Wat Zegt De Wetenschap: Is hoogbouw de oplossing voor het tekort aan open ruimte?

Summary

The script addresses the pressing issue of urban sprawl in Flanders, where new housing continues to fragment open spaces, leading to environmental, health, and economic challenges. The Flemish government aims to halt further construction on open land by 2040, unless matched by demolition elsewhere. Spatial planners advocate for 'concrete stop', promoting compact, high-rise construction near amenities and public transport in urban cores, as seen in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. However, they caution against poorly integrated high-rise buildings. The script also highlights alternative proposals for creating diverse spaces that accommodate living, working, and services, as well as food, water, and biodiversity, all within walking or cycling distance, suggesting a shift towards shared living initiatives to maximize the impact.

Takeaways

• 🏗️ Vlaanderen is experiencing rapid urbanization with new housing being constructed daily, leading to the most fragmented open spaces in Europe.
• 🛣️ The region has the highest percentage of land covered by roads and the highest number of kilometers of roads per inhabitant, which negatively impacts the environment, health, and economy.
• 🚫 The Flemish government intends to halt further expansion into open spaces by 2040, unless buildings elsewhere are demolished, a policy known as 'concrete stop'.
• 🗳️ Spatial planners have advocated for a 'concrete stop' for over a century, arguing that addressing traffic congestion and flooding requires more open spaces and the demolition of poorly located buildings.
• 🏙️ The proposed solution includes building compact, high-rise structures with shared gardens and amenities on the ground floor in areas with public transportation and facilities, such as village cores or cities.
• 🌆 Examples of high-rise buildings with mixed use of living, working, and amenities are given, such as in Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, New York, and Rotterdam.
• ⚠️ A cautionary note is made that high-rise construction can be poorly executed if it does not relate well to the neighborhood or if towers are built too close together.
• 📈 The current rate of land consumption is alarming, with an additional 6 hectares of open space being taken up each day.
• 🌲 There are three main reasons for the ongoing development: the desire of many Flemish people to live in a green and quiet environment, politicians' failure to heed spatial planners, and developers' need to utilize poorly located land.
• 🏡 Some people still keep plots of land for future generations, but this practice is unsustainable due to space constraints.
• 🔄 Alternative proposals suggest creating a more diverse space for living, working, and amenities, as well as for food, water, and biodiversity, all within walking or cycling distance.
• 🤝 Planners encourage sharing of existing buildings and multiplying or connecting community initiatives to increase their impact, such as parents starting schools in their neighborhoods or families transforming villas into shared living projects.
• 📊 The demographic challenge is significant, with an expected increase of 120,000 families by 2030 according to the Federal Planning Bureau, all of whom will need housing.

Q & A

What is the current state of Vlaanderen in terms of construction and new housing?

Vlaanderen is almost fully built up, with new housing being added daily, leading to the most fragmented open space in Europe.

How does the high percentage of construction impact the environment, health, and economy in Vlaanderen?

The high percentage of construction, including the highest amount of roads per inhabitant, is detrimental to the environment, health, and economy due to increased pollution, urban sprawl, and traffic congestion.

What is the 'betonstop' and what is its purpose?

The 'betonstop' is a policy intention by the Flemish government to halt the expansion into open space by 2040, allowing construction only if other buildings are demolished elsewhere, aiming to stop the consumption of open space.

Why have spatial planners been advocating for a 'betonstop' for over a century?

Spatial planners have been advocating for a 'betonstop' to address issues like traffic congestion, flooding, and environmental degradation, proposing solutions such as creating more open spaces and demolishing poorly located buildings.

What are the proposed methods to tackle traffic congestion and flooding by spatial planners?

Spatial planners suggest creating more open spaces and demolishing poorly located buildings, as well as building more compactly and higher in areas with amenities and easy public transport access.

How do spatial planners envision the future of construction in urban centers like villages or cities?

Spatial planners propose constructing five-story buildings around shared gardens with amenities and workplaces on the ground floor in village cores or cities, similar to models in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

What are the potential pitfalls of high-rise construction mentioned in the script?

High-rise construction can be problematic if there is no relation between the tower and the neighborhood, or if towers are built too close together, leading to a lack of harmony and potential overcrowding.

What is the current rate of open space consumption in Vlaanderen?

Vlaanderen is currently consuming an additional 6 hectares of open space per day.

What are the three reasons identified for the ongoing consumption of open space in Vlaanderen?

The three reasons are: 1) Many Flemish people prefer to live in a green and quiet environment, often in subdivisions; 2) Politicians have historically not listened to spatial planners and have continued to pave open space to attract new taxpayers; 3) Developers often have poorly located building land that they need to utilize, as well as Flemish people who keep plots for future generations.

What alternative proposals do some spatial planners have for urban development?

Some spatial planners propose creating a more diverse space that accommodates work, living, amenities, food, water, and biodiversity, all within walking or cycling distance, rather than focusing solely on creating more open space.

How do these alternative proposals address the issue of shared buildings and community initiatives?

These proposals encourage the sharing of buildings and support community initiatives like parents starting their own schools within subdivisions, families transforming their villas into communal living projects, and businesses choosing to stay in village cores instead of moving to anonymous industrial zones.

What is the demographic challenge mentioned in the script that needs to be addressed by 2030?

According to the Federal Planning Bureau, by 2030, there will be an additional 120,000 families in Vlaanderen, all of whom will require housing.