When neighborhoods are viewed mainly through data, risk indicators and policy challenges, it is easy to focus on what is missing. But in Bospolder–Tussendijken (BoTu) in the west of Rotterdam, the story begins with what is already there.
“As institutions, we often only see the thorns and not the rose.”
BoTu is a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood where people from many backgrounds live side by side. Life unfolds in shared spaces such as Visserijplein, community centers, playgrounds and places of worship. In these everyday places, strong social networks and small acts of care help hold the community together.
Building on these existing strengths, under the UP2030 programme, Veldacademie and the Municipality of Rotterdam, together with BoTu residents, local organizations and partners including the Resilient Cities Network, worked to recognize and strengthen the neighborhood’s own foundations for resilience.
Through the Resilient BoTu 2028 programme, the neighborhood became a living learning environment where community resilience, participatory governance and the social energy transition are explored in practice.
This publication series captures lessons from this process through two complementary resources that together form a Toolkit for Resilient Neighborhoods.
Stories of Neighborhood Resilience from BoTu presents real examples from the neighborhood, showing how resilience emerges through people, relationships and local initiatives. Through stories and images, it highlights how community spaces, trusted networks and everyday collaboration support resilience in practice.
Building Blocks for Resilient Neighbourhoods translates these experiences into practical principles that other communities can adapt to their own context. The building blocks identify key conditions that help neighborhoods strengthen resilience, from working with local networks to creating spaces that support collaboration and learning.
Together, these two publications connect lived neighborhood experience with practical insights that can inspire and guide resilience efforts in cities around the world.