Adjustments to the transit network also help to decrease congestion and increase accessibility of important activities and landscapes to larger shares of the population. Examples of recent transit projects are Crossrail (a fast east-west rail connection in London) and Corridors of Freedom (a bus rapid transit project in Johannesburg). These new networks, besides improving connectivity and health (through exercise and air-quality), also aim to increase the quality of public space throughout the metropolis. The transformation of existing heavy infrastructure is present in many case studies: the covering of the inner city highway in Madrid, the demolishing of the elevated highway in Rio de Janeiro and the redevelopment of the Seine riverbanks in Paris, the revitalization of heritage routes such as El Camino Real in San Francisco and the London High-street project. Although local governments and stakeholders typically implement these ‘slow traffic’ networks, the most internationally renowned examples are usually the result of regional collaboration and funding. The excellent marketing of some of the networks makes them attractive to tourists, something the Netherlands could make better use of.
ELEMENTS FOR A LANDSCAPE AGENDA FOR THE DELTAMETROPOLIS ISSUE #1 SCALE AND COLLABORATION There is no doubt that the Deltametropolis is becoming a ‘learning’ knowledge-intensive economy, and that the development of the metropolitan landscape increasingly provides suitable conditions for this transition. Regarding regional governance, several questions could be raised from the above analysis. For example, on which level should the Netherlands engage in the global competition? Despite several national trade missions, even involving the royal family, there is little emphasis on the ability of the Dutch Deltametropolis to attract highly skilled workers and companies. Instead, sub-regions of the Deltametropolis (Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam, Rotterdam-The Hague and Brainport for example) each create their own image and strategy for the global market and even tend to function as competitors on the national level, not as complementary regions within the Deltametropolis. Similarly, Rhein-Ruhr functions rather as two economic entities, but in regards to topics such as knowledge infrastructure and attractive metropolitan landscapes, they work closely together. Dutch regions could develop a similar style of cooperation. Lombardy has clearly suffered from the fragmented spatial planning in the past, with resulting sprawl and conflicts in the peri-urban areas around Milan, something that has definitely happened in the Deltametropolis as well, for example in the province Zuid-Holland. On the contrary, Oakland (a municipality that was in decline
just a decade ago) and Berkeley made a conscious choice to be seen as part of the San Francisco Bay Area. In doing so, they benefit from both the global image of San Francisco and the integration of (green) infrastructures and policies. Historically, the Dutch low lands had a similar unified image abroad. The diversity of the Dutch regional cultures and landscapes is now often mentioned as a quality. The question is, however, if this quality is sufficiently recognized by the innovative companies and highly skilled workers; and whether Dutch regions might benefit from the qualities of the others in the battle for talent. The lakes of Friesland, in this way, also actively contribute to the attractiveness of Amsterdam and Utrecht. Perhaps a shared (national) vision, led by the mayors of the major urban centers, combined with regional realization strategies, is an attractive model for the Dutch sub-regions of the Deltametropolis. Cooperative platforms for development and protection of the metropolitan landscape that also involve private stakeholders and investors, like in San Francisco, may serve as inspiration. Furthermore, there is not one global market for highly skilled work. Each metropolis attracts certain niches of workers and companies, and it would therefore be pointless for the Deltametropolis to try to compete with London as a global financial center, for example. Determining which niche the Deltametropolis could tap into is an important next step in its further development. We will study possible niches in the next phase of this project. It is interesting to compare regions in the periphery of the Deltametropolis that suffer from a ‘brain drain’ and shrinking population, such as the region Parkstad
