic approach applies. The goal of this part is not to create or test a theory or to discover patterns (Bryman, 2012, p. 24). This part is more of an intensive

(15)

descriptive analysis of the districts and shows how these differ concerning environmental sustainability. This information is needed for the second part of the research.

In the second part of the research, which consists of qualitative interviews, an inductive analytic approach will be applied (Bryman, 2012, p. 26). The goal here is to find out why the districts differ when it comes to sustainability. With this, a theory can be generated about which local factors influence the environmental sustainability of a district in a city, in this case in Amsterdam, and how.

3.3 Research design

The research design that is applied is a holistic multiple case study design with comparative elements (Baxter & Jack, 2008). The cases are the districts of Amsterdam, and they are studied in an intensive and detailed manner on the same aspect; namely environmental sustainability. It is about the

complexity and nature of the cases because they are the focus of the research in their own right (Bryman, 2012, p. 68). In this case, it is specifically about how sustainable these districts are and why. Each case has its own context and characteristics. Additionally, they will be compared to each other in order to analyse how they score relative to each other.

The type of case study can best be described as a representative or exemplifying case (Bryman, 2012, p. 70). With this kind of cases, the goal is to capture and try to explain certain circumstances, which can be applied on other contexts. In this case, it is about how the differences in sustainability of the districts of Amsterdam can be explained and how this may be applied to other (Dutch) cities. The districts of Amsterdam are chosen as the cases and levels of analysis in this research for several reasons.

First of all, there exists a knowledge gap concerning sustainability in the different districts of Amsterdam. There is not yet detailed information available about how sustainable the districts are and how they differ in this. In a study of the Municipality of Amsterdam, called Gebied in Beeld, the districts are compared on ‘Sustainability and water’, but only three aspects are taken into account: the percentages of homes with double glass, the average energy label and the number of solar panels (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. C). However, many more factors are important for environmental sustainability, as became evident in the theoretical framework. Additionally, most existing scientific literature which discusses urban sustainability only talk about the city as a whole, but not differences within cities. However, cities are complex systems and have many different internal dynamics (Bettencourt, 2015). Hence, it is important to not only look at the city as a whole, but also at the parts within the city, since these can differ a lot.

Secondly, research on this level is also socially relevant. The districts of Amsterdam execute municipal tasks, also in the field of sustainability and environment, so have great responsibility and influence (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. D). However, there is no clear knowledge on how the districts score on this field. This knowledge is necessary in order to decide in which district the most work has to be done and how the different districts execute their municipal tasks and why. Also, this way it is possible to anticipate and know where and how more attention has to be given to sustainability.

3.4 Data collection

In the first part of this research, the units of research are the districts of Amsterdam: this are the objects about which data is gathered. In this case, this data is about the sustainability of a district. This quantitative data is gathered using databases of the Municipality of Amsterdam, e.g. Maps

(16)

information about Amsterdam and its inhabitants, which is needed to analyse and rank the districts on the field of sustainability. This data is aggregated to the level of districts through GIS.

In the second part of this research, which consist of qualitative interviews, the units of research are the employees of the Municipality of Amsterdam. The units of research are chosen using purposive sampling. The employees are chosen on the basis of function and relevance. For example, the member of a district committee who knows most about the environmental sustainability in a district is most relevant. Employees with the highest possible function are attempted to be interviewed. These employees can most likely provide the most detailed and profound information concerning the environmental sustainability of a district and what local factors play a role here.

These interviews will explain the outcome of the first part of the research. In other words: why does one district thrive more when it comes to sustainability than the other? To answer this, detailed and rich information is needed.

The interviewees and their function are shown in Table 1.

Name Function

Peter Harmen Strategic counsellor of the Executive Committee of the West district, in specific of Melanie van der Horst (responsible for Sustainability, Circular Economy, among others)

Elwin van der Klis Program Secretary (Sustainability and Public Space) for the Nieuw-West district

Micha Mos Member of the Executive Committee of the Centrum district (responsible for Environment and Sustainability, Management of Public Space, among others)

Annoesjka Nienhuis Member of the Team for ‘Area Development and Transformation’ Zuidoost and Ouder-Amstel, assistant of civil servant Ellen Nieuweboer Rick Vermin Member of the Executive Committee of the Oost district (responsible for

Sustainability, Waste and Resources, Environment water, among others)

Table 1. Interviewees and their function.

