Below, Above, and Beyond: Future of Antwerp's Mobility and Public Space by Harvard GSD

Jungyoon Kim

Below, Above, and Beyond: Future of Antwerp’s Mobility and Public Space

Spring 2023

Studio Report

Jungyoon Kim

Below, Above, and Beyond: Future of Antwerp’s Mobility and Public Space

Studio Instructor Jungyoon Kim Assistant Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture, GSD

This report presents the process and results of a design studio offered by the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) in the spring 2023.

facilitate a framework for the future changes that the community will face because of such infrastructural change. As a strategy, students were asked to challenge the conventional monofunctionality of urban infrastructure by proposing the interweaving of the under- and above-ground. How can the newly planned underground highway be ‘revealed’ as an urban form and affect the citizens’ daily lives positively by shaping their public space? The readers of this report are invited to gain insights from the answers of 12 students to this question.

Contrary to the images that the rest of the world has for Antwerp (e.g., the hub of high fashion), the city is heavy on transportation infrastructures because it is home to Europe’s second-largest harbor and the largest petrochemical cluster. The ring road (R1) is used daily by approximately 200,000 cars and 80,000 trucks, most of which travel toward the harbor, causing massive congestion on the road network daily. Thus, it is understandable why ample discussions and efforts have been made to enhance the city’s overall traffic condition in various dimensions. Two major mobility enhancement projects are currently underway in the city: the ongoing construction of the Oosterweel Link, which will close the incomplete Antwerp ring road (R1), and the planning of A102, which will enhance the city’s overall mobility in a larger, European Union (EU) context while diverting through traffic from the city as much as possible. Although both routes have been planned to run mainly underground, the underground-to-aboveground ratio for A102 remains undecided (in connection with the city’s reserved green space network), providing the studio with a tremendous opportunity to reshape the city’s cardependent mobility infrastructure toward decarbonization. The studio examined the four nodes on the planned route of A102 and considered how the landscape can

On behalf of the studio, I thank Prof. Sarah Whiting, dean of the GSD, and Prof. Gary Hilderbrand, chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture, for their care and support. The course was a parallel studio with that of the Faculty of Design Sciences of the University of Antwerp (U of A) and benefited from the dynamic exchange between the two schools. I am very much grateful to Prof. Maarten Van Acker and Ms. Shana Debrock of the U of A for their intellectual engagement and hospitality, without whom this studio would not have been possible. The studio invites all readers on a journey below, above, and beyond Antwerp, which will unfold in various other forms in the near future.

Part III

Preface 9

Studio Overview

Common Grounds Tanushri Dalmiya

Part I

FLUX A102 Matthew Lee

Lost Nature Tanushri Dalmiya, Lara Prebble

Elemental Punctuation Meg Koglin

Green Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

101

From Soil to Space Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

Mobility Matthew Lee, Minzhi Lin

114

Landscape Respiration Infrastructure Ventilation Lara Prebble

137

AquaLink Minzhi Lin

156

Flood Guides Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

172

Molding Resonance Aria Hill

177

(IN)Visible Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

191

Contributors

Climate Change Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

Built Form Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

Part II 49

Node 1

Node 2

Node 3

Node 4

Proposed A102 Sections and Route

Studio Overview

This studio aims to project the near-future scenario of Antwerp ‘s mobility and public space. We will challenge the conventional monofunctionality of urban infrastructure by proposing the interweaving of the under- and aboveground. Two major mobility enhancement projects are currently underway in the city: the ongoing construction of the Oosterweel Link, which will close the incomplete Antwerp ring road (R1), and the planning of A102, which will enhance the city’s overall mobility in a larger European Union (EU) context while diverting as much through-traffic as possible from the city. Although both routes have been planned to run mainly underground, the proportion of underground to aboveground for A102 remains undecided (in connection with the city’s reserved green space network), which provides the studio with a tremendous opportunity to reshape the city’s cardependent mobility infrastructure toward decarbonization. The studio will examine the four nodes on the planned route of A102 where the underground highway will rise to meet the existing community and public spaces above and will consider how landscape can facilitate a framework for such infrastructural change. The students will carry out the project in three phases. In the first four weeks of the semester, “Part 1: Context and Imagination,” pairs of students will investigate the site, mainly on and around but not limited to A102, and will examine Antwerp’s status in regard to mobility and public space. Students will be asked to explore the best media to be used throughout the semester to present the imaginative dimension of the topic and sites. When students use sectional thinking and representation as common design and commutative tools to deeply explore the site and problem, they will be asked to find an associated tool to expand their design and imaginatively represent the spatial experience.

In “Part 2: On Site,” the studio will visit the site to test the findings of Part 1 and conduct field research. In the later part of the semester, “Part 3: Landscape as a Framework,” students will first establish the overall distribution of programs along and around the A102 route, with the community and public space as priorities. Next, they will proceed to the site-specific design of one of the four nodes, in which the mobility, subterranean, aboveground, and public space network will work together to enhance the life of the community, with the eventual goal of decarbonizing Antwerp. This is a parallel studio with the Faculty of Design Sciences at the University of Antwerp (U of A), and the studio will benefit from the dynamic exchange between the two schools.

