The Rampart, The Traffic Artery, and the Park; Designing for the city regions of Antwerp
Through a close reading of Antwerp’s current spatial and socio-economic composition, and the introduction of the interplay between the city’s three defining paradigms – abstracted to ‘The Rampart, the Traffic Artery, and the Park’ – this study tries to sketch a unifying strategy for Antwerp’s metropole. A strategy that embeds residential, economic, cultural, recreational, climatic, and historical motives within the different city regions. Thereby improving the connection between the left and right side of the river; transitioning the suburban region to a more polycentric structure while maintaining a spatial relation to the city; and explicitly manages the horizontal growth of the periphery. But that most importantly, captures the metropole in a single narrative from its inner-city to its outer edges. Graduation thesis prepared for the master’s degree in urban design at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Through a close reading of Antwerp’s current spatial and socio-economic composition, and the introduction of the interplay between the city’s three defining paradigms – abstracted to ‘The Rampart, the Traffic Artery, and the Park’ – this study tries to sketch a unifying strategy for Antwerp’s metropole. A strategy that embeds residential, economic, cultural, recreational, climatic, and historical motives within the different city regions. Thereby improving the connection between the left and right side of the river; transitioning the suburban region to a more polycentric structure while maintaining a spatial relation to the city; and explicitly manages the horizontal growth of the periphery. But that most importantly, captures the metropole in a single narrative from its inner-city to its outer edges.
Graduation thesis prepared for the master’s degree in urban design at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
I I
I
I
I
I
I I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
en
Ekeren
To
Roosendaal
I
I
I
I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I
I I I
I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I
I
To the
harbour
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Chaussee to
Bergen op Zoom
I
I I I I I I I I I I
Ekeren
I I I I I I
Chaussee
to Breda
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Fort
Merxem
I I I I I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I
E19 to
Breda.
To
Breda
(railway)
to Brecht
To the
harbour
and Luchtbal.
Luchtbal has
the second
highest amount
of social
dwellings,
spread out
over its entire
length.
Luchtbal
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I
Merksem
The Krijgsbaan could
function as a defining
edge for the suburbs
of Merksem and
Deurne.
The low-density regions in the forest here contain a lot of high income inhabitants.
Schoten
People with higher
income tend to live
outside of the city or
suburban region.
rk is not
here.
I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
This area along the canal is also very
valuable. The data stops at the municipal
border, but probably extends all the way
to the bridge to the east.
Chaussee
to turnhout
l
he area defined by
he Leien and the
aaslandtunnel on
verage holds
wellings with the
east amount of
ooms in
ntwerp.
I I I I I
I I I
I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I I
I I I I I
I I I I I I I
There
are some
sections in the
city that have
social housing.
The entire city is
rather dense,
however, this broad
section around the
park, till the ring is
the densest.
I
I
I
I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I
I I
I I
I I
I I I
I I I
Borgerhout
Deurne
This hatch represents
the densification
planned along the ring
road.
Fort 2
Wijnegem
All the suburbs, except for the more
expensive strip going south from
Fort 1
Middelheim, have a rather high
density. Deurne and Morkhoven
have the highest density on
average. This can probably be
explained by the accessibility
created by the tram line that loops
between the city and these two
suburbs.
The density is highest near the ring,
and diminishes further to the
periphery.
the E34 to
Eindhoven
and Maastricht.
These dots represent
the three different
variants for the second
harbour railway.
Wommelgem
Borsbeek
I I I
I I I I
I
I I I I I
I
I
I I I
I
I I I
I I
I I I I I I I I
Berchem
I
I I
I I
Groenenhoek
Fort 3
The radial development that is
so characteristic for Belgium is
clearly visible in the morphology
of Antwerp's suburbs.
ilrijk
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I
I
I
I
I I I
Eisdonk
t 6 Fort 5
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
The Krijgsbaan
could be a
catalyst for the
urbanisation of
Borsbeek.
To Nijlen
I
I
Middelheim
This area has the
highest average of
number of rooms
per dwelling.
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I
I
Low density
housing along
this section of
the Krijgsbaan
for densification here in
ment of the market.
Edegem
This area has the highest
property value in Antwerp.
There is a difference
however, between inner-city
and suburb in terms of density.
Higher density can be found in
the city, and lower in the
suburbs. Especially the area
around Middelheim has a low
density.
E19 to
Brussels.
Chaussee
to Mechelen
I
I
I I
I
Fort 4
I
I I I
I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
To Mechelen
and Brussels
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Mortsel
People with higher income tend to
live outside of the city or suburban region.
To Lier
Chaussee
to Lier
Legend
Social housing
High property value
high income
High density
Few or many
rooms per dwelling
Morphology
157
Change language