These interviews are semi-structured interviews. This means that before the interview, a series of questions will be composed in in an interview guide in order to gain the necessary knowledge and cover specific topics (Bryman, 2012, p. 716). See Appendix A for the interview guide.

However, the sequence of questions may vary and further questions may be posed in response to significant replies to gain more detailed information. This is a flexible interview process where the emphasis is on how the interviewee frames and understands certain phenomena (Bryman, 2012, p. 471). In other words, it is about what the interviewee views as important in explaining and

understanding events, patterns and certain behaviour.

3.5 Data analysis

In the first part of the research, the quantitative data is mapped using GIS. GIS is needed here to aggregate data to the level of districts, e.g. through spatial joins, and generate informative maps. The generated informative maps are used to analyse the data and rank the districts.

The ranking of the districts will be done using Z-scores. A score by itself does not mean much, since it doesn’t tell you anything about the relative score (Abdi, 2007). Scores can be standardized in order to be able to truly compare them, while taking into account their respective distributions. Calculating

(17)

scores, which are expressed as standardized deviations from their means, is a way of doing this. Z-scores have a mean of 0 and a standards deviation equal to 1. You can calculate a Z-score as follows:

𝑍𝑍 =original score − mean score_{standard deviation}

Thus, you subtract the mean score from the original score, which transforms the original score into a deviation from its mean (Abdi, 2007). Then you divide this score deviation by the standard deviation. With calculations like these, absolute differences between scores stay visible.

When the z-scores are calculated, the districts can be ranked. The z-scores can be added up and the district that scores highest comes in first, the districts that scores second-highest comes in second, et cetera. This will be done for each aspect of environmental sustainability (five in total, as discussed in the theoretical framework). In the end, all the z-scores from each district will be added up, to decide the overall ranking on environmental sustainability.

The table with the final results will look somewhat like this:

District Aspect 1: Urban

green space Aspect 2: Recycling and waste management ... Total amount of points: Centrum 3,47 -0,12 ... 8,90 Nieuw-West 2,12 4,03 ... 13,57 Zuid 0,10 1,99 ... 11,11 ... ... ... ... ...

Table 2. Example of the presentation of the final results of the ranking of the districts concerning

environmental sustainability.

Various informative maps will be generated using GIS for each aspect. Thematic maps will reveal internal spatial patterns.

Since the interviews will be with a few key figures, they will not be analysed using coding (Bryman, 2012, p. 568). They will just be analysed separately on content to identify what local factors are at play and how they influence the environmental sustainability of a district. Besides, since there are only five interviews conducted this is not deemed necessary or useful.

3.6 Operationalisation

Operationalisation is important for the methodology and organisation of a research, because it shows how the concepts and dimensions that are being investigated are defined and/or will be measured (Bryman, 2012, p. 164).

In this section, it will be explained how the concept in this research, namely environmental

sustainability, will be measured. There will not be given an operationalisation of the concept of local factors, since the specific local factors and their influences in the districts of Amsterdam will be uncovered by the interviews in the second part of this research.

3.6.1 Environmental sustainability

Here, environmental sustainability is divided into the five dimensions discussed in the theoretical framework. For each dimension, it is shown how it will be measured using different indicators. These indicators are chosen on the basis of the theoretical framework. See Table 3.

(18)

Concept Dimension Indicator(s) Source(s)

Environmental

sustainability Urban green space Parks, gardens and recreative green space Green roofs

Gemeente Amsterdam (Maps Amsterdam, Data

Amsterdam)

Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek

Recycling and

waste management Containers for plastic waste Containers for textile waste

Waste separation

Amsterdam)

Clean transport Charging points for

electric vehicles Gemeente Amsterdam (Maps Amsterdam, Data Amsterdam)

Urban agriculture Urban agriculture points

Urban agriculture terrains Gemeente Amsterdam (Maps Amsterdam, Data Amsterdam)

Local green energy Solar panels Solar power

Energy labels of homes Double glass

Amsterdam)

(19)

4. Results

Part I: Ranking the districts of Amsterdam on environmental sustainability

In this part, the districts of Amsterdam will be compared on different aspects of environmental sustainability. The corresponding sub-question here is: How do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability?

The locations of the districts of Amsterdam and their contours are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The districts of Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016).

To compare the districts on environmental sustainability, it is important to correct for certain characteristics, such as district area, inhabitants or households, to paint an accurate picture of the situation in a district. Only corrected scores will be taken into account in the ranking of the districts. Per aspect, there will be explained why there is corrected for a certain district characteristic.