Part I

Lost Nature Tanushri Dalmiya, Lara Prebble

Green Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

Mobility Matthew Lee, Minzhi Lin

Climate Change Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

Built Form Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

PART 1: CONTEXT AND IMAGINATION SITE INTRODUCTION (FOUR WEEKS) Antwerp hosts the second-biggest port and the largest petrochemical cluster in Europe. The existing Antwerp ring road (R1) is part of the core Trans-European Transport Network (TENT). At present, the R1 loop is incomplete, as a northwest segment is missing. Due to insufficient capacity, the R1 faces structural congestion. As a result of its layout and the diversity of road users (transit and urban traffic, freight and passenger transport, etc.), it also presents persistent safety concerns. To solve the bottlenecks and mobility problems in the Antwerp region, a third connection, the Oosterweel Link, is of vital importance. A third crossing of the river Scheldt will improve the city and port’s accessibility and reduce congestion on the southern part of the ring road. The overall cost of the Oosterweel Link is currently estimated at 4.5 billion euros.

After over 50 workshops and 100 working sessions (including about 3,500 experts and policy makers, 3,000 citizens, and companies and organizations), a coalition was formed on the basis of a shared vision. In March 2017, a moderator managed to create a historic consensus on the track for the completion of the ring, by which the Flemish government, the city of Antwerp, the port authorities, and the various citizen initiatives agree to forge an alliance for mobility and livability in Antwerp. The Future Alliance Antwerp, as it was named, includes a funding commitment of 1.25 billion euros by the city of Antwerp and the Flemish government. The A102 is part of the largest ongoing infrastructure project in Europe, which entails the completion and redesign of Europe’s most congested ring and its surroundings. The Future Alliance Antwerp forged a preliminary vision with the ambitious slogan, “Collaborating on the ring for an attractive metropolis.” The

Figure 1. Major highways of Antwerp and the location of the A102

20 Figure 2. Haventracé (Port Route) and A102 (with magenta overlay) A102 is part of the eastern connection of the new Port Route, which is closely related to the completion of Antwerp’s ring.

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• PORT ROUTE • The Port Route, dubbed Haventracé, aims as much as possible to divert regional traffic and port-related traffic around the city via a northern alternative, with special regard to quality of life, spatial quality, and accessibility of the environment. It encompasses various objectives regarding infrastructure, quality of life, environmental quality, Design Sciences Hub–Rapport | 7 climate robustness, and inclusive cocreation. The general objective of this complex project is to improve the main access to the Port of Antwerp and, as much as possible, to divert through-traffic around the city along the northern R2. The Haventracé creates a ring around the city and thus contributes to a double ring structure in the main road network of the Antwerp region. It is part of the Antwerp Future Alliance. The aim of the Port Route is, to the greatest possible extent, to direct traffic that wishes only to transit the city or reach the port. It should thus contribute to a more accessible and livable Antwerp region. The Port Route comprises various parts that together form a northern alternative around the city (Fig. 2): • The E34 will be improved in terms of road safety and capacity, and existing bottlenecks will be eliminated. • The R2 will be improved in terms of road safety and capacity, with existing bottlenecks eliminated. • A new Tijsmans Tunnel will be constructed for the R2 under the canal dock.

•

The capacity and traffic safety of the A12 will be improved, and existing bottlenecks will be eliminated. Locations will be identified for the underground route of the A102. A well-functioning traffic control system will be established (e.g., toll collection). Efforts will be made to improve environmental quality.

NEW EDGE The New Edge, “ Nieuwe Rand” is the complex project that is to realize the eastern part of the Port Route. • The A12-North and a possible new road (Nx), • A new underground connecting road (A102) between the E313 and the A12 E19 junction, • The E313 between Ranst and Antwerp East (R1) The underground A102 is an as yet undesigned and unconstructed section of motorway between the R11/E313 at Wommelgem (51° 12’ 41” N, 4° 29’ 36” E) and the R1 at the Antwerp-North junction (51° 15’ 50” N, 4° 26’ 14’ E). The route has a length of approximately 6.3 km and crosses the Albert Canal. This highway was planned with the aim of relieving the E313 between Wommelgem and Antwerp, the Antwerp-East interchange, and the R1 near the Antwerp Sportpaleis. This link should also separate local and regional traffic on the southern ring. The A102 is included in the Flanders Spatial Structural Plan as a missing link within the main road network. A regional zoning plan provides a reserved strip for its construction. An anticipated second rail access

to the Port of Antwerp also more or less follows the route of the reserved strip for the A102. Looking it within a larger EU context, the “Leidingstraat3,” a planned strip of land of 45 meters wide, going from Antwerp in the direction of the German Ruhr area, to the Belgian-Dutch border at Geleen (fig. 3). The new road should consist of 2 × 2 lanes, with additional emergency lanes. For the connections, the existing highway junctions at Merksem and Wommelgem are to be converted. In addition to its international connecting function, there is pressure to make the A102 also serve as a local traffic conductor to improve the traffic situation in the surrounding residential areas and to provide better access to the R1 ring. The desirability of this proposal and the need for additional intermediate complexes (e.g., near the N115 at Calesbergdreef) are the subjects of research.

