Leeuwarden adapts urban greenery to more extreme weather

NEWS

POLICY & LEGAL

Heleen Kommers, Tuesday 1 September 2026

81 sec

Drought and heavy rainfall increasingly determine species selection

The municipality of Leeuwarden is further adapting permanent greenery in the city to periods of drought, heat and heavy rainfall. It is not only the choice of trees and plants that is changing. The municipality is also looking at growing conditions and water storage to make existing and new greenery better able to withstand extreme weather.

Image for illustration, generated with AI

The reason for this includes the dry periods that have visibly affected vegetation this summer as well. According to green space manager Nico Kelderhuis, trees shed their leaves prematurely as a defence mechanism against drought stress. At the same time, large amounts of rainfall in a short period can cause problems, for example when roots remain wet for too long.

We look at which locations will become very hot in 10, 20 or 30 years

5,300 trees in poor condition

When planting new trees, Leeuwarden is therefore paying closer attention to the conditions expected at a location in the future. Suitable tree species are selected accordingly. This may mean that familiar species disappear from the streetscape. Kelderhuis mentions the European beech as an example of a tree that is sensitive to stress and changing conditions.
According to the municipality, around 5,300 trees are currently in poor to very poor condition. These trees are being replaced. Leeuwarden is also experimenting in planting areas with species that are better able to cope with extreme weather.

An estimated 5,300 trees in Leeuwarden are in poor to very poor condition

Growing conditions make a difference

It is not only species selection that receives attention. At a plane tree dating from around 1900 on the Wirdumerdijk, the paving around the trunk was removed after the dry summer of 2018. Planting and organic matter were added instead. According to Kelderhuis, the condition of the tree has improved significantly since then.
At the Waagplein, the municipality has chosen a different approach. Beneath a small park created several years ago is a water reservoir with a capacity of approximately 130,000 to 180,000 litres of rainwater. The stored water is available for the trees and at the same time helps absorb peak rainfall.

The larger and healthier the tree, the more it contributes to cooling

According to Kelderhuis, this underlines the importance of healthy mature trees in the city. In addition to shade and cooling, they also contribute to air quality, health and biodiversity.

This article was previously published on 31 August 2026 on the website of Stad + Groen.

Gemeente Leeuwarden

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