Thus, before comparing the districts, it is important to note their key characteristics where there will be corrected for; see Table 4.

District Inhabitants Households Total area (km2_{) Total area (m}2₎

Centrum 86851 54597 8.04 8040000 West 144210 83693 10.63 10630000 Nieuw-West 155781 74583 38.02 38020000 Zuid 145548 84001 17.27 17270000 Oost 137454 72570 30.6 30600000 Zuidoost 87999 46125 22.11 22110000 Noord 96275 46922 63.83 63830000

(20)

Table 4. Number of inhabitants and number of households per district and total area of the districts

(Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, A; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, B; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, D).

4.1 Urban green space

Urban green space encompasses parks, gardens and recreative green space and green roofs. These aspects are all essential to enhance the green space in the city.

4.1.1 Parks, gardens and recreative green space

For parks, gardens and recreative green space there will be corrected for district area. This takes into consideration that a smaller district can of course contain fewer of these green spaces than a district five times its size.

In Figure 3, all parks, gardens and recreative green space in Amsterdam is shown.

Figure 3. Parks, gardens and recreative green space in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2014;

Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016).

These parks, gardens and recreative green space differ greatly in size (from 985 up to 2100466 square meters) (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016). Hence, it is important to look at the combined area of these green spaces per district. However, as mentioned before there has to be corrected for district size. In Figure 4, the square meters of these green spaces per square meter of district are shown.

(21)

Figure 4. Parks, gardens and recreative green space density per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente

Amsterdam, 2014; Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, B). The district of Zuidoost has the highest density of parks, gardens and recreative green space. The district of Centrum has the lowest.

4.1.2 Green roofs

When it comes to green roofs, there will only be corrected for households. The number of green roofs is dependent on the amount of households, since these roofs have to be on top of houses where the households are in. When there is corrected for households, it is taken into account that there can also be fewer green roofs when there are less households present, which is the case when e.g. there is a lot of green space, water or urban agriculture area in a district.

There is corrected for households instead of homes because there is a difference between a green roof on top of a flat where 50 households live in and a green roof on top of a house where only one

household lives. Correcting for households shows you the green roofs that are available per household in a district.

In Figure 5, all the green roofs in Amsterdam are shown. It seems as if the density of green roofs is highest in the Centrum, Zuid and Oost districts.

(22)

Figure 5. Green roofs in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente Amsterdam. n.d. G).

However, as discussed before there has to be corrected for households when it comes to green roofs. In Figure 6, the number of green roofs per household per district in Amsterdam is shown.

(23)

Figure 6. Green roofs per household per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016;

Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. G; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, D).

The Centrum district has the most green roofs per household, which was already slightly visible in Figure 5. The Zuidoost district has the least green roofs per household.

It is also important to look at the total area of the green roofs per district, since they differ greatly in size (from 4 up to 8500 square meters) (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. G). Here, there also has to be corrected for households again. The area of green roof per household per district can be seen in Figure 7.

(24)

Figure 7. Area of green roofs per household per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016;

Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. G; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, D).

Again, the Centrum district scores highest. However, the score of the Zuidoost district here is very interesting. When there was looked at the number of green roofs per household, Zuidoost scored lowest. Hence, there are not many green roofs. Nevertheless, when the area of the green roofs is taken into account Zuidoost comes in second. So the green roofs that are present here are very large, which means more households may use them.

4.1.3 District scores for urban green space

Taking into account all aspects of urban green space, the total score per district can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Hence, the Z-scores are calculated using the values visible in the maps. The Z-scores are rounded to two decimals after the comma.

Districts Score for parks, gardens and recreative green space density

Score for green

roofs per household Score for area of green roofs per household Total score Centrum -0,78 1,41 1,74 2,37 West -0,55 0,00 -1,22 -1,77 Nieuw-West 2,29 -0,52 -1,04 0,73 Zuid -0,26 0,95 0,41 1,10 Oost -0,51 0,72 -0,18 0,03 Zuidoost 0,41 -1,38 0,91 -0,06 Noord -0,60 -1,19 -0,61 -2,40

(25)

When it comes to urban green space, the district of Centrum scores highest, mainly due to the high amount and big area of green roofs. The district of Noord scores lowest and has low Z-scores for all aspects.

This is the whole ranking: 1. Centrum (2,37) 2. Zuid (1,10) 3. Nieuw-West (0,73) 4. Oost (0,03) 5. Zuidoost (-0,06) 6. West (-1,77) 7. Noord (-2,40)

4.2 Recycling and waste management

Aspects that enhance the recycling and waste management of a city, are containers for both plastic and textile waste, and waste separation.