In view of the surrounding area with large residential areas, it was not considered feasible to construct this new highway at ground level. It is assumed that the road must be constructed almost completely underground. Investigations continue which road sections can be completely tunneled and for which sections an open tunnel trench would suffice. Furthermore, all options will be explored for integrating this road infrastructure with the infrastructure for sustainable modes, including rail and bicycle networks. The objective is to improve environmental quality, climate robustness, and quality of life with the construction of the Eastern Connection. The complex Eastern Connection project aims to provide a package of measures and interventions that improve the environmental quality in the wider region.

Figure 3. Leidingstraat and Antwerp within the EU context

DECARBONIZATION

LANDSCAPE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Citizens of Antwerp can navigate the city entirely without cars. An extensive network of tram and bus lines covers the entire city, and many of the P+R sites along the city fringe enable suburban commuters to park and enter the city by public transportation. Traffic toward the Port of Antwerp is the main cause of the current congestion. Thus, even though the extensive road infrastructure toward the port has severely affected the urban structure and the quality of citizens’ everyday lives, that infrastructure is not essential to their lives. This disjuncture between what the citizens really need every day and what has been implemented must be carefully considered, especially if the city is to achieve the carbonneutral goal by 2030. How can the A102 make the city less car dependent through innovative interweaving?

A landscape framework functions as an infrastructure (as well as a spatial structure of future changes) that is closely related to the adjacent existing natural system and public space. Therefore, a landscape framework must be both generative and operative in nature. When we consider that the A102 has been featured in mobility planning and traffic engineering only with conventional quantitative modelling and that the route attracts great attention and aspirations from the community and stakeholders, it is clear that a landscape framework can contribute to implementing a wholistic, sustainable design process. The A102 is planned in a reserved strip where construction has not been allowed in the past 60 years and that is currently the main green backbone of the region. So far the usefulness of the Port Route has been mostly based on traffic research, this studio points out the ecological and climatic potential of the route. The A102 could contribute to constitute a so-called “climate belt” in the eastern region of Antwerp. This climate belt could contribute to the development of links or mend missing links between existing ecological and landscape entities, the development of larger and contiguous nature and forest areas, the development of new wet nature, the integration and reinforcement of the robust agricultural space within the landscape. Also the Antwerp Water Plan indicates buffer opportunities as well as possibilities to reconnect historic streams within the overall A102 project. It also appears that the construction of the A102 could threaten ancient forests in Schoten, Deurne, and Wijnegem, and the increased air pollution and noise nuisance could pose a serious risk to Ekeren, Merksem, and other locales. Therefore, we see an urgent need to elaborate the A102 with an integrated landscape architecture design, including the future underground infrastructures and spaces, as a dynamic part of the entire urban network and public domain that enhances the quality of its surroundings.

THE NEAR FUTURE OF MOBILITY The city plans a modal shift by 2030,4 with more cargo transport by rail, inland navigation, and pipeline; it will encourage port employees to opt for sustainable means of transport. With this in mind, students must consider various modes of transportation when they configure how the underground A102 will meet with the aboveground nodes and must consider how those nodes can serve as cores of the community. How will the micromobility change the urban configuration? SUBTERRAIN The loss of natural resources through urbanization occurs not only at the aboveground level, but the subterranean level is hidden and thus offers greater potential. For example, its consistent temperature offers enormous potential as a new type of public space in the changing climate. Afterall, several recent studies indicate the eastern region of Antwerp to have large potential for geothermal energy applications. At the four nodes, students must propose how to interweave the under- and aboveground elements to create a unique urban form and experience for the community.

THEMES TO EXPLORE

Lost Nature

25 Lost Nature of Antwerp: From Canals to Streets 1803 to 2022 Tanushri Dalmiya, Lara Prebble

Firstname Lastname

Eastern Scheldt

Lost Nature of the Scheldt Estuary: Fragmentation of Estuarine Habitat Tanushri Dalmiya, Lara Prebble

Firstname Lastname

Remaining Fragments

Antwerp

Green

ZWIJNDRECHT -37.5%

Open Space in the Province of Antwerp: Mapping the Undeveloped and Green Spaces Intended for Outdoor Use Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

Scheldt

OPEN SPACE IN THE PROVINCE OF ANTWERP

Open space, which includes undeveloped space and green spaces me all the surrounding municipalities, it also has the lowest percentage of not benefit from the positive effects of open space. It should be noted that much of the open space in surrounding munic benefit from their large land properties, growing their own food, plant benefits. Areas like Beveren, while also possessing majority private ope and enjoy the sites of the vast agricultural fields and meadows withou

24 H

SCHOTEN -35.9% PROPOSED A102

Limited

ANTWERP -19.2% WOMMELGEM -49.9%

BORSBEEK -21.8%

Acces

BOECHOUT -64.0% MORTSEL -41.1%

eant for outdoor use, is an important commodity for the city of Antwerp. With the highest population density of f proportional open space. This poses an accessibility issue for the half a million people living in the city who do

cipalities, such as Boechout, is privately owned by property owners. So while the residents of Boechout get to ting their own gardens, and making their own social spaces, non-residents cannot receive any of those direct en space, have a different degree of openness; people from the city can still travel to Beveren on the weekends ut the need to physically access the property.

