Nijmegen, located in the eastern Netherlands, is the largest city in the Arnhem-Nijmegen metropolitan area and home to over 170 000 residents. The city’s identity is closely tied to the River Waal, which presents both unique challenges and opportunities. A central goal of Nijmegen’s European Green Capital Award campaign was actively involving citizens and entrepreneurs in shaping a healthier and more prosperous city. The city has set ambitious environmental targets to become energy neutral by 2045 and fully ‘climate proof’ by 2050. To achieve these goals, Nijmegen considers the participation of its residents, entrepreneurs and knowledge institutions essential.
The city has fostered public involvement through various initiatives. A participation map of Nijmegen highlights numerous projects initiated by citizens in public spaces. One notable campaign, Green Connects, was designed to boost civic engagement in developing green and blue infrastructure and enhancing biodiversity. Other initiatives include expanding green spaces in the city centre, protecting badger habitats and organising ‘permablitzes,’ where teams rapidly transform urban gardens to promote greener living.
Public participation has also played a critical role in Nijmegen’s energy projects. The city’s first wind farm, Windpark Nijmegen-Betuwe, required the support of environmental NGOs to move forward. Private stakeholders successfully mobilised thousands of residents who purchased shares in the wind turbines, which built trust with financial institutions to secure investments. Since 2016, this wind farm has been generating enough energy to power over 7 000 households, meeting approximately 10% of the city’s energy needs.
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For more information on Nijmegen’s sustainability efforts and achievements, you can visit the official website. To dive deeper into the city’s environmental strategies, check out Nijmegen’s application and the EGCA Technical Assessment Synopsis Report – Award Cycle 2018, which evaluates Nijmegen's performance. The city’s initiatives are further detailed in the Nijmegen – European Green Capital 2018 Brochure (EN) and Dutch, while the Nijmegen 1-Year Report summarises its progress during its Green Capital year. Visual insights are provided in the Nijmegen Post-Assessment Report 2018 Summary Overview Infographic, and reflections on the city’s achievements can be found in the Nijmegen – Magazine: A Retrospective on Nijmegen’s European Green Capital year. You can also explore moments from the Award Ceremony – 2016 and track the city’s long-term progress in the 5-Year Report Nijmegen.
Citizen Diaries
Meet Matthijs de Gruijter, manager and owner of Struin, a nature kindergarten located in the 2018 European Green Capital, Nijmegen. Struin.
University students and staff account for approximately 50% of Nijmegen’s population. With such a huge number of students living in the city, what they do has a profound impact on the city’s environment.
Tucked away in the 80 hectares of de Goffert Park (Nijmegen’s largest city park), the farm is a haven for animal lovers, nature seekers and anyone looking for a break from the busy city life!
The Dar Milieustraat is one of the ‘greenest’ streets in Nijmegen, but not due to the amount of trees, plants or cycle lanes it has, but because of its commitment to recycling.
Lars Westra is a consultant in sustainable growth and an advocate for the inclusion of children’s voices in global issuession of children’s voices in global issues.