4.2.1 Containers for plastic waste

For this aspect, there will only be corrected for the number of inhabitants per district. Containers are objects that are used and can get full. They are probably full faster when more people have to make use of it. When they are full, they cannot be used anymore, thus no more plastic can be recycled. In Figure 8, all the containers for plastic waste in Amsterdam are shown.

Figure 8. Containers for plastic waste in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente

(26)

From Figure 8, the number of containers for plastic waste does not seem to be over- or

underrepresented in any district. But as discussed, there has to be corrected for the inhabitants per district. This is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Containers for plastic waste per capita per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam,

2016; Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018 B; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, A).

In the Noord district, there are the most containers available per person. In the Zuid district there are the least containers available per person.

4.2.2 Containers for textile waste

For this aspect, there will only be corrected for the number of inhabitants per district, for the same reasons discussed in 4.2.1.

In Figure 10, all the containers for textile waste in Amsterdam are shown. The density of containers for textile waste seems to be lower than the density of containers for plastic waste. Additionally, there seem to be more containers in the district of West.

(27)

Figure 10. Containers for textile waste in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente

Amsterdam, 2018, B).

(28)

Figure 11. Containers for textile waste per capita per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam,

2016; Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018 B; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, A).

In the Zuidoost and West district there are the most containers for textile waste per capita. In the Centrum district there are the least.

4.2.3 Waste separation

(29)

Figure 12. The percentage of waste separation for household waste per district in Amsterdam

(Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2015, A).

As visible, the districts of Noord, Oost and Zuid have the highest percentages of waste separation. The districts of Nieuw-West and West have the lowest.

4.2.4 District scores for recycling and waste management

Taking into account all aspects of recycling and waste management, the total score per district can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Hence, the Z-scores are calculated using the values visible in the maps. The Z-scores are rounded to two decimals after the comma.

Districts Score for containers for plastic waste per capita

Score for containers for textile waste per capita Score for percentage of waste separation for household waste Total score Centrum -0,70 -1,94 0,40 -2,24 West -0,43 1,27 -1,46 -0,62 Nieuw-West 0,63 0,42 -1,46 -0,41 Zuid -1,59 -0,09 1,01 -0,67 Oost 0,60 0,08 1,01 1,69 Zuidoost -0,25 0,97 -0,22 0,5 Noord 1,73 -0,71 0,71 1,73

(30)

When it comes to recycling and waste management, the district of Noord scores the best, especially due to the high number of containers for plastic waste per capita. The district of Centrum scores lowest, mainly due tot the low number of containers for textile waste per capita.

This is the whole ranking: 1. Noord (1,73) 2. Oost (1,69) 3. Zuidoost (0,5) 4. Nieuw-West (-0,41) 5. West (-0,62) 6. Zuid (-0,67) 7. Centrum (-2,24)

4.3 Clean transport

To stimulate the use of clean, electric transport it is important that there are enough charging points for electric vehicles.

4.3.1 Charging points for electric vehicles

For this aspect, there will be corrected for the number of households per district. This is done because usually a household does not have more than one car (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, 2016). If all households would have an electric car, there would have to be enough charging points for these vehicles.

(31)

Figure 13. Amount of charging points for electric vehicles per household per district in Amsterdam

(Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, C; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, D).

The Zuid district has the most charging points for electric vehicles per household, and the Zuidoost district has the least.

4.3.2 District scores for clean transport

The total score per district for the aspect of clean transport can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Hence, the Z-scores are calculated using the values visible in the maps. The Z-scores are rounded to two decimals after the comma.

Districts Score for amount of charging points per household Total score

Centrum 0,63 0,63 West -0,50 -0,50 Nieuw-West -0,70 -0,70 Zuid 1,94 1,94 Oost 0,17 0,17 Zuidoost -1,44 -1,44 Noord -0,11 -0,11

Table 7. Ranking of the districts concerning clean transport.

When it comes to clean transport, the districts of Zuid scores best by far and the district of Zuidoost scores lowest.

