Reinterpreting the working-class neighbourhood
Urban transformation framework for Oud Crooswijk, Rotterdam
R. Klootwijk (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
T Bouma – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Design)
Remon Rooij – Mentor (TU Delft - Spatial Planning and Strategy)
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Abstract
Oud Crooswijk is a typical working-class neighbourhood in Rotterdam and a vital part of the city’s identity. Today, the area is in urgent need of urban renewal. However, this renewal risks displacing current residents and transforming the neighbourhood’s physical and social fabric. As a result, Oud Crooswijk is at risk of becoming unrecognizable, potentially erasing its working-class character.
To address this challenge, this thesis presents a transformation framework that explores how the urban fabric of Oud Crooswijk can be renewed while reinterpreting—rather than simply preserving—its working-class identity. The concept of a working-class neighbourhood is constantly evolving, and this framework anticipates how that identity may shift in the 21st century.
The research follows a circular process involving four key activities. First, an analysis was conducted to understand the urgency of renewal, the spatial identity-carriers of working-class identity, and how this identity is defined. Based on these findings, a design assignment was created and translated into a proposal, including a vision, design principles, a potential masterplan, and key interventions. This was followed by an evaluation that redefined the spatial expression of working-class identity and informed further analysis—completing the cycle.
The thesis concludes that “conceptualizing working-class identity in the 21st century is complex and continuously evolving.” To maintain Oud Crooswijk’s recognizability post-renewal, the redesign must anticipate how this identity could be represented in the future. The transformation framework does this by embedding spatial identity-carrying elements into the urban fabric through design principles.
While the outcomes are promising, the framework is currently limited to the context of Oud Crooswijk. To test its broader applicability, it must be applied to other neighbourhoods facing similar urban renewal challenges.