In Amsterdam, a city committed to becoming healthier and more sustainable for its citizens and visitors, we have witnessed a greater sense of togetherness, connectivity and a collective transition towards the sustainable city. This is one of the findings in the latest Monitor report, De Monitor 2020, published by De Gezonde Stad.
In the last year, the global pandemic has challenged our daily routines, our mental and physical well being, our freedom of movement and the ways we interact with our local environment. Every year De Gezonde Stad (The Healthy City) collects the latest facts and figures on Amsterdam’s:
• Green spaces
• Air quality
• Energy use
• Waste production
• Food consumption
These five pillars help its citizens understand how close (or far) we are to a healthy and sustainable Amsterdam. Reflecting on these pillars in the Monitor report, we also learn about the initiatives, achievements and developments blooming across the city, and feel inspired to take action.
So how green, healthy and sustainable were we really in 2020? What was the influence of Covid on the five pillars and what can we do to help Amsterdam’s transition towards sustainability? Using the findings from De Monitor 2020, this blog posts some highlights. And to make it easy, we'll also add these findings in Dutch.
I think comparing to other cities, especially to western ones, we are pretty healthy. Of course, that doesn't mean we should stop improving!