This is the whole ranking: 1. Zuid (1,94) 2. Centrum (0,63) 3. Oost (0,17) 4. Noord (-0,11) 5. West (-0,50) 6. Nieuw-West (-0,70) 7. Zuidoost (-1,44)

4.4 Urban agriculture

There are various locations for urban agriculture in Amsterdam. In the database of the Municipality of Amsterdam, they are divided up into two groups: points locations and terrain locations (Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. I; Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. J). Point locations are small in size, and often consist of community gardens or small-scale kitchen gardens. Terrain locations are larger agricultural areas, like farms. In this research, the distinction between these two will also be made, since it really are different kind of agricultural locations.

4.4.1 Urban agriculture points

For this aspect, there will only be corrected for district area, since larger districts can most likely contain more urban agriculture points.

(32)

Figure 14. Urban agriculture points in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente

Amsterdam, n.d. I).

In Figure 15, there is corrected for district area and the amount of urban agriculture points per square kilometer is shown.

(33)

Figure 15. Density of urban agriculture points per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam,

2016; Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. I; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, B).

The West district has the most urban agriculture points per square kilometer, and the Centrum and Noord district have the least.

4.4.2 Urban agriculture terrains

For this aspect, there will only be corrected for district area, since larger districts can most likely contain more urban agriculture terrains.

(34)

Figure 16. Urban agriculture terrains in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente

Amsterdam, n.d. J).

In Figure 17, there is corrected for district area and the amount of urban agriculture terrains per square kilometer is shown.

(35)

Figure 17. Density of urban agriculture terrains per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam,

2016; Gemeente Amsterdam, n.d. J; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, B).

The Noord district scores highest when it comes to urban agriculture terrains per square kilometer. And once again, the Centrum, West and Zuid district score lowest.

4.4.3 District scores for urban agriculture

Taking into account all aspects of urban agriculture, the total score per district can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Hence, the Z-scores are calculated using the values visible in the maps. The Z-scores are rounded to two decimals after the comma.

Districts Score for density of urban

agriculture points Score for density of urban agriculture terrains Total score

Centrum -0,51 -1,22 -1,73 West 2,14 -0,64 1,50 Nieuw-West -0,14 1,13 0,99 Zuid 0,51 -0,72 -0,21 Oost -0,30 -0,45 -0,75 Zuidoost -0,45 0,13 -0,32 Noord -1,26 1,76 0,50

Table 8. Ranking of the districts concerning urban agriculture.

When it comes to urban agriculture, the district of West scores best, mainly due to a high density of urban agriculture points, and the district of Centrum scores the lowest.

(36)

1. West (1,50) 2. Nieuw-West (0,99) 3. Noord (0,50) 4. Zuid (-0,21) 5. Zuidoost (-0,32) 6. Oost (-0,75) 7. Centrum (-1,73)

4.5 Local green energy

Aspects that are important to enhance local green energy in a city, are solar panels and solar power, double glass and energy indexes (energy efficiency).

4.5.1 Solar panels

When it comes to solar panels, there will only be corrected for households, for the same reason there is only corrected for households when it comes to the number of green roofs in a district. The number of solar panels is dependent on the amount of households, since these solar panels have to be on top of houses where the households are in. When there is corrected for households, it is taken into account that there can also be less solar panels when there are less households present, which is the case when e.g. there is a lot of green space, water or urban agriculture area in a district.

There is corrected for households instead of homes because there is a difference between a solar panel on top of a flat where 50 households live in and a solar panel on top of a house where only one household lives. Correcting for households shows you the number of solar panels per household. In Figure 18, all solar panels in Amsterdam are shown. It seems as if there are many solar panels in every district.

(37)

As discussed, there has to be corrected for households per district. This is done in Figure 19.

Figure 19. Solar panels per household per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016;

Gemeente Amsterdam, 2017; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, D).

The Noord and Nieuw-West district have the most solar panels per household. The Centrum and West district have the least.

4.5.2 Solar power

Besides solar panels, it is also necessary to include the solar power of these panels, since this can differ enormously (from 1000 up to 1018000 kWp) (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2017).

For this aspect, there will only be corrected for the inhabitants of a district. To correct for inhabitants, the sum of all the solar power of all the panels in a district is divided by the number of inhabitants in the district. This says something about how much solar power is generated per person in a district, thus how much of this green energy can possibly be used per capita. Hence, in Figure 20, the solar power per capita per district is shown.

(38)

Figure 20. Solar power per capita per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2016; Gemeente

Amsterdam, 2017; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2018, A).

When it concerns solar power per capita, the Noord and Zuidoost district score best, and the West and Centrum district score lowest.

