How Rotterdam is building resilient neighbourhoods
What if the power went out in your neighbourhood for several days?
It’s a situation you’d rather not think about, but it is becoming increasingly realistic, as recent blackouts in Berlin, Spain and Portugal have shown. In the Netherlands, awareness is growing that prolonged outages can have serious consequences. That is why Rotterdam is actively exploring how residents can better prepare at the local level.
In the neighbourhood Rotterdam-Bloemhof, this is taking concrete shape. The municipality, Albert Heijn, Deloitte, the Safety Region, and the Red Cross are collaborating on a pilot to demonstrates how resilience can be organised in practice, with residents as essential partners.
The initiative was inspired by a study trip to Finland, where social resilience has been embedded in daily life for decades. This led to the creation of a core group of 25 public, private, and social organisations working together to build a more resilient Netherlands. The Bloemhof pilot is the first step in discovering what is possible locally. At the heart of the initiative is a simple but critical question: how can residents support themselves during the first 72 hours of a crisis? After all, in a real crisis, emergency services cannot reach everyone at once.
Building resilience starts in the neighbourhood
Bloemhof was deliberately chosen for the pilot. The neighbourhood is known for its close-knit community, strong informal networks, and its vulnerabilities.
“Bloemhof is a neighbourhood with enormous strength, but also vulnerable in the event of a major disruption,” says Nienke Riemersma, program director for resilience at the municipality of Rotterdam. “That is why we wanted to work with residents to explore what they can do themselves when essential services fail. Their knowledge is indispensable.”
Edith van der Reijden, director of risk and crisis management at the Safety Region, adds: “The traditional crisis organisation is designed for acute incidents, not multi-day outages. This requires a different way of working, with residents, public-private collaboration, and local networks at the center.”
Image: Rhalda Jansen
A broad collaboration
The strength of the initiative lies in its diverse collaboration. Albert Heijn contributes expertise in daily food supply, the Red Cross brings experience with emergency aid and volunteer networks, the municipality knows what is happening in the neighbourhood, and the Safety Region connects the pilot to existing crisis structures. Deloitte acts as the connecting and analytical partner, helping translate insights into an approach that can later be applied in other neighbourhoods.
Sjoerd van der Smissen, partner and public sector industry lead at Deloitte, puts it this way: “Resilience must be organised together. This requires shifting from ‘me’ to ‘we.’ That is why we use our expertise to help partners and residents build a society that stands stronger when it matters most.”
“Resilience must be organised together. This requires moving from ‘me’ to ‘we.’ "
- Sjoerd van der Smissen, Deloitte
Pilot sessions: practising scenarios
During two evenings in Bloemhof, residents, volunteers, and organisations explored a realistic scenario: a prolonged power outage. In small groups, participants worked through step by step what would happen when the electricity went out for several days.
Residents mapped who might need extra support in the street, what still works without power, and where people could go if payment systems, internet, or refrigerators fail. Discussions quickly became practical: sharing food, placing red-and-green aid signals in windows, setting up informal help routes, and having young people deliver groceries.
By practicing together, residents build trust and strengthen their networks. André Meeder, regional manager at the Red Cross, observed something important: “Residents stepped up, saying, ‘Give me that training. I want to help my neighbourhood.’ That is exactly what community self-resilience means.”
The sessions were also valuable for businesses. Ruud Limmen, head of incident management at Albert Heijn, said: “During a power outage, a store would normally close immediately. But what can you do for the neighbourhood at that moment? These sessions provided insights we would not have gained otherwise. It shows the power of collaboration.”
Image: Rhalda Jansen
Outcomes: concrete ideas and stronger connection
The sessions produced tangible ideas, but perhaps more importantly, they strengthened connections. Together, residents developed emergency plans and discussed ways to look out for each other. This created a network of people who know what they can do for each other and how to reach each other in times of crisis.
In the coming months, further steps include setting up local emergency support points, follow-up training sessions, and refresher courses. Insights from Bloemhof will also be applied in other Rotterdam neighbourhoods, such as Crooswijk and Pendrecht-Zuidwijk.
Moving forward together
The sessions in Bloemhof show that societal resilience is not an abstract policy concept, but something people can actively shape together. Everyone, from residents to businesses, has a role to play. Residents felt empowered, organisations gained a deeper understanding of each other’s roles, and partners experienced the value of true co-creation at the neighbourhood level.
The core group’s message is clear: we cannot do this alone. By investing now in collaboration and shared knowledge, we can build a stronger, more resilient Netherlands for the future.
“Residents stepped up, saying, ‘Give me that training. I want to help my neighbourhood.’ That is exactly what community self-resilience means.”
- André Meeder, Red Cross
Sjoerd van der Smissen
