Details
Type: Open competition; EUROPAN-16
Collaborators: Felipe Chaves Gonzalez, Sarantis Georgiou, Jiska Gysels, Lucas di Gioia
Location: Aalst, Belgium.
More information: Link to competition website
Collaborators: Felipe Chaves Gonzalez, Sarantis Georgiou, Jiska Gysels, Lucas di Gioia
Location: Aalst, Belgium.
More information: Link to competition website
#SpatialStrategy #UrbanDesign
“Tragel in Transition” envisions the transformation of Tragel Zuid into a vibrant Makers District, to regenerate the strategic site of the Quays and the Dender waterfront, revitalize the relationship between river and city, and rejuvenate the position of Aalst within its territorial context. An integrated framework guides individual spatial and programmatic transitions towards collective interactions that put ‘urban circularity’ at the forefront. Four ambitions:
1. inclusive neighbourhood,
2. productive district,
3. connected networks and
4. healthy environment,
guide the transition of four spatial and programmatic aspects: ecological regeneration, flexible/multifunctional built forms/programmes, connected/accessible public spaces, and public mobility. These come together and their synergies are translated into a matrix of 16 strategies and 48 actions for an incremental phased transformation, providing both a vision, as well as the tools for the actors of the site to take it upon themselves to envision, plan, and implement the overall transition.
1. inclusive neighbourhood,
2. productive district,
3. connected networks and
4. healthy environment,
guide the transition of four spatial and programmatic aspects: ecological regeneration, flexible/multifunctional built forms/programmes, connected/accessible public spaces, and public mobility. These come together and their synergies are translated into a matrix of 16 strategies and 48 actions for an incremental phased transformation, providing both a vision, as well as the tools for the actors of the site to take it upon themselves to envision, plan, and implement the overall transition.
The circular district, and particularly one that aims to function as a cornerstone for an overall urban and regional regeneration, is one that is inclusive, productive, connected and healthy. The ambition for inclusivity strives for spaces that are, at once, accessible and affordable, but also shared, promoting the bottom-up participation of diverse users in the co-creation of their own places. The ambition for productivity emphasizes creativity in the use of resources, as the foundation for spaces and programmes that regenerate their own context and people’s relationship to it. The ambition for connectedness highlights how the robustness of open public space systems promotes the strategic and tactical retrofitting of collective, ecological and productive appreciation. The ambition for health asserts that ecological regeneration and climate adaptation go together with quality spaces for recreation, clean transport and local production, distribution, and consumption.
Circular Vision for Dender
Strategically located between Ghent and Brussels, but with poor integration within its regional context and lacking in an individual identity, Aalst exemplifies a contradiction: the potential for authenticity coexists with the absence of a vision. To address this, high ambitions for the utilization of the potential found on the site and the creative re-use of its industrial built heritage as anchor points for a far-reaching development process, is paramount. Thus, this proposal envisions the transformation of the historic Tragel Zuid site into a vibrant Makers District, which, as a part of the entire strategic site of the Quays and the Dender river, performs as a means to revitalize the waterfront, rejuvenate the relationship between river and city, and regenerate the territorial and ecological position of Aalst.
Strategies for Tragel Circular District
The spatial framework is a result of the overlaying of the strategic guidelines unto the site and extracting the best of its conditions, which, in turn, gives rise to a masterplan for the site to be developed. The framework organizes the integration of the spatial and programmatic aspects of the site through different functional zones (‘living platform’, ‘productive platform’, ‘healthy platform’), bound by a robust open public space and green-blue structure, and supported by a smart new mobility system, putting forward a unified condition, where individual programmes emerge via site-wide interactions.
Circular transitions across the site
The coalescence of the different strategies and actions, through the interactions made possible by the spatial framework and the spatial and programmatic integration that it puts forward, bring forth the successful emergence of the overall ambitions of the project towards an inclusive, productive, connected and healthy place, providing an answer to how to address the imperative for metabolic and inclusive vitalities (and, also, what they signify) that is the theme of the Europan 16 competition.
Inclusive Neighbourhood: An inclusive Tragel Zuid is where different people are invited to co-exist through living, working, and learning facilities. This is given to the inhabitants of the site through their participation in the creation of their daily lives.
Productive District: Making and creative economies revitalize the urban condition, through flexible and multifunctional use of its building stock, integrating its industrial heritage and welcoming its inhabitants to co-create their environment.
Connected Networks: A waterfront that is accessible and connected to the city is there for the people to meet, stay, work, relax, play and experience their environment, while smart logistics routes make its functioning seamless all day long.
Healthy Environment: The new Tragel Zuid is a livable space: inhabitants grow their own food, physical and mental health is catered for through sporting facilities and the abundance of green and blue, and the spaces are spaces that belong to the people.
The clear vision for the Tragel Circular Transition makes it possible to gain subsidies on different domains (ranging from heritage, ecology, housing, economy to mobility) and attract relevant users and investors.
In a preparatory phase, the city juridically anchors the vision and puts forward a far-reaching ambition with a coalition with the landowners By setting up a cooperation that actively involves citizens, the quality chamber and diverse stakeholders, we go beyond a ‘classic’ speculation process of ‘buy-built-sell’ and reinforce long-term commitments. The development consists of 5 phases within an integrated spatial framework, through a “slow urbanism” urbanism approach that makes it possible to let ideas, appreciation and nature grow. The process is led by an independent project director that connects the different storylines (put forth from the different actors) and safeguards the quality and long-term evolution of the district. Early-on activations of the site through temporary use and occupation, offer space for experimentation, self-appropriation and temporary occupation, so as to put the site on the ‘mental’ map of Aalst: inviting and welcoming distinct people to engage in the promotion of the Tragel Circular Transition.
In a preparatory phase, the city juridically anchors the vision and puts forward a far-reaching ambition with a coalition with the landowners By setting up a cooperation that actively involves citizens, the quality chamber and diverse stakeholders, we go beyond a ‘classic’ speculation process of ‘buy-built-sell’ and reinforce long-term commitments. The development consists of 5 phases within an integrated spatial framework, through a “slow urbanism” urbanism approach that makes it possible to let ideas, appreciation and nature grow. The process is led by an independent project director that connects the different storylines (put forth from the different actors) and safeguards the quality and long-term evolution of the district. Early-on activations of the site through temporary use and occupation, offer space for experimentation, self-appropriation and temporary occupation, so as to put the site on the ‘mental’ map of Aalst: inviting and welcoming distinct people to engage in the promotion of the Tragel Circular Transition.
Phasewise implementation strategy