4.5.3 Average energy index

Energy labels tell something about how green a home and its energy efficiency. In Figure 21, the average energy index of the energy-labelled homes in a district is shown. The energy index values correspond with the labels as follows (Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2015, B):

< 0,6 A++ 0,8 A+ 1,2 A 1,4 B 1,8 C 2,1 D 2,4 E 2,7 F 3,1 G

(39)

Figure 21. Average energy index of energy-labelled homes per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente

Amsterdam, 2016; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2015, B).

As visible, the districts with the lowest scores, thus the homes with the highest average energy efficiency, are Zuidoost, Oost and Centrum. The districts with the highest scores, thus the homes with the lowest average energy efficiency, are Zuid, Nieuw-West and West.

4.5.4 Double glass

(40)

Figure 22. Percentage of homes with double glass per district in Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam,

2016; Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, 2017).

The districts of Nieuw-West, Noord and Oost have the highest percentages of homes with double glass, and the district of Centrum the lowest.

4.5.5 District scores for local green energy

Taking into account all aspects of local green energy, the total score per district can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Hence, the Z-scores are calculated using the values visible in the maps. The Z-scores are rounded to two decimals after the comma.

Since the values of the average energy index are as such that a higher value means a less energy efficient home, the calculated Z-scores for this aspect are inverted: negative Z-values become positive, and positive Z-values become negative.

Districts Score for number of solar panels per household Score for solar power per capita Score for average energy index Score for percentage of homes with double glass Total score Centrum -1,47 -1,49 1,03 -1,93 -3,86 West -1,15 -0,96 -1,04 -0,16 -3,31 Nieuw-West 1,05 0,07 -0,77 0,98 1,33 Zuid -0,66 -0,54 -1,40 -0,87 -3,47 Oost 0,43 0,30 1,03 0,81 2,57 Zuidoost 0,61 1,20 1,12 0,28 3,21 Noord 0,02 1,42 0,04 0,90 2,38

(41)

Table 9. Ranking of the districts concerning local green energy.

When it comes to local green energy, the district of Zuidoost scores best and the district of Centrum scores the lowest.

This is the whole ranking: 1. Zuidoost (3,21) 2. Oost (2,57) 3. Noord (2,38) 4. Nieuw-West (1,33) 5. West (-3,31) 6. Zuid (-3,47) 7. Centrum (-3,86)

4.6 Final ranking results

Taking into account all five aspects that have been discussed in the results, the total score per district can be calculated using the ranking system discussed in paragraph 3.5. Consequently, end results are generated about how the districts score concerning all aspects of environmental sustainability. See Table 10.

Districts Score for urban green space Score for recycling and waste manage-ment Score for clean transport Score for urban agricul-ture Score for local green energy Total score Centrum 2,37 -2,24 0,63 -1,73 -3,86 -4,83 West -1,77 -0,62 -0,50 1,50 -3,31 -4,70 Nieuw-West 0,73 -0,41 -0,70 0,99 1,33 1,94 Zuid 1,10 -0,67 1,94 -0,21 -3,47 -1,31 Oost 0,03 1,69 0,17 -0,75 2,57 3,71 Zuidoost -0,06 0,50 -1,44 -0,32 3,21 1,89 Noord -2,40 1,73 -0,11 0,50 2,38 2,10

Table 10. Ranking of the districts concerning all five aspects of environmental sustainability.

When it comes to all five aspects of environmental sustainability, the district of Oost scores best and the district of Centrum scores the lowest.

This is the whole ranking: 1. Oost (3,71) 2. Noord (2,10) 3. Nieuw-West (1,94) 4. Zuidoost (1,89) 5. Zuid (-1,31) 6. West (-4,70) 7. Centrum (-4,83)

Thus, Oost has the best total score on environmental sustainability. This can be mainly contributed due to the high scores on local green energy and recycling and waste management. The districts of Noord, Nieuw-West and Zuidoost also score relatively high. Centrum has the lowest score, mainly due to its low scores for local green energy, recycling and waste management and urban agriculture. Other lower-scoring districts are the Zuid and West district.

(42)

Part II: Role of local factors in the environmental sustainability of the districts of

Amsterdam

In this part, interviews with employees of the Municipality of Amsterdam will uncover which local factors affect the environmental sustainability of the districts in Amsterdam and how. In other words, it will help explain the scores of the districts in the first part of research. The interviewees and their function are mentioned in the methodology section (3.4).

The corresponding sub-question here is: Which local factors play a role in the environmental sustainability of the districts of Amsterdam?

