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.
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Ecological vs. functional nature
Ecological vs. functional nature
Ecological
nature
Ecological
nature
Functional
nature
Functional
nature
Segregated landscape
Segregated landscape
origin and partially planted, and currently also protected as a bird area (Natuurpunt
Waasland, b). Next to it is the Rot, an ecological zone that is a remnant
of the stream the Rot from the 16th century. This area is also a bird breeding
ground and is, in anticipation of the Oosterweel-Link going to be upgraded
and enlarged (Natuurpunt Waasland, c). Concluding to the south, we find the
Burchtse weel. A body of water also created by a dyke breach. This weel is still
connected to the Scheldt, and currently functions as inundation area and bird
habitat (Beheersmaatschappij Antwerpen Mobiel, 2006). Striking is that all of
these ecological areas are breeding grounds for birds, this is something the
municipality want to maintain and strengthen, by forming stronger connections
between the zones (Municipality of Antwerp, 2013, p. 42).
The functional nature – nature with a function for the city – consists
out of the Galgeweel, Middenvijver, and the Sint Anna beach (north east of
Linkeroever). The former was created by a dyke breach, and is now home to
several sailing clubs and fish clubs. The kolk is still connected to the Scheldt
via a lock (Sint-Anneke, n.d.). Middenvijver is a large meadow-like plain in the
middle of Linkeroever, created when the area was raised with sand. It is currently
marked as park and recreation area (Municipality of Antwerp, n.d.), and
is host to several annual festivals, like Laundry Day Festival, Elrow Town Festival
Antwerpen, and Fire is Gold festival (Festival fans, 2020). The Sint Anna beach
is a popular recreational spot during the summer months with lots of cafes.
The is a remnant of the Linkeroever pre-development; the beach has been a
popular recreational destination since roughly the 1920s (Schoofs, 2003a).
In the north, we find two forests that do not fit into any of the two
categories; the Sint Annabos and the Esmoreitpark. Both consist mainly out of
populous. Their ecological value is debatable; research states that their value
is limited, and would require large investment to make them more valuable
(Michiels, 2016, p. 67). While they on the other hand have a lot of valuable
fauna (Natuurpunt Waasland, d). they were marked to be cut down, however,
(another) protest group managed to prevent this. Although the forests are
currently in very bad shape and severely neglected (Ademloos.be, 2016).
Figure 4.12
Drawing of Linkeroever with the highway
and the different ecological areas
(Google, 2020).
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