VISIONS AND CONCEPTS FOR THE SPATIAL POLICY PLAN OF FLANDERS study commissioned by Ruimte Vlaanderen II The Long Term : Uncertainty and governance RADICAL DECENTRALISATION work developped on the basis of concepts by Thomas Sieverts on the sample territory west jan 2013 LIST / GRAU AWB HNS
The work in this document was developed following some of the assumptions and principles stressed by Thomas Sieverts during the second Concept Studio : The Long Term : Uncertainty and Governance. In order to extrapolate some of the principles we chose to concentrate the work of verification and speculation on the western part of Flanders between the cities of Roeselare and Diksmuide. The Radical Decentralization process proposed by Thomas Sieverts during the concept studio, could easily fit with many different parts of Flanders. We chose to concentrate our study on a 20 x 20 km sample of West- Vlaanderen, a less-dispersed-than-usual area with a variety of water issues and landscapes. This context, seems to be perfectly suitable to emphasize differences and stress landscape qualities through decentralization. The outcome of the first Concept Studio, an extrapolation of Paola Vigano s reflection on Flanders was tested on the north-eastern part of Flanders between the Provinces of Antwerp and Limburg. Finally, the third booklet explores principles stressed by Francis Cuillier on a central territory, between Antwerp and Brussels. 0 50 100 25 km 3
MAJOR PRINCIPLES / ASSUMPTIONS : p. 7 1. RADICAL DECENTRALIZATION 2. RESILIENCE / SELF-SUFFICIENCY 3. PLANNING WITHOUT PROGRAM 4. RESPONSIBILITY / REVERSIBILITY 5. AESTHETICS / CULTURE 6. COMMON SPACES AND CULTURAL STRATEGIES SAMPLE TERRITOIRY : WEST FLANDERS / ROESELARE - DIKSMUIDE p. 15 METHODOLOGY : LANDSCAPE FORMS vs SETTLEMENT-PATTERS MAGNETS p. 23 1. FORM 1 : FOREST 2. FORM 2 : WATER 3. FORM 3 : HILL 4. PATTERN 1 : BIG BOXES 5. PATTERN 2 : CITIES 6. PATTERN 3 : DUST MANIPULATIONS : TOWARDS A PROJECT p. 35 1. MAGNET 1 : FOREST 2. MAGNET 2 : WATER 3. MAGNET 3 : HILL 4. MAGNET 4 : ROESELARE 5. MAGNET 5 : ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 6. MAGNET 6 : COUNTRYSIDE ROAD SCHWARZPLAN TRANSFORMATION SYNTHESIS p. 83 p. 93 5
MAJOR PRINCIPLES / ASSUMPTIONS : 1. RADICAL DECENTRALIZATION 2. RESILIENCE / SELF-SUFFICIENCY 3. PLANNING WITHOUT PROGRAM 4. RESPONSIBILITY / REVERSIBILITY 5. AESTHETICS / CULTURE 6. COMMON SPACES AND CULTURAL STRATEGIES 7
1. RADICAL DECENTRALIZATION 2. RESILIENCE / SELF-SUFFICIENCY Flanders extensive, low-density, decentralized settlement-pattern, contradicts all the principles and ideals of the Compact European City, which dominate the present debate about sustainability of cities. As this peculiar settlement-pattern is rooted deeply the history, politics and culture of Flanders, it could hardly be abolished in the next forty years. Because of these reasons, Flanders has to go a different path to sustainability and resilience, and this development path might lead to a form of rather radical decentralization. Decentralization should be also applied to technical urban services of water, sewage, garbage, energy and sports. Decentralization, raises, of course, the question of transportation. The hypothesis of an individual sustainable post-petrol mobility system (electric car) serves as a basis for the following work. Decentralization is part of a general system of resilience. In a decentralized system, you can take one system out of the whole and it still functions. The current Flemish pattern has great advantages : it has a large capacity for both growth and shrinking, and for incorporating different uses and lifestyles. The new urban units, based on the following considerations, should become over time lively and distinct independent quarters as integrated parts of an urban landscape. 8 9
3. PLANNING WITHOUT PROGRAM 4. RESPONSIBILITY / REVERSIBILITY The principle of a network of complementary cities and communes will, rooted in the Middle Ages, still be valid. The building-stock will be to more than 80% built before 2012, but the majority of it will be deeply transformed, taken a yearly investment in the building-stock of about 2%. In addition, There will be less material income, both for households and for state/communes, as we shall have less material growth. Yet, in spite of the survival of the Schwarzplan, the form of living and working as well as of the landscape will be transformed deeply. Growth must be used to improve the already existing settlements both in appearance character and in mixing the uses. Setting simple rules for the continuous transformation-process with the goal of the emergence of a new overall quality, i.e.: Each modernization, extension or change in use should contribute to qualify the public and semipublic open-space, to more connectivity and to more adaptability in the future. Demanding, that each building application must consider beyond the private realm the public sphere and contribute to an improvement of the overall public realm of the new distinct quarter, would lead in the time up to 2050 to a general new quality. 1777 2012 2050 10 11
