The Rampart, The Traffic Artery, and the Park; Designing for the city regions of Antwerp

Large natural stuctures and green corridors.
Figure 3.9
The ring park in relation to the larger
ecological structures in the suburban
region, and the green radials entering
the suburbs.
2004, Flanders is also actively working on a plan – the Sigmaplan – that is
supposed to protect the villages and cities along the Scheldt and its tributaries
from flooding. The Flamish Waterwaynv (Vlaamse Waterwegnv) is executing
this plan by raising and stabilising the dykes along the river, and by appointing
controlled flooding zones. While simultaneously improving the ecological value
of the Scheldt river valley (De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, 2005). In Antwerp the
quays have already been raised and refurbished; on Linkeroever, the dykes are
going to be raised by one or two metres depending on the location. It would
seem that there is an opportunity to use the development of the ring park
and the Sigmaplan as a way to improve the ecological value of the nature on
Linkeroever, while simultaneously strengthening the relationship it has to the
larger ecological structure of the Scheldt. Thus, creating a similar link as the
green radials on the right side of the river.
Figure 3.10 - next spread
The drawing shows all the major changes
to Antwerp’s infrastructural system
after the ring project is complete, and it
shows the distance one can travel in 30
minutes with public transport. Google
maps was used for this map, and
TravelTime (Google, 2020; TravelTime,
2020).
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