How would it be if collective appropriation was an essential part of a spatial strategy?
Playgrounds of commons refer to a mix of top – down and bottomup
spatial strategies and design interventions taking as a starting
point that Rotterdam South can be seen, and (re)designed as an
heterotopia, where as Shane (2003) underlines some armatures should
be designed top – down, whereas leaving freedom for others to occur
in a more spontaneous way. The spatial strategy is based upon the
empowerment of collective appropriation through leisure, food and
crafts. More specifically, it discusses an alternative way of approaching
urban renewal in deprived areas of Rotterdam South establishing an
alternative accord. What is important to highlight is that this project
does not only focus on upgrading housing stock in order to attract
newcomers and empower the concept of “mixed neighbourhoods”. On
the other hand, it does not emphasise the need of creating connecting
infrastructures between the North and the South so as to connect
unemployed people from the South to the North labour market and
available vacancies. On the contrary, the project aims at reinforcing
not only North – South connection, but most importantly East- West
and creating opportunities for local employment in the South. In that
sense, design intervention and strategies aim at making South a service
area and a productive hub, by reinventing underused lands or areas
under transformation, such as the riverfront. That signifies a transition
to more integrative design and decision making processes.
A key element of this project is that starting from the theoretical
framework, moving to the site analysis and the development of
a neighbourhood game, it puts forward a dual strategy: hacking
institutions – hacking space, acknowledging the power of space as
a software and finally concludes with the design of four key projects
and a matrix of recommendations regarding appropriation and urban