Planning is not often seen as fashionable, but things are changing.
Rotterdam is a city that has to try harder than many others to re-invent itself. Rotterdam South , or Zuid is an area which scores high on most of the problem indicators. Unemployment is high, incomes are low, and integration of immigrant population is a priority.
One strategy is to promote knowledge-based employment, in particular to try to change the image of the city and attract “knowledge workers” and boost the “creative class”. The ideas of Richard Florida are influential here. Other actions include areas based planning approaches, improvement of communications and support of new entrepreneurs. The city development corporation, OBR, local sub-municipalities and housing corporations are important partners.
Infrastructure investment to improve access has been critical. The Erasmus bridge have new access and visibility to disused docks. Now a new pedestrian and cycle bridge has been constructed to link the new high-rise developments of Willheminapier to Kattendrecht. The area was once a red-light district of the city, but is now emerging as a trendy place with galleries and cafes. Rotterdammers like to give new strategic infrastructure pithy names. The smart underpass in the city centre linking shopping areas and the metro called the “Beurstraverse” was renamed the “Koopgoot” or “shopping gutter”. The new bridge? The Volkskrant newspaper says it has been renamed The “Hoerenloper”. I will leave you to translate.
Holding festivals and cultural events is an important part of the city’s development strategy, though this is becoming more difficult with substantial subsidy cuts for the arts in the Netherlands. A recent example was the “Culture 24” programme to boost the new offerings of the city’s cultural venues. I went to explore the cultural offerings and came across a new shop in the Afrikanderwijk, south of the river called “Damage Playground” showcasing clothing, art and audio and run by brothers originally from Cape Verde. The shop/ gallery had a very high standard of products and presentation. I was surprised to also find there the mega-book on urbanization and planning, “The Endless City” (2008). To boost the local economy, I bought the book, a weighty tome (2.27 kilos) and rather pricey, but with some nice content and very good infographics.
Clothing, knowledge and planning. An unusual combination, but an appropriate one. If I can still afford it, I might go back for some clothes, to but a bit more fashion into planning.