Role reversal: the place formed by climate can now help shape it.

When it comes to climate change, the region of Utrecht has a long-standing connection. In fact, the area’s central and historical role is closely related to the way the climate has shaped the landscape. The push moraine resulting from an ice age glacier, now known as the Utrecht Hill Ridge, proved fertile and stable. An attractive place to live. Over time, the area has been developed as one of the most important crossroads in the Netherlands.

A central player

The Utrecht region is a linking pin. It is centrally positioned in the Netherlands and witness to some of the most important climate challenges facing us: changing precipitation patterns, Urban Heat islands and effects of increased urbanization. As such, Utrecht holds a central position for instigating change.

The smart climate approach

The region of Utrecht has taken on a strategic and multi-faceted approach to climate-proofing. It tackles the changes through a wide range of projects and in various manners. Some projects take on a mitigation approach, others an adaptation approach. A signature trend that all projects have in common is that climate changes are managed with the goal of both maximizing the short-term win-win solution, as well as looking at climate adaptation as a long-term strategic investment. 

This magazine explores how municipalities, citizens, scientists and businesses in the Utrecht region are reinventing the way in which we can deal with the upcoming climate challenges.