4.7 Factors influencing environmental sustainability

The sections in this part each discuss a certain local factor.

4.7.1 Residents

Residents and their characteristics can influence the environmental sustainability of the district they live in in various ways.

In general, residents with a higher education and more knowledge are more active in taking

sustainability measures and promoting environmentally conscious behaviour. For example, this is the case in the Centrum district:

‘’I think that if you look at how the Centrum district differs from other districts: it is a very high educated district with quite a lot of financial strength […]. These things ensure that people live there that really want to do a lot for it. […] In general, there is a group of residents that is open-minded about it and informs themselves about it […]. ‘’

(Micha Mos, personal communication, 12-6-2019) In the Nieuw-West district, residents are generally lower educated and have less knowledge on

sustainability and climate change. This influences their view on these subjects:

‘’For the residents, the urgency of sustainability is less present than for example in Amsterdam Oost, or in the Centrum district or the Oud-Zuid neighbourhood. […] We have a different audience.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) However, in the Nieuw-West district there are also neighbourhoods with very active residents. This is because of the socio-economic background of these residents:

‘’In Nieuw-West, we have several neighbourhoods that want to be leaders in sustainability, preferably for the whole city. […] These people are very progressive in their approach. So they are busy with solar panels, and there are even projects for sharing mobility, so sharing cars, that kind of stuff. […] There, they are discussing: how can we get our neighbourhood free of gas? They are doing that themselves. […] The residents. So that is really an example as a neighbourhood for Nieuw-West. And you see that that that is a socio-economically strong neighbourhood.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) ‘’And the socio-economic weaker neighbourhoods.. Nieuw-West is together with Zuidoost the place with the most development neighbourhoods, so neighbourhoods where the socio-economic problems are biggest, the challenge is biggest. There, you see that sustainability, for the residents, is less.’’

(43)

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) Additionally, the cultural background of residents is also important. In some districts, like Zuidoost or Nieuw-West, there are relatively much people from a non-western background, which do not always have full command of the Dutch language and might have other values:

‘’In a district like Nieuw-West this is difficult, because the general experience is: it is hard to reach people with a language deficiency.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) ‘’The cultural aspects of it. So the acceptation of, for example: it is completely normal that I return my frying fat to the supermarket, and my batteries to the store. And well, that is not the same everywhere. […] So, what is the social standard? And you say, for example, a flyer would already help a lot. But then you do have to be able to read the flyer. In your own language.’’

(Peter Harmsen, personal communication, 28-5-2019) Sometimes the influence and control residents have regarding the environmental sustainability of their district is more direct. In several districts, there are ways in which residents can have a direct say in sustainability measures in their district:

‘’One important subject here is ‘West Begroot’, that money from the budget is reserved that can be used by residents that have proposals like: where should that money be spent on to make West better? And there can be voted on as well, by residents. So actually, they make their own budget.’’

(Peter Harmsen, personal communication, 28-5-2019) If residents are very progressive and active in their goals and measures concerning environmental sustainability, this is often reflected in the sustainability of the district:

‘’In several programmes right now, we have active residents that are actually triggering change. […] I mentioned Nieuw Sloten, where they want their own energy supply. But there are also small citizen initiatives that could lead to amazing results, like energy cooperatives.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) In conclusion, the residents are of great importance for the environmental sustainability of the district they live in. Resident characteristics that play a role here are education and knowledge and the socio-economic and cultural background.

4.7.2 Local governance

Since the districts all have their own district committee and execute municipal tasks, it is important to take into account that their way of governing regarding environmental sustainability may differ. A very influential aspect is the view people working for the districts, especially members of the Executive Committee, have on sustainability and the challenges it brings about. Important here are priorities, knowledge, and the willingness to set an example and take on a leadership role:

‘’In my opinion, you have to have particular priorities. […] As governor, you have to be able to inform yourself, understand things and consequently and especially make sure that you tell people: this has to happen first.’’

(44)

(Micha Mos, personal communication, 12-6-2019) ‘’To do things on the field of sustainability: the preferences of members of the executive committee also play a role in this.’’

