Groningen has been rated the healthiest city in the Netherlands once again, while Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam occupy three of the lowest five ranks in a recent Arcadis survey.
The Healthy City Index 2022
The Gezonde Stad Index, or Healthy City Index, is published every two years by engineering firm Arcadis and is based on research undertaken by the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM). It assesses 20 Dutch towns, scoring and ranking them all across five categories:
- Mobility
- Outdoor spaces
- (Natural) Environment
- Built environment
- Community
The index is just in its second year, but Arcadis notes that the general health of each city covered has improved since 2020, regardless of their ranking. Besides, This year’s index examines how society has evolved due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Overall, Dutch cities have developed as jobs in the Netherlands became more remote-friendly, with many places trying to contain more green and public areas for those working from home part-time or full-time. Cars are also granted less area in most cities, with councils and cities prioritizing pedestrian and cyclist experiences over cars.
Groningen has been named the healthiest city in the Netherlands again.
Groningen has taken the top spot in the ranking for the second time, finishing in the top ten in all five evaluated areas. Besides, The city performed best and worst in the categories of the built environment and outdoor spaces, finishing first and tenth, respectively.
The four biggest cities of the Netherlands—Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague—all claim positions in the lower half of the ranking, while several of the smaller cities in the country claim the top ranks. Utrecht came in 14th behind Leeuwarden with the highest total score, while Rotterdam took the bottom slot due to subpar performance in the community, natural environment, and outdoor spaces categories!
What are the healthiest Dutch cities?
Are you curious to know how your city fared? See the whole standings below:
- Groningen
- Emmen
- Apeldoorn
- Nijmegen
- Maastricht
- Almere
- Amersfoort
- Haarlem
- Enschede
- Breda
- Arnhem
- Eindhoven
- Leeuwarden
- Utrecht
- Terneuzen
- The Hague
- Tilburg
- Amsterdam
- Zaanstad
- Rotterdam
10 Convincing Reasons For You To Visit Groningen, The Netherlands
