Pedestrian bridge Luchtsingel
The area around Hofplein in the centre of Rotterdam was once a bustling district but is now dominated by speeding traffic. To give cyclists and pedestrians more space again, Zones Urbaines Sensibles (ZUS)is building a temporary pedestrian bridge here in a project entitled I Make Rotterdam. This will reconnect the city centre with the northern districts. Called Luchtsingel (Dutch for ‘raised promenade’), the bridge will be largely completed by April 2012 and is just the first step in the plan to make Hofplein a lively pedestrian area once more.
Luchtsingel is being realised through crowdfunding. Everybody can get involved in erecting this bridge. Participants pay a contribution in exchange for having their name written on a plank, piece or component of the bridge. Some 17,000 planks are needed to construct Luchtsingel, and work starts in February. The length of the bridge depends on the number of planks purchased.
I just purchased a plank. It’s only 25€ and you’re name will live forever. You too can take part in the Luchtsingel project through www.imakerotterdam.nl.There are still plenty of planks on sale.
Luchtsingel is a project by ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] in collaboration with Hofbogen B.V. Luchtsingel is being built within the framework of the 5th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR). The idea for a raised promenade first surfaced in the Central District master plan drawn up by the city of Rotterdam and Maxwan Architecten. This master plan dictates that Schiestraat will be realigned as the continuation of Delftse Plein, making a pedestrian connection logical. According to the current plans, construction of this pedestrian bridge is planned in 30 years. The area cannot wait that long, however. Crowdfunding allows the bridge to be financed in an alternative way, namely directly by the public. This means that construction can start decades before it is planned.The necessary improvement in the quality of the area is therefore no longer fully dependent on policy plans and real estate developments. With the construction of Luchtsingel, ZUS wants to test the policy framework and design visions for the city of Rotterdam and to experiment with alternative development strategies for the city.
Innocent dance
I ventured an innocent dance on the lively music of Frankie & The Heartstrings Rotown during their concert last Wednesday. The present press corp appreciated my effort and photographed me in action on the dance floor.
Above photo by Robert Tjalondo can also be seen on the site of national TV station VPRO http://images.vpro.nl/images/44707931+s%28500%29 . It was quite a shock to find myself there, because although excited, I’m not a very good dancer. Robert on the other hand is an expert, because he made a pretty attractive picture. On the face of my dance partner is not even a shred of fear in sight. It even seems that she likes it!?
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