(Peter Harmsen, personal communication, 28-5-2019) ‘’Ellen Nieuweboer is my client […]. She is very open-minded concerning innovation and

sustainability and thinks it is really important. And because of that, she attracts other people as well. […] And there already were a few really food civil servants on this field with a really good drive and perseverance and also big motivation. […] Also, she really has intuitive leadership. […] If you, also nationally, just look at all sorts of innovative projects: it is often the case that there is one figurehead or one pusher, that just goes for it and takes people along in his or her enthusiasm. ‘’

(Annoesjka Nienhuis, personal communication, 27-5-2019) ‘’But it is also that we want to show: Nieuw-West does not stay behind on the field of sustainability compared to other areas. So that are fields on which we would like to improve and want to work on.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) ‘’Why that is happening here, is because I was working on an energy transition project for three years, and I saw: we have a chance here. That, if we don’t take it know, will be here again only after thirty or forty years. […] So we have to do it. […] And in the first instance, the civil servants said: well, this is really too late for our planning process, but in the other three areas we will take it into account. And I said: yes, I like that, but I still want us too to look at this, because this and this and this. […] Because I was up to date concerning information, I had arguments to do it another way.’’

(Rick Vermin, personal communication, 5-6-2019) But what is perhaps even more important, is how the district and its residents interact and

communicate with each other:

‘’I do think that you can make a big difference by, and that is then maybe more about governance, including the social aspect: how do you get people on board? There is a lot of room for this at the district level, I think. So at the moment that you have competent area managers, for example, who have a good sense of what is happening in the neighbourhood and talk about this with the

neighbourhood and eventually create and execute policy with the people. Then, you can take many steps to ease a process, to truly get people on board […].’’

(Micha Mos, personal communication, 12-6-2019) ‘’Indeed, it is known to us that sustainability as a topic first has to be drawn attention to, and that you then have to deal with, especially in Nieuw-West, with very big questions such as: how can we

establish communication with this people in the right way? What do we have to explain for them to understand: this is what we define as sustainability? […] But what is also important, I think, is: how do you pose your question? […] If I ask: do you want a solar panel on your roof? ‘I don’t know’. If I ask: do you a discount on your energy bill? Then you actually also pose a question that is linked to sustainability, namely saving energy or cheaper energy, but then you address the needs a person has, namely: I am short of cash, of course I would want to pay less.’’

(45)

‘’When you communicate with people, you have to understand people’s background. Here, there are a lot of people with a non-western background, who have different authorities. For example, when an imam says: it is important to take care of your environment, which means ‘don’t throw thrash around’, ‘save energy’, and so on. That might address people more efficiently than when a civil servant says: well, you could save ten euros. […] You have to network with networks of residents. With people that have influence on awareness.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) ‘’How do you shape change in a district? We choose, in some cases, for co-creation and

democratization, which are terms that the city really promotes. […] That means that we like to involve residents in what we do. […] That approach, that starting point. We want to do things with residents and maybe even let residents organise them. That is starting to take shape at different places now. […] Sometimes things can be better organized by letting the people do it themselves, and to just say: well, you get the space to do that, maybe even the budget to develop it. Instead of saying: well, our civil servant has to do that.’’

(Elwin van der Klis, personal communication, 7-6-2019) ‘’Look, we still need a lot of support, because there are a lot of decisions to be made.

The regular people that aren’t directly involved in sustainability. […] You also have to teach them the story, and show them: what can they do themselves? That’s what we are working on right now, together with De Gezonde Stad. […]Information, but also offering an action perspective.’’

(Rick Vermin, personal communication, 5-6-2019) ‘’Well, it really is a combination of the residents of the district and the governors. Look, the heat network here, if that is going to happen it is because there are residents that are engaged in it and because there is a governor that wanted to achieve something. Who listened, and had the knowledge. So it is really the interplay. And that is really in the whole, especially in the energy transition.. You are going to have to do it together, because the challenge is so big.’’

(Rick Vermin, personal communication, 5-6-2019) When it comes to local governance, there are many aspects that may differ that influences how there is dealt with environmental sustainability at the district level. These aspects include priorities, knowledge, and willingness to set an example and take on a leadership role of the people working at the district committees, the interaction and communication between the district and its residents

4.7.3 Built environment

The way a district is built can greatly affect its environmental sustainability in several ways. The Centrum district is the district with the oldest built environment, which often makes it hard to make the district more environmentally sustainable. Other districts, like Nieuw-West and Zuidoost, have a built environment in which it is easier to take sustainability measures:

‘’On the other hand, it [Centrum] is a district with little public space, difficult built environment, in the shape of small homes, old homes, badly maintained homes, monumental homes. These are all obstacles.’’

Ranking the districts of Amsterdam on environmental sustainability : how do the districts of Amsterdam differ concerning environmental sustainability and which local factors play a role in this?