5. AESTHETICS / CULTURE At present there prevails a deadly uniformity in spite of the manifold architectural styles in the appearance of settlements: In spite of the most pseudo-individuality of the single house, there is neither contrast nor connectivity, neither character nor specificity. If this type of development continues to grow, there is the danger of both destructing city and landscape irrevocably in a few decades. By improving the quality, based on peculiarities of existing uses of landscape, history and prevailing life-styles, this kind of specific settlements will be attractive to most different clients. 6. COMMON SPACES AND CULTURAL STRATEGIES We need to use planning to improve the landscape and the public realm and to provide it with a robust beauty and quality. In order to radicalize differences and local qualities, public space should become more specific. It needs to find different contextual forms and should be adapted to differences in life-styles and landscape qualities. Culture is also important as a dynamic strategy. To initiate transformations we must use local commitment and private initiative. Cultural tools and communication play a large role in this and we need also simple rules that guarantee that every project contributes to quality, to adaptability and to the importance of public realm. 12 13
SAMPLE TERRITOIRY : WEST FLANDERS / ROESELARE - DIKSMUIDE Brugge Roeselare Kortrijk 0 50 100 25 km 15
Brugge Roeselare Kortrijk aerial view 0 1 2 5 km 16 17
0 built space 18 19 1 2 5 km
Ferraris Atlas, 1777 0 1 2 5 km 20 21
METHODOLOGY : LANDSCAPE FORMS vs SETTLEMENT-PATTERS 1. FORM 1 : FOREST 2. FORM 2 : WATER 3. FORM 3 : HILL 4. PATTERN 1 : BIG BOXES 5. PATTERN 2 : CITIES 6. PATTERN 3 : DUST 23
METHODOLOGY I - LANDSCAPE FORMS AND SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS In order to imagine a territorial transformation that will follow the path of Radical Decentralization we believe that it is necessary to establish a dialogue between two different aspects or layers of the Flemish territory : 1. The first layer is made of differences between landscape forms. We use here the Ferraris Atlas more as a pretext than as a qualitative source. The Image of Flanders emerging from this 18th century immense cartographic work, is one of small-size pieces, different from each other but very close to one another : an image of a fertile puzzle made of differences. We therefore use the atlas sheets in order to identify landscape forms that were very powerful and identifiable in the past. This process is not about nostalgia, it does not seek a path back to the 18th century, but it tries to use spatial qualities (humid zones, topography, wooden areas,...) that were blurred or partially covered by Flanders diffused settlement-patterns. The transformations and manipulations that follow are somehow a negotiation between the Radical Differences layer and the All-Over Layer. That means that they try to emphasize differences in qualities, life-styles and landscape with minimum planification. LANDSCAPE FORMS SETTLEMENT-PATTERS 2. The second layer is about indifference and is made of what happened after Ferraris. It is about what is All Over, that means urbanization. ( All over is an artistic term referring to the non-differential treatment of a surface ; this concept is most popularly thought of as emerging in relation to the so-called «drip» paintings of Jackson Pollock. An all-over paintings lacks a dominant point of interest, any indication of which way is «up», and theoretically does not have limits). In the specific case of West-Vlaanderen, a short reading of urbanization reveals three major ingredients which can be found all-over : big boxes (deep-freeze factories, large greenhouses), small or mid-scale towns, and an almost systematically spread-out network of farms and agricultural facilities, which we called dust. form 1 : «forêt de Bruges» forest landscape pattern 1 : «big boxes» S > 1 Ha form 2 : «Handzamevaart» water landscape pattern 2 : «cities» LANDSCAPE FORMS SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS form 3 : «Hooglede» hill pattern 3 : «dust» 24 25
