Interclusive Urban Green

Abstract

Most contemporary cities are currently unable to adapt fast enough to the constant change in demands. Rapid technological advances have significantly altered the way humanity interacts with its surroundings – with a sedentary lifestyle becoming more common – while climate change and ecological degradation threaten to do unrepairable damage to our urban ecosystems. These trends will – without drastic change – ultimately lead to increased social isolation, more people living an unhealthy lifestyle, an uncomfortable urban microclimate, and a lack of resilience regarding environmental shocks and stresses.

This study aims to determine how urban green – with its different qualities and attributes – can be applied to mitigate these potential future effects and develop a future city that is more liveable, resilient, and biodiverse. In this context, urban green can be defined as all urban land covered by vegetation of any kind – irrespectively of size, function, and ownership.

To effectively research the diverse benefits of urban green, a case study approach was applied, in which the city centre of Schiedam was selected. Additionally, the following research question was chosen: ‘’How can the implementation of urban green in the inner city of Schiedam contribute to resolving issues related to ecological degradation, climate adaptation, social isolation, and vacancy in an integrated and inclusive way?’’

Literary research and case study reviews were conducted to assess the different ways urban green can be implemented, with their subsequent benefits. Furthermore, spatial analysis was conducted to gain a better understanding of how the aforementioned problems are manifested in the case of Schiedam, together with how the literary findings can be implemented in a real location.

The research showed that a multiscalar development strategy is required in order to utilise the concept of urban green to its full potential. On the scale of the inner city, five distinct types of pocket parks were developed that each focus on a specific target group. The goal of these park types is to minimise the barrier for people to come outside – giving them a high-quality social green space for whatever purpose they need within a five-minute radius. Furthermore, pocket parks contribute to creating a continuous ecological network, as well as provide environmental benefits.

On the street scale, an objective evaluation method was developed, which can be used to assess the current social, environmental and ecological quality of any street type. Additionally, an intervention toolbox was developed that provides the necessary tools to redevelop the street types accordingly.

By utilising the different potential qualities of urban green through a multiscalar development approach, the future inner city of Schiedam will become a rich, biodiverse urban territory that promotes social interaction and a healthy lifestyle – all while being resilient and climate adaptive.