Quickscan IJsselmonde

The Europan-site in Groot-IJsselmonde is wedged in the in-between zones of urban planner Peter van Drimmelen’s radial plan. Technically, it is part of the sub-neighbourhood Tuinenhoven, but because of its location within the ring road, this part of Tuinenhoven was planned to have a more multifunctional program (instead of just housing). The site is also located in an intended green belt that separates IJsselmonde’s centre (Keizerswaard) from the neighbourhoods that fan out from there. Even though Van Drimmelen did intend for “special functions” (such as schools and community centres) to be located in this lush nature-like zone, the greenery was clogged later with closed-off buildings, inaccessible shrubbery and high fences.

Around the same time that Van Drimmelen was finalising his first zoning plans, the NAM (Dutch Petroleum Company) discovered immense oil reserves underneath Rotterdam. This resulted in the integration of over 20 oil rigs (extraction sites) in the green belt and green zones in between the neighbourhoods. Even though Van Drimmelen did consider that the issue was solved rather “harmonically”, both during and after several decades of oil contraction, these NAM-sites formed industrial scars in what was supposed to be a tranquil, away-from-the-post-indrustrial-city living environment. Even though NAM has left the area several decades ago, quite a few of these sites are still left derelict or are used as parking lots.

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