METHODOLOGY II - MAGNETS MAGNET 1 forest Living near or above the canopee. Mixed-used programs spread throughout the forest. Magnet programs : collective housing, semi-collective houses, sport facilities, greenhouses, services,... MAGNET 2 water Living on the edge of the humid zone. panoramic views and micro landscape facilities. Magnet programs : collective housing (north), individual houses (south), humid zone agriculture, small leisure installations,... MAGNET 3 hill Living on the edge of a soft and gentle slope (15-20m), almost invisible today. Convexity is used for public spaces and facilities. Magnet programs : collective housing, public spaces, sport fields, local scale agriculture, promenades,... «Dust Plan» : urbanization and fuctions spread All Over a theoretical representation of current situation MAGNET 4 Roeselare Living in a mixed-use urban environment. Magnet programs : culture, economy, housing, hertiage spots, services, health care,... MAGNET 5 economic corridor Corridor from Roeselare to Torhout (and to Brugges and Zeebrugge). Well-connected to the N32 and rail road. Magnet programs : big and mid-scale logistics and production clusters, defrosting facilities, petrol stations, agriculture fields,... MAGNET 6 countryside road N313 road connecting small and relatively compact village with small farms and greenhouses between them. Magnet programs : greenhouses, sport fields, promenades, porous housing clusters, leisure spots, local scale agriculture... «Magnet Plan» : Various magnets creating mixed-use environments and their effects on the Dust (after a long and gradual process : making use of a 2% per year change) 26 27
form 1 : «forêt de Bruges» / forest landscape 0 1 2 5 km form 2 : «Handzamevaart» / water landscape 0 1 2 5 km 28 29
form 3 : «Hooglede» / hill 0 1 2 5 km pattern 1 : «big boxes» / S > 1 Ha 0 1 2 5 km 30 31
0 pattern 2 : «cities» 32 1 2 5 km 0 pattern 3 : «dust» 33 1 2 5 km
MANIPULATIONS : TOWARDS A PROJECT 1. MAGNET 1 : FOREST 2. MAGNET 2 : WATER 3. MAGNET 3 : HILL 4. MAGNET 4 : ROESELARE 5. MAGNET 5 : ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 6. MAGNET 6 : COUNTRYSIDE ROAD 35
MAGNET 1 : FOREST 37
Excerpt from Ferraris Atlas, 1777 0 200 m 500 m 1 km situation today, 2012 0 200 m 500 m 1 km 38 39
remaining forest 0 200 m 500 m 1 km transformation of agriculture on unsuitable lands into forest 0 200 m 500 m 1 km 40 41
Forest piece lifestyle : Forest lifestyle living above the canopee in the soutern part. living in the densified ribbon developpement between fertile and consolidated agriculture on the north, and public-facilities equipped wood on the south. 42 43
5 3 1 3 1 3 Transformation logics : On the southern part, infertile land, unsuitable for agriculture is replaced by forest. This area receives some public and sport facilities (1). Big Industrial boxes are encouraged to move out (2) > most of them towards the economic strip between Roeselare and Torhout. The impermeable zones left behind are transformed to opengrid allotments (3) or to low-footprint-highrise housing areas (4). 4 2 0 100 200 500 m 1 km 44 45
MAGNET 2 : WATER 47
Excerpt from Ferraris Atlas, 1777 0 1 2 5 km situation today, 2012 0 1 2 5 km 48 49
0 Areas effectively and possibly prone to flooding 50 1 2 5 km 0 Settlement patterns along the humid zone 51 1 2 5 km
Water lifestyle Water piece lifestyle : On the north side - collective mid-rise and high-rise housing, with panoramic open views towards the south. On the southern side - hi-density grouped houses, with easy and smooth connections towards humid areas. Micro landscape transformations inside the humid area in order to make it suitable for leisure and public use. 52 53
2 2 3 1 2 3 1 Transformation logics : The humid zone, which in some of the cases is regarded as a backyard for some of the cities around it, can become a central void and a public amenity. This gradual transformation needs to be constructed, step-by-step, following parallel paths : New houses and urban services should always be built beyond areas prone to any risk of flooding. The unbuilt, beautiful and vast humid zone, should have various uses : (1) as a protected biodiversity corridor and a fragile and delicate public space (through a series of small micro installations) ; (2) as a beautiful large open view for new collective houses that can be installed on its northern edge (sometimes by replacing some big boxes ), and for some grouped individual houses (3) on the southern part of it. 54 55
MAGNET 3 : HILL 57