Main landscape policies, projects and initiatives Mainregional regional landscape policies, projects and initiatives
Regional reserves, green belts and grids
Heritage and branding
Mega events
Attractive living in the landscape
Large sustainable infrastructure projects
Waterfront regeneration projects
Cycling strategies
Urban farming and park initiatives
Rhein Charta Emscher Landschaftspark Kulturlandschaftsnetwerk
Zeche Zollverein and other industrial heritage Central Köln
Essen (Ruhr) Capital of Culture 2010
Rhein Charta
Rhine-Ruhr Express (local trains)
Rheinboulevard Köln Cleaning of Emscher river and brownfields
Route der Industriekultur Bicycle highways
Belvedere Agricultural Park Köln
LONDON
London Greenbelt* All London Green Grid
Highstreet Project Unesco world heritage Gentrification of old neighborhoods
Olympic Games 2012 legacy plan Queen’s Jubilee 2012
Barking Riverside
Crossrail Congestion Charge Docklands Light Rail
Thames Southbank and Docklands regeneration Tate Modern and Battersea Power Station
Cycle Super Highways Bike London
Farmers markets Land Trusts
TORONTO
Toronto Greenbelt Ravines and Don River protection areas Green Space System
Reforestation policies (forest = heritage) Evergreen Brickworks
Panamerican Games 2015
Neighborhoods near ravines
Ravine parkways
Waterfront Boulevard Portlands redevelopment
Toronto Islands Cycling Circuit Greenbelt Trails Toronto BIke Plan*
Greenbelt and Brickworks urban farming iniitiatives
Tijuca forest reserve Beaches Wetlands Guanabara Bay*
Carioca Landscape Unesco world heritage
Olympic Games 2016* Soccer World Cup 2014 Panamerican Games 2007
Barra da Tijuca* Porto Maravilha
Demolition of Elevado da Perimetral viaduct Arco Metropolitano ring
Porto Maravilha port regeneration
Plano Cicloviário Bike rental BIke Rio
Favela farming initiatives
SAN FRANCISCO
ABAG Bay Area Plan Primary Conservation Areas Greenbelt Alliance
El Camino Real* Golden Gate Bridge Alcatraz
Super Bowl 50, 2016
Central Corridor Eco District
BART lightrail
Crissy Field Park
San Francisco Bay Trail The Wiggle
Open SpaceTrusts Open Space Councils Mission Peak
PARIS
Île de France 2030 Ceinture Verte* City Parks (P. André Citroen, P. de la Vilette)
Seine, monuments, museums, and city core
1889 World Expo (Eiffel tower) Grand Paris Climat, 2015
New towns of Paris-Saclay, Marne la Vallée and Triangle de Gonesse
Seine Boulevard Promenade Plantée Grand Paris Express Autolibre
Seine boulevard pedestrianization Paris Plage
Vélib bicycle sharing
Grenelle Environnement
GAUTENG
Pillars of Radical Transformation and Green Strategic Programme Gauteng
Cradle of Humankind (Unesco world heritage) Central Pretoria Orlando Power Station
Soccer World Cup 2010*
Gated communities*
Corridors of Freedom (BRT network)
Orlando eKaya waterfront project, Soweto
Cycling lane between University and Park Station
Maboneng neighborhood regeneration
MILAN
Parco Agricolo Sud PGT Milano Raggi Verdi Lombardia Landscape Plan
Milano Metropoli Rurale Central Milan and village monuments
Milan Expo 2015
Milano Metropoli Rurale
Milan Metro Line 5
Valletta Waterfront Navigli Lombardi projects
Cash for Cycling, Milan
Parco delle Risaie Strada del Riso Milano Metropoli Rurale
TAIPEI
Central Mountain Range Conservation Axis Creative Parks
Strategic Plan for National Spatial Development Taipei Railway Workshop
World Design Capital 2016 Flora Expo 2013
International Village Communities
Civic Boulevard Expressway
Danshui river waterfront development
Youbike Cycling trail around Taiwan
City Garden Action International Village Communities
Ecological Main Structure Nature development projects
Historic city cores Rural heritage Defense Line of Amsterdam (Unesco world heritage)
Floriade
Vinex compact suburb program
Zuidasdok High Speed Rail South A4 Midden-Delfland
North Sea boulevards Urban river fronts Dike reinforcements
National Bicycle Route network
Land Trust (Natuurmonumenten) Urban agriculture inititatives
RHEIN RUHR
RIO DE JANEIRO
DELTAMETROPOLIS
* existing but not not used to its full potential
44 BLIND SPOT Part 3. Lessons from international cases