Visually A

33 Presence of Water Bodies and Consequential Flood Risk Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

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Mobility

37 Above: Vehicular Routes Overview Below: Mapping Railways Matthew Lee, Minzhi Lin

Firstname Lastname Above: Mapping Urban Roadways Below: Mapping Bicycle Routes

39 Presence of Water Bodies and Consequential Flood Risk Matthew Lee, Minzhi Lin

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Climate Change

43 Short and Long Term Flood Risk Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

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45 Regional Flood Risk Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

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Built Form

49 Development of Antwerp Built Forms Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

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Part II

Node 1

PART 2: ON SITE (ONE WEEK)

Node 2

Node 3

Node 4

Proposed A102 Sections and Route

The sponsored trip in February will provide an opportunity to test the findings of the initial analysis and to conduct field research. Students will be introduced to some of the noteworthy urban destinations relevant to their design concepts discussed during the review as well as to broader topics, including the city’s public space network, current and anticipated mobility, and carbon neutral policies. Engagement with the U of A’s parallel studio will provide a critical means for students to get a sense of the relevant context and culture.

53 Harvard GSD with Univeristy of Antwerp Site Visit February 2023

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55 Node 1 Site Visit February 2023

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57 Node 2 Site Visit February 2023

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59 Node 3 Site Visit February 2023

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61 Node 4 Site Visit February 2023

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.5 km

Two Options for Tunneling Above: Cut and Fill Below: Bored Tunnel

Firstname Lastname 1 km

2 km

Existing Proposal for A102 Bold Lines Represent Above Ground Dashed Lines Represent Below Ground

Part III

Common Grounds: A Circular Vision for Antwerp’s Mobility Tanushri Dalmiya

FLUX A102: The Interplay Between Mobility and Hydrology Matthew Lee

Elemental Punctuation: Experiencing Antwerp’s Subterannean Mobility Infrastructure through Elements of Air and Light Meg Koglin

101

From Soil to Space Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

114

Landscape Respiration Infrastructure Ventilation Lara Prebble

137

AquaLink: Mobility Activation for Transportation and Hydrology in Antwerp City Minzhi Lin

156

Flood Guides: Envision the Future of Antwerp’s Mobility with Power of Water Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

172

Molding Resonance Aria Hill

177

(IN)Visible: Reimagining the Future of A102 as Transformative Multifunctionality Infrastructures Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

191

Contributors

PART 3: LANDSCAPE AS A FRAMEWORK (EIGHT WEEKS) Parts 1 and 2 will show students the possibilities of how landscape can facilitate a solid framework for an urban mobility project that will bond the community and enhance the quality of its daily life rather than acting as a divider. In the midterm review (March 9) before the spring recess, students will present their updated landscape framework informed by the field trip. In preparation for the final review, they will advance to the site-specific design for one of the four nodes in which the subterranean, aboveground, public space network, and mobility elements work together to decarbonize Antwerp. This part should address three questions: 1. How will your landscape framework generate urban forms and experiences for the public? 2. How do you anticipate the near future of Antwerp’s mobility, and how will your design guide it? 3. Where will your design position the A102 in the context of the carbon-neutral efforts of Antwerp, Belgium, the EU, and the world? In other words, what do you want others to learn from your design? Students should continually reflect on and answer these questions throughout Part 3.

Tanushri Dalmiya

Antwerp is a city that has concentrically grown along the Scheldt River. From a fort to a fortified town in the 16th century, until the Spanish Ramparts were brought down to give way to an elaborate highway. Today it stands congested, and so the city proposes another highway, the A102, adding once again another ring to the city’s growth. Before we collectively agree to build a highway as the solution, what really is the root cause of this congestion? Within the ring, in the historically fortified town, the urban fabric is very dense making the city very walkable and bikeable. Zooming out to the regional scale, Antwerp is a city well connected to Ghent and Brussels through an established railway network. When looking at the relationship between Antwerp and the surrounding municipalities, by overlaying traffic density with the highway system, it becomes remarkably clear that the highest density is observed at points of lowest accessibility by public transport. This intermediate scale is what this project is most interested in addressing. Through the proposal of a rail corridor rather than a highway, Common Grounds explores a regional scenario that integrates mobility beyond only people including waste, water, energy, and freight. At the small scale, this project designs the systematic integration of wastewater treatment and the capturing of residual heat from the rail corridor which can be directed into a residential heating grid.

Common Grounds: A Circular Vision for Antwerp’s Mobility

69 Left: North - South Rail Infrastructure Right: Circle and Spoke Suburban Railway

71 Left: Forts as a Boundary Right: Enhancing Lateral Connections Sum, tem est, odi repereiciam re commoditia sus aut ut id eveles autestrumthe Between quatiur Twore Rings vent qui doleni reres.

73 Diagram of Movement: Energy, Waste, People, and Water

75 Projecting Flows

77 Site Plan

79 A102, a segment of the larger railway ring around the city, acts as a model site to create circular infrastructural systems for the city while fostering social engagement. Solid waste from the neighborhood is directed into a central processing facility underground, serviced by a freight corridor that transports recycled material back to manufacturers. Domestic waste-water is channeled into a greenhouse above for biological treatment, filtration, retention followed by discharge into the fort waters. The entire site, designed as a Flemish botanical garden serves as a large public space and a landing plaza along the subway line. The greenhouses in this regard, do more than munching sewage, but act as portals to the underground, providing access to the treatment facility and the underground metro station that can be accessed from the existing light rail and highway, creating a comprehensive system of mobility that addresses movement of water, waste and people.

