perspectives for the year 2040 A VISION OF THE AMSTERDAM NORTH SEA CANAL AREA

Transcription

1 perspectives for the year 2040 A VISION OF TE AMSTERDAM NORT SEA CANAL AREA my rapid sluice my canoe route my bridge my rain water drainage my restaurant my bike route my view my pick-nick venue my warehousing site my trans-shipment point for goods my bird-watching point my sail my rapid water taxi

2 FUNCTIONAL QUAY-SIDE Canal Ocean going fleet Inland waterways fleets Quay-sides/Wet business premises Dry business premises Offices Sluices and locks Weg/brug Rails Water taxi/stop Water containment Amphibian flora/fauna Recreational fleets Living on and alongside water EMOTIONAL QUAY-SIDE Water events Land events View point Bike Routing Culture Services (urban) Nature/ecology Recreation and nature Creative industry Living environment Beach possible spatial / programmatic design 2040

3 Integral prospects through to the year 2040 The Master Plan for the North Sea Canal Area is based on an economic view taken of the region as a whole from 1995 to These prospects and perspectives allow us to widen our views in two ways: we look further in time and have a broader horizon. Approached integrally, we can look ahead to 2040 and provide prospects for the area in its entirety. True, this is a real premiere but it won t be the last time. The views are expansive, but we avoid tunnel vision. To make is clear what it is we seem, we provide concrete images: collages, photographs even a map of the area containing all the important parts already drawn in. This does not mean to say our views are unshakeable. It is a starting point for tomorrow s discussion, with you. These perspectives were made by Urhahn Urban Design, and were commissioned by the Project Bureau for the Master Plan for the North Sea Canal Area. We worked with experts who earned their spurs with the North Wing Project for the metropolitan landscape. This publication contains the core data of the report entitled Perspectives for the North Sea Canal, The definitive report can be downloaded from That web-site also comprises all the research on which this study is based. It should also be noted that the content of this report is still undergoing governmental review. Room with a view November 2007 Projectbureau Masterplan Noordzeekanaalgebied (project manager: Mw. A. Been) T info@noordzeekanaalgebied.nl

4 Water-sports centre right in the middle of the harbour Recreation in the Wijker Lake between the A9 and the Amsterdam Fortifications Perspectives for 2040 The North Sea Canal Area will form an important factor in the future development of the North Wing of the Randstad (the metropolitan sea-board of the Netherlands). The harbours along the canal are an essential component of the economic position of the Randstad. The North Wing is going to become a European top region and harbour activities will have to continue to process the flow of goods that status requires. Economic research shows that expansion of existing harbour facilities is necessary. But the area has a great deal more to offer than just harbours and business premises; it also comprises vital nature reserves and recreational areas as well as monuments of priceless cultural and historical value. In the future, those are qualities which will need to be put to much better use. Expanding harbour facilities will need to go hand in hand with cultural and recreational developments as well as the development of more nature reserves. Economic interests do not have to prevail to the detriment of other interests. On the contrary. A well balanced and integral approach will result in these interests strengthening one another. By investing, for example, in roads, making harbours economically stronger, accessibility to recreational destinations will also be improved.

5 Durability & accessibility By intensifying the use made of space, we increase the level of ambition; taking it up a notch in comparison with what has until now been customary for the North Wing. We will not reserve all the space previously estimated for economic growth. We will have to make use of innovative developments in the field of doubling land use, logistical efficiency and selectivity in order to develop the area in a durable manner. Even so, accessibility will have to be improved but will also require being widened. Aside from investments in the current east-west routes, with connections to the highways of the A5, A9 and A10, we suggest a qualitative improvement. Innovations in terms of rail and on the water are essential to optimize accessibility for visitors and for employees. Goods will require future transport investments being made in combinations of transport modes and in information technology in order to be able to process the growth in the sheer scale of goods flows. embrug Site, Zaandam: an urban area on the IJ North Sea Canal Area as a strong component of the northern Randstad Added value from water Ever seen benches, Leaving the well-trodden path Since 2003, the terraces or seating arrangements positioned with their backs to the water? Water is highly attractive and the North Sea Canal has major qualities in terms of atmosphere. They know all about that in Amsterdam. Around the IJ all kinds of homes, cultural centres, catering establishments, offices, creative business premises and public space with specific quality has all come about thanks to the proximity to water. Along the North Sea Canal, there are miles and miles of canal bank-side which are left doing nothing. By putting water at the very centre of new development, we will be able to create many opportunities; for recreation, nature, commerce and for residences. An entirely new recreational sailing route can be established. Wijkermeer Polder has been designated as the site for expanding harbour activities. owever, this area is too small to meet the expected demand. We will need to find additional space. The outrak Polder is suitable and is connected to existing and planned roads and rail links. By preserving an historical IJ dike, and the existing golf courses, a much larger harbour area could be created. To concentrate harbour activities and keep them compact, we propose only designating the outrak Polder for harbour expansion and making use of the Wijkermeer Polder in its entirety as a UNESCO listed monument; part of the Amsterdam Fortifications, and for nature, water containment, and recreational use.

6 Recreational area Spaarnwoude next to a new harbour and docks will have a magnificent back-drop