Excerpt from Ferraris Atlas, 1777 0 200 m 500 m 1 km situation today, 2012 0 200 m 500 m 1 km 58 59
hillside lifestyle : hillside lifestyle The 15-20 m soft and gentle slope is almost invisible today. Yet, if accentuated by a specific landscape and urban treatment, its convexity can offer a quality of living or public use related to the flat territory that surrounds it.make it suitable for leisure and public use. 60 61
2 1 3 4 6 1 5 Transformation logics : Here, everything that is public or collective should be put on the edge of the hill, facing the large flat surroundings : Public spaces (1), sport fields (2) and schools (3) can find specific qualitative positions along the edge of the hill. Collective (but also individual) housing (4) can, as well, find interesting location around it. In the inner part of the hill, with its fertile land, the compact-village structure (5) should be kept and agriculture should be consolidated (6). 62 63
MAGNET 4 : ROESELARE 65
1 km Roeselare lifestyle : Roeselare with its 60000 inhabitants, is Flanders 12th city. In the specific context of West-Vlaanderen, which is much less dense than the center, it plays an important role on a local as well as a regional scale. The city of Roeselare, should try to reinforce its urban attractivity in terms of culture (important heritage spots : city-hall, belfry, market...), services (new hospital), and economy. situation today 0 200 m 500 m 67
MAGNET 5 : ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (ROESELARE - TORHOUT) 69
Transformation logics, from 2012 to 2050 : The corridor from Roeselare to Torhout is actually a part of a bigger corridor continuing its way through Brugge and to Zeebrugge Sea Terminal. It is bordered on its west by the N32 road, and on its east by the railroad going from Roeselare to Zeebrugge and Dunkerque. Its situation and connectivity suggest that it can host many of the big boxes that just grew up in private fields. Encouraging economic mechanisms should be put in place in order to attract and host new mid and small-scale platforms that could group several private investors. situation today 0 1 2 5 km 0 1 2 5 km 70 71
Economic corridor lifestyle : The corridor should be equally efficient and porous. It should host mid-scale or even small-scale platforms with a twoway connection (road + rail) It should respect territorial continuities and biodiversity zones and offer easy access to these zones. 72 73
MAGNET 6 : COUNTRYSIDE ROAD (ROESELARE - OOSTNIEUWKERKE - WESTROZEBEKE - GUYNEMER - LANGEMARK) 75
Countryside road lifestyle : The N313 road, on the southern part of the frame, connects small and relatively compact villages. The small distance between the villages (2-3 km) is occupied by small farms, large greenhouses, and fertile agricultural production. These in-between areas are as important as the villages for the well-being of the territory and its inhabitants. situation today 0 1 2 5 km 76 77
4 1 2 4 3 1 Transformation logics : A systematic way of dealing with those areas, mixing greenhouses (1), public accessibility (2), sport fields (3), porous housing (4) should be applied and co-worked by several municipalities. 78 79
Project. Possible magnets and evolution from 2012 to 2050 81
SCHWARZPLAN* TRANSFORMATION * The word Scwarzplan in german relates to a two-dimensional map of an urban space that shows the relationship between built and unbuilt space. In this context we defined as black space, not only built space, but the total surface of built parcels, taking into acount also impermeable grey surfaces. 83
17% Schwarzplan today (built parcels ) > average ratio in Flanders = 25% Schwarzplan today (built parcels) 0 1 2 5 km 84 85
POSSIBLE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS IN A FRAGMENT OF MAGNET # 1 (FOREST) agriculture greenhouse big box agriculture on unsuitable land existing forest stage 1 : situation today 87
new housing project (minimum footprint, maximum view) greenhouse greenhouse public facilities (café, recreation area...) local food production public and sport facilities reforestation (replanted forest) local food production stage 2 : around 2030 stage 3 : around 2050 88 89
