Available rooting space for trees is a pressing topic in urban planning, as re-densification increases demand for trees on the one hand, while on the other, it claims underground space for buildings and infrastructure. This is limiting the availability of adequate rooting space for urban trees, making it expensive to provide. However, planting trees is the most effectivemeasure to provide microclimatic cooling and increase the recreational value of public urban open space. Therefore, an adequate amount of green spaces and trees is incredibly importantfor the quality of life in cities.

Hence, the development of new urban quarters must be carefully planned from the ground up to ensure sufficient root space for the planned number of trees. In return, underground infrastructures must be planned in a spatially efficient way. Therefore, it might be possible not only to plant more trees but also to be more cost-effective as well, following this approach. This could open the opportunity to plant larger trees. In the end, a transformation process must be laid out that considers relevant temporal aspects and provides a plausible outlook onfuture development.

The Piekstraat area in Rotterdam is a former wharf now used as an industrial park. The area is planned for development as an urban residential quarter. In collaboration with the IABR and the researcher and landscape architect, Noël van Dooren of the College van Rijksbouwmeester en Rijksadviseurs, we have the opportunity to develop an urban transformation process driven by trees and the rooting space they require.

Research questions:

How does the approach “planning trees first” influence the urban design of the Piekstraatarea?

What are the obstacles to planting trees in the area, and how can they be overcome?

How can the existing infrastructure be incorporated into the transformation process of the Piekstraat area?

How can the rooting space of existing and future trees be preserved over a long urban transformation process?

How can trees be planted as early as possible in the Piekstraat area?

How could future trees be temporarily represented?

How can the temporal aspects of the transformation process be graphically represented?

Aim:

Designing a transformation process of the Piekstraat area from an industrial park into a residential quarter that is adapted to climate change by planning trees first and buildings second.