Bas Tiben

Bas Tiben

Course
Urbanism
Class
2024
Email
btiben@live.nl
Contact
LinkedIn

De ring van verbinding

The Ring of Connection
Ring canal as Natural Heritage in the Bijlmermeerpolder 

 

The Ring of Connection, Amsterdam Bijlmer 

The Bijlmer was originally designed as a futuristic neighborhood intended for families, but it is now primarily known as the first disadvantaged area in the Netherlands. This reputation developed due to various factors, leading to Amsterdam families opting not to live there. 

Before the residential area was built, the Bijlmermeer polder faced significant issues, including repeated flooding and rising saltwater, making the land unsuitable for agriculture. To make housing construction possible, the polder was raised with sand, which destroyed its original quality. Even after the neighborhood was built, social problems led to repeated interventions that eroded the original design concept. Today, while the Bijlmer no longer looks like a disadvantaged area, it lacks a clear identity, and urban green spaces seem to be disappearing due to ongoing developments. 

My fascination with combining nature and urban development inspired my graduation project. The central question of the project is: "How can sustainable densification in Amsterdam Southeast be effectively achieved, with specific attention to strengthening the local character and ecosystem, where urban and nature development coexist to create a place-specific biotope where humans and animals live together in a reciprocal relationship?" 

The project's main intervention is the creation of an ecological canal around the current Bijlmermeer polder, which now includes a larger polder system than the original one. This canal forms an ecological and recreational network through Amsterdam Southeast and acts as a spatial framework for various developments. The elevated location of the canal enables a sweet water connection between the Holendrecht and the Gein rivers, establishing a green-blue corridor between the Diemerscheg and the Amstelscheg. 

Through specific developments in Brassapark and the D-neighborhood, this project demonstrates how the Bijlmer can be densified in a site-specific way, respecting its history while integrating contemporary urban ideas. Additionally, the project shows that nature and urban development can reinforce each other, thereby enhancing the original concept of living within a landscape. 
 

Graduation date: 28 August 2024
Graduation committee: Eric Frijters (mentor), Maike van Stiphout, Wouter Pocornie
Additional members for the exam: Ad de Bont, Liza van Alphen

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