Bouncing Forward
Redefining a disaster-struck city: The case of Enschede
R.N. Meijer (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
E.J.G.C. van Dooren – Coach (TU Delft - Architectural Engineering)
H.L. van der Meel – Mentor (TU Delft - Architectural Engineering)
Aleksandar Staničić – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Situated Architecture)
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Abstract
The post-disaster redevelopment of a city is a complex process that requires perspectives from urban, social, economic and even ecological sciences. Resilience defines as the ability to bounce back, but the everchanging complexity of a city requires more than a simple rebuilding to pre-disaster conditions. My research identifies different notions on urban resilience but adopts the principle of “bouncing-forward”, where redevelopment aims far beyond the mere physical recovery and restoration. The “bouncing forward” notion implies the system’s ability to apply a transformative, “learning-curve” attitude for long-term development. By analyzing the historical moments of destruction and reconstruction of Enschede, I define a “learning curve” that teaches us that each redevelopment offers an opportunity for a paradigm shift based on the societal requirements of time. Also, historically, each reconstruction used the specificity of place to determine the direction for urban redefinition. I use these perspectives and lessons on urban resilience to re-evaluate the Roombeek redevelopment. After the fireworks-factory disaster, a participatory mode of governance – based on consensus decision-making – was applied to restore the disrupted relationship between the public and the local government. By putting architects into a power vacuum, the Roombeek redevelopment displayed pragmatism over a “transformative” vision for urban redefinition. A 200-car parking-facility close to the disaster-site indicates favoring the wishes of a small collective over the requirements of the city. By extrapolating from the learning curve, I formulated a future urban redefinition. I argue that the city should try to establish symbiosis between the inner-city creative forces and the edge-city’s innovative forces to establish itself as the cultural-technological city. By building a “sustainable, cultural breeding ground” on the location as mentioned earlier, the city could take the first step in shifting towards urban redefinition.