Matthew Lee

The A102 is part of Antwerp’s larger infrastructure project called the “Oosterweel Link” which aims to improve mobility and alleviate traffic congestion in and around Antwerp. The A102 tunnel project involves the construction of a new highway connecting the E17 motorway on the left bank of the Scheldt River with the A12 motorway on the right bank. The tunnel will provide an alternative route for commuters and freight transport, bypassing the busy Kennedy Tunnel and helping to reduce traffic congestion in the area. Warmer summers’ impact on groundwater levels in Antwerp has resulted in drought issues. The region has also experienced heavy storm damage and floods, leading to a yellow alert. These hydrology issues remain unresolved and necessitate attention and mitigation. While considerable efforts have been made to address mobility challenges, it is equally important to focus on reestablishing the connection between hydrology systems that have been disrupted. The proposed design solution, FLUX A102, aims to harmonize the mobility network with the hydrology system. This innovative concept envisions an integrated mobility infrastructure where freight transportation occurs within the underground tunnel and above ground, while water runoff and management happen in the underlying layers. By seamlessly combining these two systems, FLUX A102 presents a unique opportunity to address the interplay between mobility and hydrology and promote sustainable urban development.

FLUX A102: The Interplay Between Mobility and Hydrology

Distance withDistance Water Body with Water Body

50.00

36.80

14.8036.80

14.80 35.60

35.60

36.80

14.8036.80

14.80 35.60

35.60

36.80

14.8036.80

14.80 35.60

35.60

14.8036.80

14.80 35.60

35.60

Section A-A’ Section A-A’

40.00

Section B-B’ Section B-B’

30.00

Section C-C’ Section C-C’

20.00

Section D-D’ Section D-D’

Framework

36.80

20.00

A102 PRINCIPLE

Design Combination Code

50.00

36.80

A-Non-Human

2.00 4.00

a-Full Waterway

40.00

36.80

4.00

B-Bridge

14.80

b-Twin Waterway

2.00 4.00

30.00

36.80

C-Path

14.80

c-Half Waterway

16.00

D-Platform

14.80

20.00

36.80

d-Reservoir

14.80

35.60

1-Agriculture

35.60

2-Community

35.60

3-Wetland

35.60

4-Industrial

87 Hydrology System

89 Mobility Network

91 Site Plan: Hydrology and Mobility Overlayed

93 Interplay System

95 Above: Mobility Hub Below: Water Detention Park

96 Above: A102 Water Highway Below: Ring of Water

The proposed design solution, FLUX A102, aims to harmonize the mobility network with the hydrology system. This innovative concept envisions an integrated mobility infrastructure where freight transportation occurs within the underground tunnel and above ground while water runoff and management happen in the underlying layers. By seamlessly combining these two systems, FLUX A102 presents a unique opportunity to address the interplay between mobility hydrology and promote sustainable urban development.

100

101

Meg Koglin

In this project proposal, the A102 road becomes a green corridor, turning unproductive agricultural plots along the route into green space. This proposal designs portals in the tunnel to bring in natural light and airflow that improve the experience and wellbeing of the driver. This proposal looks specifically into detail at Node 3 where the tunnel throughway meets the above-ground roads to access residential neighborhoods, historical sites, light industry, as well as retail centers. The excavated soil from the construction of the highway is used to create multi-purpose landforms; the windbreak berms are for the thermal comfort of pedestrians, while the tall berms flanking the above-ground road create buffers for cyclists. Bicycle commuters are protected from the noise, pollution, runoff, and traffic of the above-ground road while maintaining a direct route that otherwise follows the tunnel line. Water swales are designed into the site for stormwater management, light reflection, and enjoyment. Pedestrian pathways curve around hilltop windbreaks to provide views of water reservoirs; these reservoirs are placed to also reflect natural light into the tunnel openings. The site is planted with pollution tolerant trees that thrive in Flanders and have a high capacity to remediate particulate matter through phytoaccumulation. Additionally, the trees are an important component of the landform windbreaks.

102

Elemental Punctuation: Experiencing Antwerp’s Subterannean Mobility Infrastructure through Elements of Air and Light

103 Site Plan

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105 Tunnel Sections

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Emily Menard, Mengyu Zhao

From Soil to Space is a landscape framework dedicated to allowing the soil to speak to the landscape above to create logical, informed, functioning space for the people of Antwerp. The A102 is a massive underground highway excavation project and will be displacing multiple square kilometers of undisturbed soils with highly diverse microbial communities. Utilizing soil as an imperative resource is therefore key for a successful design. After excavation, soils are placed strategically by type and substrate to create both a vertical and horizontal matrix. The vertical matrix relates to the underground highway, concerned with facilitating microbial bioremediation functions to sequester pollution being emitted from the cars. The horizontal matrix is concerned with utilizing the deposition of soil types strategically to optimize aboveground functions. With From Soil to Space, these functions range from improved community garden and allotment space, a very popular existing usage, to wellness parks with microclimate-controlling topographical devices, from noise cancelling berms, to improved water infiltration and flood prevention techniques. This is all accomplished simply by observing the soil types and their qualities and functions, and then placing them accordingly during the deposition process. This project sets a precedent for future underground and excavation projects. It is a way of seeing the landscape as the sum of its underground functions and proficiencies and discovering ways to optimize these functions for an improved aboveground experience. Landscape users become aware of what is beneath their feet and the incredible power our soils have to propel us toward more sustainable land usage.