agriculture / food production : 57 % nature / infrastrcuture : 26 % schwartzplan : 17 % today GENERAL RULES FOR PROGRAM EXCHANGE BETWEEN ENTITIES, AND LOCAL ACTIONS : 2050... Magnet n 1, forest : gives away big and medium scale boxes takes collective and semi-collective housing with relatively low footprint. takes sport facilies. forestration of non-fertile agricultural land. magnet 2 : water Magnet n 2, waterscape : magnet 3 : hill gives away constructions situated in flood-risk zones. takes collective housing (north part) and individual housing (south part). develops specific humid-zones agriculture produces small installations for (measured) leisure and public use. housing housing Magnet n 3, hillside : takes (a relatively small amount of) collective and individual housing. gives away (a relatively small amount of) agriculture fields. produces public space and sport facilities on edge line. magnet1 : forest big boxes magnet 5 : eco-strip Magnet n 4, Roeselare : takes mid-size boxes and other economic and logistic activities. stimulates cultural activities and public services. housing big boxes Magnet n 5, eco-strip : serres medium boxes gives away agriculture fields (mainly pastures) takes big and mid-scale boxes. respects biodiversity and porosity. Magnet n 6, countryside road : magnet 6 : countryside road agriculture magnet : Roeselare gives away big boxes. takes greenhouses. creates public access points, sport facilities. The agricultural carpet (remaining «dust») : takes agriculture land and food production. gives away big boxes, greenhouses, sport and urban facilities. agricultural "carpet" 90 91
SYNTHESIS Brugge Roeselare Kortrijk 0 50 100 25 km 93
0 2050-6 magnets plan 95 1 2 5 km
0 2050- magnets and dust plan 97 1 2 5 km
For all the material in this document : LIST 2012-3 except : p.17 : Orthophoto s, middenschalig, zomervlucht 2009, AGIV p.19 : CADMAP, Algemene Administratie van de Patrimoniumdocumentatie p.21 : Ferraris Atlas p.28 : Ferraris Atlas p.29 : Ferraris Atlas p.30 : Ferraris Atlas p.37 : no credit p.38 : Ferraris Atlas p.47 : no credit p.48 : Ferraris Atlas p.58 : Ferraris Atlas p.65 : no credit p.69 : no credit p.73 : Lewis Baltz p.75 : no credit The cartographic work in this document is based upon the following data sources : CADMAP, Algemene Administratie van de Patrimoniumdocumentatie Bosreservaten : Vectoriële versie van Bosreservaten Vlaanderen, MVG-LIN-AMINAL- IBW Vectoriële versie van de Biologische Waarderingskaart, versie 2, Instituut voor Natuur en Bosonderzoek (INBO) Bedrijventerreinen, AGIV & AO Percelen bedrijventerreinen, AGIV & AO Historisch Bos, Opname 1771 2001, Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek Landbouwgebruikspercelen : Landbouwgebruikspercelen, Agentschap voor Landbouw en Visserij (ALV) Regionale landschappen : Vectoriële versie van de Regionale Landcshappen, MVG- LIN-AMINAL-Natuur, toestand 01/06/2003 Natuurinrichtingsprojecten : Natuurinrichtingsprojecten, Vlaamse Landmaatschappij afdeling Landelijke Inrichting (VLM) Natuurreservaten : Vectoriële versie van de Natuurreservaten, MVG-LIN-AMINAL- Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, toestand 01/01/2002 Navstreets : NAVSTREETS (native) Vector, 2009.3 Luchtfoto s : Orthofoto s, middenschalig, zomervlucht 2009, AGIV Topografische Kaart 1:10.000 : Topografische kaart NGI 1/10.000 raster, Numerieke reeks Topografische Kaart 1:50.000 : Topografische kaart 1/50.000, raster, NGI, Nationaal Geografisch Instituut Topografische Kaart 1:100.000 : Topografische kaart 1/100.000, raster, NGI, Opname 2001-2006; Nationaal Geografisch Instituut Vlaamse Hydrografische Atlas : Vectoriële versie van de VHA-waterlopen & -zones, Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij - Afdeling Operationeel Waterbeheer Overstromingsgevoelige gebieden : Overstromingsgevoelige gebieden, AGIV & CIW Ferrariskaart : Ferraris, Joseph Johann von; Bracke, Wouter. - De Grote Atlas van Ferraris. Brussel : Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België; Lannoo; Nationaal Geografisch Instituut; Racine, 2009 Corine Land Cover : Corine land cover 2006, Version 16 (04/2012), European Environment Agency (EEA). Alle gegevens, met uitzondering van de Ferrariskaart en Corine Land Use, verkregen via het Agentschap voor Geografische Informatie Vlaanderen, AGIV 98 99
COLOPHON BRV -Beleidsplan Ruimte Vlaanderen Concept Studio II : THE LONG-TERM, UNCERTAINTY AND GOVERNANCE, June 2012 Concept Studio Experts : Matthijs Bouw Michiel Dehaene Rienk Kuiper Thomas Sieverts Further Development : Thomas Sieverts Projet team : LIST : Ido Avissar, Thaïs de Roquemaurel, Sonia Te-Hok (with the participation of GRAU in the first phase) AWB : Joachim Declerck, Julie Mabilde, Nik Naudts, Thomas Cattrysse, Tine Segers HNS : Lodewijk van Nieuwenhuijze Jelte Boeijenga Bart Vink Commissioner : Flemish Regional Authority, Spatial Planning Division (Charlotte Geldof, Jan Zaman, Geert Mertens) Thanks to : Hans Leinfelder, Ruimte Vlaanderen Pieter Foré, HoGent - project CcASPAR 100 101
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