Any warmer, and we become more easily sick, stressed, and moody. AMS Institute's cutting-edge research on Climate Resilient Cities combines technology and nature-based solutions to create a healthier, more resilient urban environment.
Heat Mapping with Mobile Sensors
WUR urban climate researcher Gert-Jan Steeneveld cycles through Amsterdam with weather stations mounted on his cargo bike, measuring temperature variations across neighborhoods. His data reveals that just 10% more greenery can cool an area by 0.6°C — informing urban landscape architects how to make neighbourhoods cooler by design, a significant step toward reducing heat stress and improving public health. Learn more >>
Indoor Heat Monitoring
Scientists placed weather stations in 100 Amsterdam homes to track indoor temperatures during heat waves. Results show that 75% of city homes exceed the WHO-recommended nighttime temperatures of a maximum of 24°C, compared to just 15% in rural areas, highlighting the urgent need for building adaptations. Made of asphalt, brick, and concrete, the city is on average 2 to 3 degrees warmer than in the countryside by day and up to 10 degrees warmer at night. Learn more >>
Trees: Nature’s Air Conditioners
New research on 69 Dutch tree species reveals that urban trees can reduce air temperature by up to 3.5°C and radiant temperature by an astounding 21.5-34.5°C. The i-Tree 2.0-NL consortium of 29 partners found that linden, birch, and plane trees dropped radiant temperature — the temperature you actually feel based on heat radiation from surrounding surfaces — by up to 42°C! The project's measurements have been integrated into a dashboard linked to the i-Tree computer model, which already had capabilities for measuring air quality and CO2 reduction. If city planners select the most effective trees now, some species will provide decades of natural cooling as they mature. Learn more >>
Tram-Mounted Pollution Sensors
MIT Senseable Lab and AMS Institute are revolutionizing environmental monitoring by equipping Amsterdam's trams and buses with sensors that track air quality, noise, and temperature in real-time. This "drive-by sensing" approach provides more accurate, real-time data across diverse neighborhoods, enabling evidence-based policy decisions on issues ranging from diesel emissions to noise pollution. Read more about this research here >>
Noise-adaptive urban and building design
TU Delft architecture researcher Martijn Lugten tested innovative building configurations to reduce aircraft noise by simulating a residential neighbourhood using 120 containers in Hoofddorp. The project also included research on the impact of vertical vegetation and trees for mitigating aircraft noise, heat stress, and air pollution. His designs at the field lab used staggered, slanted facades and porous materials with air columns to scatter sound waves upward or absorb them — methods that can reduce noise pollution while simultaneously addressing heat stress through green building materials.Learn more >>
Greening Leftover Spaces
Research Fellow Sitong Luo creates living labs from abandoned urban plots, testing how informal green spaces or industrial sites can provide ecosystem services. Her team’s experimental sites on Marineterrein demonstrate how sowing the right seeds in overlooked areas can result in biodiversity hotspots attracting wildlife, create community gathering spaces, and offer air purification and stormwater management benefits. Learn more >>
Tackling Plastic Pollution
The Urban Plastic Soup project reveals that Amsterdam's waters are becoming a gateway for nearly 1.9 million pieces of plastic (toxic cigarette butts, single-use packaging, and others) that flow into the River IJ each year—equivalent to 3.67 items per minute. While the city removes 42 tons of plastic waste annually, many of these pieces still enter the waterway, though the exact number that ultimately reaches the North Sea remains unknown as plastic gets lost, sinks, or becomes trapped along the way.
To address this issue, pilot testing of two innovative collection systems (Shoreliner and CanalCleaner) was conducted last summer, while also incorporating learnings from the existing bubble barrier system (TGBB in Westerdok). TGBB has been permanently installed since 2019 and currently intercepts waste at a key location before it reaches open waters. Learn more >>
(Slim) Shady – Shade Mapping Technology
Research Fellow Lukas Beuster explores how shade can help cities adapt to urban heat. As urban areas warm faster than rural ones, surpassing climate targets, his research (Slim) Shady goes beyond conventional cooling strategies. Shade from trees and buildings can significantly lower Mean Radiant Temperature — a key driver of thermal discomfort in cities. Using geospatial analysis, thermal modeling, and urban data, Lukas’s work helps Amsterdam design more comfortable, walkable, and heat-resilient public spaces, especially for vulnerable communities. Learn more in Het Parool >>