110

From Soil to Space

111 Existing Soil Types

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113 Cut and Fill Diagram

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115 Masterplan

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117 Section Cuts and Studies

118 Section Animation and Following Spread: The project starts by identifying and analyzing the existing soil types and their qualities around the A102 underground highway, as shown in the “before” section. Then it proceeds to place new functions according to the features of the various soil types during the deposition process, as shown in the “after” section. These functions range from improved community garden and allotment space, an immensely popular existing usage, to wellness parks with microclimate-controlling topographical devices, from noise cancelling berms, to improved water infiltration and flood prevention techniques. This project sets a precedent for future underground and excavation projects.

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Lara Prebble

Our perceptions and understandings of landscape today are largely rooted in the painted pastoral and idyllic working landscapes of the Flanders countryside. Yet the landscape today is one that struggles from many environmental challenges. Severe air pollution is the result of a congestion of industry as well as a car dependent society and with Antwerp’ history and present as a major port city, the Scheldt Estuary has long lost its natural hydrology. As sea levels rise, the reinforcement of dikes upwards and outwards along the coastline threatens to consume the last fragments of wetlands. Tunneling the proposed route of the A102 eliminates many of the concerns the public has for the construction of this highway; neighborhoods would not be fragmented and noise pollution would be buried. However, one major concern that it does not solve is the issue of poor air quality as polluted air would be pumped out of the tunnel system and released into the communities above. Following new understandings in plants’ abilities to uptake gaseous pollutants through their roots, this project imagines how a network of biofilters could be attached to the ventilation system. Creating a landscape from the topographies of these biofilters, this project proposes ideas for how this mechanical and highly engineered “below” can create a picturesque and pastoral landscape “above” that supports community needs regarding mobility but also larger regional concerns regarding the health of the Albert Canal and the greater Scheldt Estuary.

124

Landscape Respiration Infrastructure Ventilation

125 Water Connection

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127 Above: Vehicular Pollutants Below: Processes of Phytoremediation

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129 Above: Transverse Ventilation Below: Transverse Ventilation with Proposed Biofilters

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135 Previous Spread: Hidden below ground, the ventilation system of the A102 is expanded. As the polluted air is vacuumed out, it weaves its way through a series of chambers, gradually interacting with the root zone of the selected plants and becoming less and less toxic. However, one day as the technology of our transportation improves, these biofilters will no longer be needed for vehicular emissions. These sections diagram the progression of these structures from filtering for the A102 to adjacent industry, as well as filtering groundwater for ecological and agricultural health.

Above: Detail Section Illustrating Aquatic Ecology Next Page: Detail Sections Illustrating Relationship with Agriculture, Industry, and Ecology

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139 Node 2 Site Plan

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141 Detail Plans

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143 Site Model: Five Thematic Sections Aquatic Ecologies A102 Air Filtration Industry Groundwater Agriculture

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145 Site Model: Perspective View

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Minzhi Lin

The AquaLink initiative aims to tackle the issues of flood management and drought through the development of an integrated space that connects multiple transportation and water systems. Working within Node 3, the project proposes the adoption of a new spatial language and land use that promotes higher resilience in rainwater management. Three key methodologies are used: topography, hydrology, and traffic. The excavated soil from the A102’s construction will be used to create the “Water Room” which comprises upward planted hills and downward settlement basins. Hydrologically, retentions basins deliver rainwater quickly and distribute it to nearby basins. Detention basins facilitate water settling. Regarding traffic, AquaLink employs a combination of fast and slow traffic systems on the ground, based on organic spatial reorganization, to create a central hub in Node 3 that serves as a junction for community, transportation, and water. The vertical transportation system consists of underground and ground level traffic that interact at central hubs. This central hub encompasses four levels including bike parking lots, motor vehicle parking lots, and a tram platform, intertwined with the outdoor sunken terrace for water filtration and retention. AquaLink aims to establish a sustainable and resilient system. The initiative not only addresses the challenges faced by Antwerp but also offers a model for other cities worldwide in their efforts to create sustainable urban environments in terms of nature-based flooding management.

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AquaLink: Mobility Activation for Transportation and Hydrology in Antwerp City

149 Framework

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151 Masterplan

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155 AquaLink aims to address flood management and drought in Antwerp City by integrating transportation and water systems. It utilizes three methodologies: Topography, Hydrology, and Traffic. The traffic approach creates a central hub, connecting the community, transportation, and water with fast and slow routes, which includes a transfer station for two tram lines and a Park+Ride site, functional water rooms and a green roof extend to A102’s meadows. The vertical transportation combines underground and ground traffic, with four levels: bike parking, car parking, tram platform, water tunnel, and an outdoor sunken terrace for water filtration and retention. Together with the water management, AquaLink fosters community collaboration to enjoy and co-manage the city’s floods.

