Breda (NL) has a water playground on the Grote Markt. The contractor gave this special fountain in front of the town hall, which in the form of the coat of arms of the city of Breda, a final test today and delivered the water playground. Due to the coming cold months, the water playground will not be fully operational until the spring of 2022. The water playground was realized with a contribution from the European Union of the Cool Towns project.
Climate change is causing warmer summers. Heat waves are more common and more intense. In many European cities and built-up areas this causes heat stress with major consequences for public health and quality of life. Physical adjustments in public spaces are necessary to reduce heat stress, maintain quality of life and increase attractiveness.
Research shows that the Grote Markt is one of the warmer places in the city. Experience also shows that the city center is not always attractive on very hot days. Which is now an ideal place to let residents and visitors cool off by using a water play area.
“This central location in the city center of Breda is already a place where residents of Breda and visitors to the city meet. This can be increased even further by adding this water play area. Children can play with the water playground while the parents sit on the terrace: an extra incentive for the catering industry on the Grote Markt. Breda has a new eye-catcher,” said Alderman Tim van het Hof.
Breda previously carried out projects on the Nijverheidssingel and in the Menno van Coehoornstraat under the Cool Towns flag, to make the city more attractive when it comes to temperature. In those two projects, extra trees were mainly planted, with support from Europe.
Photography by Edwin Wiekens (PHOTED)
