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

earlier notion that this strategy can give the sense that the inhabitants are part
of a larger whole.
Another topic this research has sided on purpose is the financial side
of the strategy. As we have established in the exploratory research, projects like
the ring park can easily run well into the hundreds of millions or even a billion
euros. While the main purpose of this strategy was to explore a scenario in
which maximum densification was needed, it does, again through the interplay
of the rampart, traffic artery, and park set, establish a connection with multiple
exiting plans of the municipality, the province, or the region (Gewest), which
could help provide funding. For instance, the inundation area in relation to the
Sigmaplan, or the green fortification belts in terms of preservation of heritage
and protected fauna.
This brings us to further research. While the strategy in this study has been
drafted with a careful reading of Antwerp’s past and existing structures, it still
only paints in primary colours. Further research (1) should go into analysing
the different city regions in more detail to fill in the secondary and tertiary colours
relating to economy, ecology, morphology, mobility, recreation, heritage,
and climate. Secondly (2), future researchers should get a more substantiated
view on the intricacies between the different jurisdictional borders in the region,
as well as a more detailed understanding of the protest culture of its population.
Thirdly (3), further research can go into the combining of the various
loose plans that are currently at large in the metropolitan region by different
actors, as a way to attract funding and to create a more coherent metropole.
And on a final note (4); further research should go in the development of the
drawing method employed in this study as a means to build a bridge between
the disciplines of urban planning and urban design.
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