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159 The Hub’s Ground

160 The Hub’s Bsement - Bike Park

161 Vertical Hub Serving ultiple Traffic, Water and Public Activities

162 The Hub’s Roof - Extending Meadow

163 The Hub’s Basement - Car Park

164 The Hub’s Basement - Tram Platform

165 The Hub’s Basement - Car BikePark Park

166 The Hub’s Basement - Tram Car Park Platform

Lingyu Li, Bichen Wang

The high concentration of buildings and roads in Belgium is causing urban heat island effect to become more and more severe with climate change. Furthermore, flooding continues to be a more severe risk as precipitation increases. As the city continues to develop, more and more land becomes impermeable with less and less land, consequently, able to absorb the rainfall. This project responds to both of these concerns while also responding to needs of public transportation and public space. Proposing a new vertical urban structure, this construction serves various stakeholders in regard to pedestrians, different modes of transportation, as well as stormwater management. Incorporating both blue and green spaces, this structure generates a new transportation flow that adapts to the movement of water. This structure collects water during periods of flooding, directing the water to three destination points; the natural waterbody to the north, a water treatment site on the west, and to the Fort to the south which is surrounded by an artificial lake. The hybrid station design allows the development of a transportation system that is both sustainable and efficient, operating above and below ground. Flooding is understood as an opportunity rather than as a threat as energy for the hub is generated through the movement of water. The design of surface transportation utilizes surface flooding to vertically separate the flow of pedestrians and bicycles throughout the seasons. The original chaotic circular traffic overpass node evolves into the transportation hub, combined with underground bike lanes.

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Flood Guides: Envision the Future of Antwerp’s Mobility with Power of Water

169 Site Plan

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171 Framework

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173

The entire infrastructure connects various nodes of the site and vertically separates pedestrian, vehicular, and bicycle paths, while integrating with A102 to form a transportation hub. The hybrid station design allowed the development of a transportation system that was both sustainable and highly efficient, operating both above and below ground. The underground parking lot is integrated into the overall water circulation system, connected to the artificial detention pond, creating a vertical waterscape that serves as a park and ride lot for citizens. The “green arm” on the site will serve a dual purpose: providing a pedestrian-friendly green space and directing stormwater towards the detention pond. This system was not hindered by the threat of flooding but instead utilized the power of water to create a more convenient life scenario for people as they moved throughout the city.

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The new flooding treatment system also links the previously relatively fragmented planning neighborhoods. It integrates the different building types left over from the history of that time to serve the citizens again. In various locations within the community, diverse methods for treating flooding occur naturally. And these methods all function as transfer points for flooding water, such as rain gardens and bio-swale. This community will give the residents unique experience under different weather conditions.

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181 Riverbank Section

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Aria Hill

Rooted in the layered histories of the city of Antwerp, Belgium, Molding Resonance acts as a response to the context – old and new. The proposal focuses specifically on redeveloping Node 4 to alleviate issues of mobility, noise, and disjointed communities through the design response while utilizing a similar design language to the nearby Brialmont forts. Much like the ring road system in Antwerp, there exists an extensive double-ring fort system around the city. Used as a military structure that operated during wartime, each structure is formulaic in its appearance and function. Polygonal in form, each fort possesses a secret, labyrinth-like underground tunnel system and a wet moat as a means of protection. The current site of Node 4 is a fast-paced area dominated by cars with the lack of accessibility as a major issue on this site. The traffic circle produces several unsafe intersections for pedestrians on foot or by bike. The new site plan acts as a new fort. One which unifies the community through the land with infilled programs inside large landforms and wet moats. The noise intervention strategies on Node 4 are fourfold: 1st, a triangular system of landforms around the entrance of the A102 is introduced; 2nd, a series of traffic circles and baby berms are sprinkled throughout the region to slow down all traffic; 3rd, a 6-layer barrier of trees on the interior of the landform system is maintained; and 4th, a recirculating waterfall system on the exterior of the landform is enacted to create constant white noise.

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Molding Resonance

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On the south side of the landform system, there exists a park winding through the community, offering spaces for play and respite. A community member may utilize one of the raised crosswalks before entering the park. Meandering to the south entrance, the community member may enter the community dance studio or the open-air trail where daily morning yoga takes place. Crossing to the northeast side of the landform system via the sky bridges, one can take time exploring the community gallery, resting in the pitted space. After a while, they decide to cross over to the west landform to the metro station to go into the city center for a bite to eat. As they pass over the north sky bridge, they pass cyclists and families while cars zip by underneath them.

