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West 8 to remake a boulevard in Rotterdam into a pedestrian and cyclist–oriented thoroughfare

West 8 to remake a boulevard in Rotterdam into a pedestrian and cyclist–oriented thoroughfare

This month, Adriaan Visser of Rotterdam‘s city council and Adriaan Geuze, principal of landscape architecture firm West 8, unveiled a new plan for the municipality’s 0.6 mile long Coolsingel. The streetscape aims to restore the allure of the 19th century boulevard which once defined the area.

Boasting a new green esplanade with natural stone paving, the street will have a two-way bike path that is expected to liven up the space which is currently dominated by cars. Officials reiterated that West 8 in tandem with local authorities hope to make the boulevard into a place that is comfortable for both pedestrians and cyclists. They added at one day Coolsingel could become the new heart of downtown Rotterdam.

West 8 described its proposal as a place for “all seasons.” Utilizing a pre-existing green space, the Rotterdam- and New York–based firm calls for an environment that will be “framed by trees, terraces and pleasant seating areas.”

Changes to the Coolsingel are part of a wider scheme called the Binnenstad als City Lounge program (literally, the City Center as a City Lounge) that intends to kick-start developments in the city to make it “more lively and attractive.”

In what is becoming quite a trend, streetscape projects that aim to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists are cropping up more and more as architects and cities notice the importance of place making. Recently, six United States–based placemaking organizations were awarded $3 million each to develop their respective cities.

Other pedestrian-first projects of note include Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)’s Superkilen, which added a splash of color to Copenhagen’s streets with its street-turned-park-turned-museum. Like Rotterdam, Mexico City is also set for a environmental injection as Fernando Romero, principal at FR-EE, just revealed plans earlier this summer for a green street in the capital city’s Avenida Chapultepec.

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