Three field labs have been launched at the Marineterrein in Amsterdam to develop solutions for complex urban challenges. The field labs focus on greening the built environment, a resilient energy system, and robust crisis communication. By developing, testing, and refining innovations directly in practice, the partners are taking the step from experimentation to widespread implementation in Amsterdam and other cities.
Three urgent urban challenges
Façades represent one of the greatest yet still underused opportunities for greening our cities. The Growing Façades field lab investigates how different façade systems can contribute to a healthier and more climate-resilient living environment. Using an AI-driven monitoring system, the project maps their effects on heat stress, air quality, noise, biodiversity and well-being. This provides a clearer picture of the societal value of green façades.
Energy demand in cities is growing, while the power grid is increasingly reaching its limits. In addition to grid congestion, the risks of prolonged power outages are also rising, due in part to climate change and geopolitical tensions. The ISLAND field lab is investigating how area-specific microgrids can contribute to a more resilient energy system. The consortium is developing and testing design principles for urban microgrids, integrating technology, spatial integration, governance, and public acceptance. A field test using the 'islanding' technique demonstrates how a local energy grid can temporarily disconnect from the main grid, ensuring that essential functions remain powered during a prolonged power outage.
By connecting the field labs, we’re not only learning what works within a single project, but also how different innovations can reinforce one another.
Prolonged power outages can also strain communication systems, as mobile networks and other telecommunications infrastructure fail. The New Path Network field lab is investigating how a robust and energy-efficient communication network can ensure that public organizations and citizens remain connected even during prolonged power outages. The consortium is developing and testing a LoRaMesh network that can operate independently of the regular telecom infrastructure. The field lab is conducting multiple tests at the emergency support centers and in and around the Marineterrein. This allows the technology to be tested and provides insight into how the network can be deployed most effectively during a crisis.
Karla Ritsema, Program Developer at AMS Institute, explains: “Thanks to funding from CLICKNL, we can tackle these three urgent urban challenges simultaneously. By connecting the field labs, we’re not only learning what works within a single project, but also how different innovations can reinforce one another. We want to demonstrate that these innovations work in practice and are ready for implementation in other locations. In addition, we’re bringing new partners together and widely sharing the knowledge we’ve gained. Our ambition is for the solutions not to remain confined to the Marineterrein, but to find their way to Amsterdam, other cities, and new collaborations. Only then can innovations truly make an impact.’