Recirculating Waterfall

Open-Air Trail

Community Dance Studio

188 Metro Station

Sky Br

Sky Bridge

A102 Traffic Circle

189 Sky Bridge

Tunnel to A102 Community Gallery

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Pie Chueathue, Pitchapa Setpakdee

Upon examining the built form of Antwerp, it is evident that the development of buildings and infrastructure has not only taken place above the ground surface but also below, where such infrastructures interact with geological layers and aquifers. Various infrastructures, such as the fort wall, canal, sewage, highway, and transportation hubs, were erected separately to serve individual functions. The proposed A102 will serve as the second ring road for Antwerp, with the intention of alleviating traffic congestion. However, we believe that multi-functionality is a crucial attribute of infrastructure in the current context of after urban sprawl and escalating climate change. The proposal demonstrates the potential of new above-ground and belowground infrastructure that can serve multiple aspects and should be adaptable, flexible, and able to collaborate in addressing future concerns. The project starts by maximizing public transportation to reduce car usage and integrating the new infrastructure with other purposes, thereby freeing up space for additional functions. The underground structure possesses multifunctional potential beyond being merely a foundation structure. The A102 has the potential to strengthen Antwerp’s native common space. The new A102 proposal is not only designed to complete the second ring road but also to contribute to the development of a new framework of multi-functional infrastructure in Antwerp that can address a range of issues on various scales, from the EU regional scale to the city scale, based on the different contexts of each site.

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(IN)Visible: Reimagining the Future of A102 as Transformative Multifunctionality Infrastructures

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Upon analyzing the physical structure of Antwerp, it becomes evident that its development encompasses both vertical and subterranean dimensions, with buildings and infrastructure intricately interacting with geological strata and aquifers. Initially established as a fortified city, urbanization prompted the subterranean positioning of canals and the replacement of fortifications with highways. In the present day, contemporary constructions delve deeper underground. Separate infrastructural networks were established to serve distinct purposes, including fort walls, canals, sewers, highways, and transportation hubs. In line with the objective of mitigating traffic congestion, the City of Antwerp proposed the implementation of A102 as the city’s second ring road.

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197 Node Locations

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199 Node 1

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201 Node 1 - Sectional Exploration Detail of Green Connector & Carbon Sequestration Roof

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203 Node 4 Placemaking Diagram

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205 Node 4 - Sectional Exploration & Building Diagram

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Contributors

Studio Instructor Jungyoon Kim Jungyoon Kim is the founding principal and design leader of the landscape architecture design office PARKKIM located in Seoul and an Assistant Professor in practice of landscape architecture at the GSD. Her design work encompasses projects with diverse scales and nature, ranging from corporate landscapes to civic venues, including Seoul Museum of Craft Art (2021), Yanghwa Riverfront (2011), CJ Blossom Park (2015), and Triple Street Shopping Mall (2016). Her ongoing research and teaching at the GSD concerns the role of landscape architecture discipline in climate change adaptation.

Maarten Van Acker Maarten is Professor of Urban Design at the Faculty of Design Sciences at the University of Antwerp and spokesperson for the Research Group for Urban Development. His research focuses on the interface between urban design and infrastructure design.During his PhD he studied the impact of mobility infrastructure on the urbanization of Belgium since the 19th century. Afterwards Maarten continued his research on urban (infra) structures in New York at Parsons - The New School for Design. Maarten regularly supports city councils, design and engineering firms with complex projects. He is a member of the GECORO Antwerp, UNESCO city council of Bruges, the scientific committee of the Institut pour la Ville and Mouvement (Paris), the editorial board of RUIMTE, the Spilliaert Committee (chairman) and StadsAtelier of the city of Ostend. Shana Debrock Shana is an urban planner, communication scientist, PhD researcher, Flemish policy officer and fascinated by underground urbanism. She has a master in communication sciences (2009), master in Urbanism and spatial planning (2013). Since November 2014 she’s served as a Flemish policy officer and project manager with the department of Environment and Spatial Planning of the Flemish Government. The intention of her project is to integrate the underground dimension into planning, policy and design.

Students Pie Chueathue, Tanushri Dalmiya, Aria Hill, Meg Koglin, Matthew Lee, Lingyu Li, Minzhi Lin, Emily Menard, Lara Prebble, Pitchapa Setpakdee, Bichen Wang, Mengyu Zhao Teaching Assistant Lara Prebble

Guests Lectures Filip Hendrickx, Vande Velde Willem, Lien Engels, Pete Robie, and Daniel Kiehlmann Mid-Review Critics

Lorena Bello Gomez, Matthew Girard, Alistair McIntosh, Carole Turley Voulgaris, Min Yeo Final Review Critics

Lorena Bello Gomez, Shana Debrock, Matthew Girard, Daniel Kiehlmann, Alistair McIntosh, Bas Smets, Stefan Tischer, Maarten Van Acker, Min Yeo

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Studio Consultants

Colophon

1412 Below, Above, and Beyond: Future of Antwerp’s Mobility and Public Space Instructor Jungyoon Kim

Acknowledgments The studio was made possible by the generous support of Lotte Engineering & Cosntruction and University of Antwerp.

Report Design and Editor Lara Prebble

Image Credits Cover by Pie Chueathue and Pitchapa Setpakdee

Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture Sarah Whiting

The editors have attempted to acknowledge all sources of images used and apologize for any errors or omissions.

Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture Gary R. Hilderbrand

Harvard University Graduate School of Design 48 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA 02138

Copyright © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Text and images © 2023 by their authors.

gsd.harvard.edu

Studio Report Spring 2023

Harvard GSD Department of Landscape Architecture

Students Pie Chueathue, Tanushri Dalmiya, Aria Hill, Meg Koglin, Matthew Lee, Lingyu Li, Minzhi Lin, Emily Menard, Lara Prebble, Pitchapa Setpakdee, Bichen Wang, Mengyu Zhao