Understanding cross-sectoral innovations for urban water management through the lens of organizational ambidexterity

Figures & data

Table 1. Key urban water management actors in the Netherlands, their responsibilities, and the responsible parties in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Waternet (Amsterdam) is a water cycle organization, i.e. it is a drinking water company, and it is also the executive agency of the municipality and the water board.

Urban water management actors	Main responsibilities (‘water tasks’)	Responsible organization in Rotterdam	Responsible organization in Amsterdam
Municipalities	Collection and transport of wastewater, and the management of storm water and groundwater in public space (residents and businesses carry the responsibility for their own properties).	Municipality of Rotterdam	Waternet (on behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam)
District water boards	Control of polder water levels and flood defenses, management of the quantity and quality of surface water, as well as the treatment of wastewater.	Hoogheemraadschap van Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard; Waterschap Hollandse Delta; Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland	Waternet (on behalf of Waterschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht)
Drinking water companies	Production and distribution of drinking water, including the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure required for this purpose.	Evides	Waternet

Table 2. Overview of the selected Rotterdam UWSI initiatives.

Initiative	Type of initiative	Urban water management theme	Aim
Rotterdam Reyeroord+	Program	Asset management, climate adaptation	Changing current asset management practices: involving inhabitants and using system renovation as the start of a transition.
Rotterdam Multifunctional roofs	Program	Climate adaptation	Creating multifunctional roofs and contributing to sustainability.
Rotterdam Strat. asset management	Program (line-based initiative)	Asset management	Implementing uniform asset management practices and the joint replacement of urban infrastructures.
Rotterdam Next SB-SO	Line-based initiative	Asset management	Changing current approaches of the departments of City management and City renewal.
Water Sensitive Rotterdam (Club of 36)	Movement	Climate adaptation	Implementing climate adaptation measures on a neighbourhood level through linking urban professionals, residents and civil servants with eachother.
Rotterdam Weerwoord	Program	Climate adaptation	Making Rotterdam climate-proof through a citywide and neighbourhood-specific approach.
Rosa Consortium	Collaboration	Resource recovery	Making the Rotterdam urban water cycle climate-proof, circular and effective.
Rotterdam Circularity	Program	Resource recovery	Closing material cycles through increasing circular-thinking and facilitating a circular economy.

Table 3. Overview of the selected Amsterdam UWSI initiatives.

Initiative	Type of initiative	Urban water management theme	Aim
Amsterdam Rainproof	Movement	Climate adaptation	Preparing Amsterdam for heavier rainfalls together with citizens, entrepreneurs, and knowledge workers.
Amsterdam Climate adaptation	Program	Climate adaptation	Preparing Amsterdam for a changing climate (heat, drought, (urban) flooding).
Waternet Climate adaptation	Program	Climate adaptation	Making the Waternet area climate proof and resilient.
Koppelkansen	Programcollaboration)	Asset management, Climate adaptation	Addressing multiple sustainability challenges in public space through smart, integrated solutions, both above and below ground.
Amsterdam Future-proof assets	Line-based initiative	Asset management	Preparing assets in Amsterdam for the future through concrete projects together with knowledge institutes and industry.
Waternet Circular economy	Program	Resource recovery	Reducing the environmental impact trough reorganizing the Waternet urban water cycle.
Waternet Energy transition	Program	Resource recovery (aquathermal energy)	Contributing to the heat transition through aquathermal energy projects and making Waternet carbon neutral/energy positive.
Waternet New sanitation	Program	Resource recovery	Developing knowledge and gaining experience with (local) resource recovery through concrete projects.

Table 4. Overview of the different type of network activities and their objectives such as identified in the cases.

Type and scale of network activities	Identified objectives of network activities
Intraorganizational networks	working across departmental boundaries creating a knock-on effect
Networks of initiatives	saving costs strengthening the position of initiatives pairing up to build a critical mass
External networks	gaining support from parties that are vital for the innovation (dependency) getting innovations more easily adopted within the organization
Knowledge platforms	sharing of knowledge putting pressure on parties operating at a larger scale, e.g. trade associations

Data availability statement

The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly, so due to the sensitive nature of the research supporting data is not available.