Top down/Bottom up - Video conference #3 - 14.06.11

An important issue on the agenda of video conference #3 is the situation of public/private partnership in Recife and Amsterdam. In Recife, traditionally the government is only involved in checking the building plans with the zoning laws. But this seems to be shifting. There are some examples of projects in which the municipality or the state take an active stance in development and realization. A challenge is how the Recife government could promote a coherent vision of the future and at the same time stimulate private parties and the public to work according to this vision. The Amsterdam team illustrates how traditional ways of public/private partnership are also changing. Traditionally the city government owns about 80% of the land and hands it out in land-lease constructions. This makes it possible to control planning. The design of public space, masterplans for a certain area, the zoning plan and selection of developing parties are all in public hands. Because of the economic crisis a lot has changed though. Developing parties already leased a lot of land, but don't have money anymore to develop. Other private parties that are eager to develop are stepping forward, but they don't have access to the land. So, things need to change, we need a new kind of planning and a different way of public/private partnership. How can we shift from top-down planning to a more bottom-up way to do this? 

Maybe by making less strict masterplans and relying more on zone planning like in Recife. An important thing to think about on both sides is to find out what kind of (relatively small) interventions could have a huge effect. What are the ambitions of the cities and what inspiration do we want to give to the public? In other words: what story do we want to tell?

Another issue for the discussion was the Via Mangue project. Last conference the students presented possible master plans suggesting adaptations of the official plan. The Via Mangue is an elevated highway from the city district Boa Viagem along the mangrove to the old city centre. It is clear that the Via Mangue will worsen certain problems like the lack of open, public spaces, a good connection between the Mangrove and the sea and overall liveability of the area. The Via Mangue will be another barrier. The students suggest specific projects to tackle these problems, partly inspired by the Amsterdam feedback that stated examples of the Amstel river banks development and ways to make a connection with the inhabitants by improving public space and making it more green. 

Some aspects of the projects are: more green spaces, solutions for relocating population (that has to move because of Via Mangue construction), cultural centres to open up the Mangrove area to the public, infrastructural solutions like a cable way, a multifunctional station and boulevards. The Amsterdam team suggests that it is important to think about priorities. What is essential to get a transition started? This helps to connect the projects to the masterplan again and produce a strong integral design.

Flora van Gaalen