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How Green Will Wageningen Be in 2120? City Receives Inspiring Vision for the Future of the City
The Wageningen municipal executive has received the study Wageningen in 2120. This future vision, developed by Wageningen University & Research, outlines how Wageningen could look in 2120 if green and sustainable choices are made.
Project leaders Sverre van Klaveren and Flore Bijker from Wageningen Environmental Research presented the study to the Wageningen municipal executive on Tuesday. The vision was then shared with the municipal council. Wageningen’s mayor, Floor Vermeulen, expressed great satisfaction with the results. The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between Wageningen University & Research and the municipality, known as the City Agenda.
Mayor Vermeulen stated: “What makes this project so special is that researchers and municipal staff have gone through the development process together. The results provide tools for an open and constructive approach to Wageningen’s future, working towards an inspiring vision for the city—one that fits a city like Wageningen.”
Map of the Future
Wageningen in 2120 features a large map depicting how the municipality and its surroundings might look in a hundred years. Illustrations in the accompanying brochure show buildings constructed on stilts in forested hills and a compact city layout, ensuring that everything remains accessible on foot or by bicycle. The landscape is a patchwork of experimental fields where WUR researchers, residents, and entrepreneurs collaborate on nature-friendly, water-resilient, and urban-inclusive agriculture, as well as new ways of living, working, and generating energy. During extreme high water levels, river water would flow from the dike into a wetland forest in Wageningen’s lowest-lying areas—the Grift (formerly the Valleikanaal) and its surrounding nature reserve.
"This vision can help broaden perspectives. It offers inspiration for a green and sustainable future. And perhaps it will help prevent decisions that could hinder future developments," said Tim van Hattum, programme leader of NL2120.
Regional Visions
This vision for Wageningen was developed by researchers from Wageningen Environmental Research and WUR students in collaboration with the municipality of Wageningen, the province of Gelderland, and the Vallei and Veluwe Water Board. The study stems from the national vision The Netherlands in 2120, which received funding from the National Growth Fund in 2023 to scale up the application of nature-based solutions. Last year, it was also awarded the prestigious Grote Maaskant Prize. This national vision has since been adapted to other regional contexts, including Arnhem 2120, Green Metropolitan Region 2120, and Vallei and Veluwe 2120, as well as the European vision EU in 2120.