Launch Five E15 Sites in Rotterdam
New Gateways to the Productive City
Overview of the five selected E15 sites in Rotterdam
Graphic design: Loes Sikkes
Europan NL, Rotterdam Architecture Institute (AIR) and the municipality of Rotterdam are proud to propose five locations for Europan 15. All five have been designated ‘high potential’ development sites by the municipality.
In Search of ‘Good Growth’
Rotterdam is growing. The city aims to build 50,000 new homes in the next decade and to vigorously enhance the quality and energy performance of the existing built environment. In short, Rotterdam is looking for ‘good growth’: building a compact, circular, productive, healthy and inclusive city with equal opportunities and high quality of living for everyone. It aims to be a vibrant and welcoming place for people of all walks of life, ages and beliefs. Citizens of Rotterdam should be able to live productive lives by working, learning, caring or in any other way contributing to the development of the city and its narratives. Therefore, it is important to remove barriers, to increase connectivity, to collaborate on ‘making city’ and to move forward on the rich Rotterdam tradition in architectural experiment and innovation.
Radical Renewal of Spatial Policy
For Europan 15, five sites have been selected within the city of Rotterdam that could catalyse opportunities on multiple levels. Places that could enhance the city’s social resiliency and contribute to ‘good growth’. These five sites will be a testing ground for the new Rotterdam vision and regulatory framework on spatial and socioeconomic developments, called the Omgevingsvisie (Environmental Strategy). This framework is currently being drafted by the municipality. Because of its holistic approach, it should accelerate innovative spatial solutions and sustainable socioeconomic developments. It is supported by an extensive participatory process and an action research program. The Europan 15 sites have been selected to implement this process, through research by design and its aim of implementing exemplary projects. The five assignments are in line with the theme of Europan 15 and the central themes of the Omgevingsvisie: Productive, Inclusive, Circular, Healthy and Compact City.
Public Learning Programme
In addition to the Europan 15 competition process, there is an extensive public learning programme, including public events, workshops, masterclasses and a storytelling campaign. Europan 15 is initiated by Europan NL, Architectuur Instituut Rotterdam, the municipality of Rotterdam and aims to connect a strong network of committed and innovative private parties.
Join the competition
This period is a crucial moment in de urban development of Rotterdam. For the municipality, the possibility of acquiring diverse new ideas, testing the scope of the Omgevingsvisie, and at the same time providing opportunities to young talent, is the main reason for the cooperation with Europan 15.
Enter the Europan 15 competition and contribute to Rotterdam’s search for good growth and the urban work-and-live environments of the future.
