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

Universiteit van Vlaanderen

1 Oct 201804:06

Summary

TLDRThe 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.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Urban Expansion and Environmental Concerns in Flanders

The script discusses the extensive urban development in Flanders, highlighting that the region has the most fragmented open space in Europe, with the highest percentage of paving and the highest number of kilometers of roads per inhabitant. This has negative impacts on the environment, health, and economy. The Flemish government intends to halt new construction in open spaces by 2040, unless it is offset by demolishing existing buildings, a policy known as 'concrete stop.' Spatial planners advocate for more open space and the demolition of poorly located buildings to address traffic congestion and flooding, proposing higher and more compact construction in areas with amenities and accessible public transport, such as village cores or cities, with examples of Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. However, it is noted that high-rise construction can be poorly executed if it lacks integration with the surrounding neighborhood or if the buildings are too closely spaced.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Vlaanderen

Vlaanderen, or Flanders, is the Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium. In the context of the video, it represents the area under discussion where urban development and land use are the central issues. The script mentions that Vlaanderen is almost fully built up, contributing to fragmented open spaces and high levels of urbanization.

💡Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding countryside, leading to a decrease in open spaces. The script highlights that Vlaanderen has the most fragmented open spaces in Europe due to urban sprawl, which is a significant environmental and health concern.

💡Verharding

Verharding is the Dutch term for 'hardening' or 'paving', which in this context refers to the extensive coverage of land by impermeable surfaces such as roads and buildings. The script points out that Vlaanderen has the highest percentage of 'verharding', indicating severe urbanization.

💡Betonstop

Betonstop, meaning 'concrete stop' in Dutch, is a concept proposed by spatial planners to halt the further expansion of concrete structures into open spaces. The video discusses the Flemish government's intention to implement a 'betonstop' by 2040 to address the issue of urban sprawl.

💡Spatial planning

Spatial planning is the strategic allocation and organization of land use to achieve a harmonious balance between human activities and the natural environment. The script discusses the role of spatial planners in advocating for a 'betonstop' and promoting more compact and higher building construction in areas with existing infrastructure.

💡Compact building

Compact building involves constructing buildings with a smaller footprint and higher density, often in urban areas, to reduce the need for urban sprawl. The script suggests building compactly around existing facilities and public transport nodes to combat issues like traffic congestion and flooding.

💡Sustainable development

Sustainable development is a key theme in the video, referring to the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The script advocates for creating more open spaces and demolishing poorly located buildings as part of sustainable urban practices.

💡High-rise buildings

High-rise buildings are tall structures, often used for residential, commercial, or mixed-use purposes. The script mentions the construction of high-rise buildings as a solution to urban sprawl, with examples from cities like Frankfurt, New York, and Rotterdam.

💡Mixed-use development

Mixed-use development refers to urban planning that combines residential, commercial, and sometimes industrial uses within a single development. The script suggests creating high-rise buildings with a mix of living, working, and amenities to promote sustainable and efficient urban living.

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of life in a particular ecosystem or habitat. The script touches on the importance of preserving and promoting biodiversity in urban planning, suggesting that urban spaces should accommodate not only human activities but also nature and ecological balance.

💡Shared economy

The shared economy is a socio-economic system where access to goods and services is shared among individuals, often enabled by technology. The script refers to the concept of sharing buildings and resources as an alternative to urban sprawl, with examples of families starting schools or businesses within their neighborhoods.

Highlights

Vlaanderen is experiencing rapid development with new housing being added daily.

The region has become highly urbanized, leading to fragmented open spaces and high levels of infrastructure.

Vlaanderen has the highest percentage of land paved and the most kilometers of roads per inhabitant in Europe.

The current urbanization negatively impacts the environment, health, and economy.

The Flemish government intends to halt further encroachment on open space by 2040, unless buildings are demolished elsewhere.

Spatial planners have been advocating for a 'concrete stop' for over a century to address issues like traffic congestion and flooding.

Creating more open space and demolishing poorly located buildings is suggested as a solution to traffic and flooding problems.

The proposal includes building higher and more compactly in areas with amenities and easy public transport access, such as village cores or cities.

Examples of successful high-density living include cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

High-rise buildings with mixed use of living, working, and amenities are suggested, with nearby public spaces and parks.

Important considerations for high-rise construction include maintaining a relationship with the neighborhood and avoiding excessive density.

Currently, 6 hectares of additional open space are being consumed daily.

Three reasons for this consumption are the desire for a green and quiet living environment, political decisions, and developers' needs.

Alternative proposals focus on creating a more diverse space for living, working, and amenities, as well as for food, water, and biodiversity.

The concept of sharing buildings is introduced, with examples of families starting schools in their neighborhoods and businesses staying in village cores.

Planners propose leveraging existing sharing initiatives and finding ways to multiply or connect them for greater impact.

In the past, few politicians dared to make a choice, leading to continued urban sprawl, but current challenges demand a change.

By 2030, an additional 120,000 families will need housing, highlighting the urgency of the situation.