Interstitial urban spaces form an exception in the very organised urban-rural monocultural landscapes in the Netherlands. These unplanned in-between spaces are rarely valued from a traditional planning perspective, in which they are seen as “empty” or “unused”, thus ready for development. They are, however, an important refuge for people and wildlife alike, who do not fit in the monocultures of urban life and agriculture. However, the unplanned character that is core to their nature and arguably their value might be easily disturbed by design activities, and thus urban densification in the Netherlands is a threat to the existence of these spaces. Through the research question “How could urban interstitial spaces in the Netherlands provide cultural and ecological value?” The aim is to find a better way to describe, design, and value these spaces. Next to theoretical exploration, site analysis and fieldwork, explorative design is used to imagine how interstitial urban spaces could look and function to support and sustain the cultural and ecological values for the people and wildlife that make use of these spaces, could encourage bottom-up spacial development and inspire by illustrating what is possible.

This booklet is the attempt to synthesize the work developed by a multidisciplinary group of Master students from TU-Delft during the Landscape elective course OnSite. The course revolves around the design and the construction of a temporary project in a landscape setting, preceded by extensive exploration of the site. During the course, the students were given the unique chance to experience the land in multiple forms, and later on, feel the impact of their intervention.
We were assigned to work in the area called Land of Chabot, located in the north of Rotterdam, where the famous painter Henk Chabot (1894-1949) used to live. The area is constrained by the Rotte River on the north, an untouched forested area on the right and a relic of the original agricultural polders and on the left. It is currently being cut in the middle by the construction of the A16 motorway, which leads to deep structural and symbolic transformation of the landscape.
Chabot used to paint this landscape, evoking the essence of the land by his raw, harsh, and bold brushstrokes. Another powerful characteristic of his
work are the different viewpoints from which he paints the land, bringing the viewers to experience its openness and contemplate the land to its fullest.
Today, the land of Chabot is a fragment of an open farmland tissue that once surrounded the whole city of Rotterdam, and that has been profoundly changed over the years. The reason why this specific piece of land remains, is the construction of the A16 motorway that is now happening, after 30 years of planning. A huge contradiction arises due to the fact that the highway that is disrupting the land by carving it in the middle, is the very same reason why this land has been kept preserved over the years.
During the design process of our intervention, we aimed to tackle the cultural and symbolic significance of this place, and mostly, what new meanings and ways to see this landscape could take place now, given its inevitable current transformations. We dived into Chabot’s paintings and tried to capture his shifting horizon - that is different when viewed from the Rotte than when viewed from the dike, from the house where Chabot lived and worked, or from the polder floor. Our intervention became an attempt to descend into this land in order to see it.

Food. It is grown, processed, distributed, sold, eaten and then oftentimes
carelessly discarded. In the European Union, 88 million tonnes
of food waste is produced each year, while the Netherlands stands
out as the EU’s largest producer. Food waste causes soil degradation,
emits significant amounts of greenhouse gasses and can contribute
to poorer respiratory health. Moreover, food waste is also representative
of our growing disconnect with natural systems and subsequent
unsustainable lifestyles. Yet, annually, more natural habitats are destroyed
to make way for agriculture and livestock, often in response to
providing for a growing population. However, there can be a reimagination
of a more circular bio-based economy and food supply chain
that lessens the pressure on the earth. The existing infrastructure
of the Port of Rotterdam and its surrounding areas provide a fertile
landscape in which this can take place. Additionally, while reducing
food waste, intensifying social segregation and inequality concerning
ethnicity, income and urban/non-urban divides in Zuid-Holland can be
addressed to ensure environmental, economical and social robustness
and longevity.

Solutions for problems relating to food waste, and social segregation
and inequality, have then been translated into a spatial vision and
strategy to realize a more circular and inclusive food supply chain in
Zuid-Holland by 2050. The vision and strategy are based on holistic
analyses of the spatial distribution and character of the current linear
food supply chain and demographic studies of the inhabitants of
Zuid-Holland. This is then supported by policies and strategic projects
that aim to use and build onto existing frameworks and spatial
conditions to achieve the overarching aims. Key drivers of the vision
and strategy include a transition of the port’s current fossil fuel economy
to a regional hub for organic fertilizer production to be exported
domestically as well as internationally. Additionally, a network of community
exchange centers and a matrix of interfaces together aim to
change the spatial and societal fabric of Zuid-Holland. To do this, they
provide space for members of the same and different communities to
share knowledge, experiences and tools, as well as re-establish connections
with the natural world.