A city in transition

Paul Hendrikse Project33, Stramien, 2022-23

Over the past ten years, the city of Sint-Niklaas has worked hard on its public spaces. With an emphasis on greening, accessibility and soft mobility, various public spaces – from the Grote Markt to the shadow of a flyover – have been transformed into green spaces where people can enjoy themselves.

Sint-Niklaas has launched a number of ambitious projects, the icing on the cake being the complete redevelopment of the Grote Markt. These impressive achievements are also being monitored as part of a broad study into how to deal with heat stress and other consequences of climate change in an urban context. With an urban measurement campaign in collaboration with Ghent University, the city is seeking scientific evidence for its interventions, thereby taking a pioneering role for the whole of Europe. We take a look at this city in transition.

Grote Markt – Artgineering + LAMA landscape architects + Sweco + Daniël Ost
Sint-Niklaas is taking up the fight against the urban heat island effect. With its 32,000 m², the Grote Markt in Sint-Niklaas is the largest market square in the country, but its hard surface also makes it a heat island par excellence.

The design for the green-blue Grote Markt incorporates all the measures needed to make the square heat-resistant and combat the heat island effect: from greening, softening and more shade to blue-green veins and evaporation.

The central lawn of 1,700 m² will provide cooling and infiltration of rainwater. To the south of the lawn, the sunken garden with various planted terraces will provide softening and greening. At the edge of the project zone, 4,300 m² of green areas will be provided under the tree line. The planting of almost 200 trees will create a pleasant, shaded recreational area. In time, this will also have a cooling effect on the adjacent buildings, greatly reducing the use of air conditioning in the summer. There will also be a comprehensive system for collecting, buffering and reusing rainwater. Every drop of water counts. The buffered rainwater will be used, among other things, for (above-ground) experiential elements that provide cooling and refreshment, such as fountains and a water mirror in front of the town hall and an attractive blue-green (rain)water edge.

Straat van de toekomst – MAARCH
With the softening of Kardinaal Cardijnlaan, Sint-Niklaas is implementing its first pilot project as part of the transformation of the Baensland district into a green lobe. Residents, municipal services and experts worked together on a design for the ‘Street of the Future’, tailored to vulnerable road users and with space for greenery, water and social interaction.

Project 33 – Stramien
In Flanders, much of the transport infrastructure penetrates deep into the urban fabric. The bare space around and under motorways, viaducts and bridges creates bleak urban spaces. Commissioned by the city of Sint-Niklaas and supervised by curator Kris Drieghe, Stramien cv worked in collaboration with GR&OM bv to green the gloomy urban space under the railway viaduct of the Ghent-Antwerp railway line. With Project 33, the city aspired to create a highly participatory, green and artistic project around the 33 viaduct pillars. It was to become a place for art, imagination and wonder in the city, between the busy lanes of the R42 and under the roar of railway line 59. The site is a remarkable greening of approximately 2,500 m² of barren and dry space in the city. The entire project was carried out with the constructive permission of Infrabel, which also allowed rainwater to be collected from the viaduct.

Vakschool – Omgeving
Through the redevelopment of the Vakschool, the city of Sint-Niklaas is contributing to a high-quality and sustainable regeneration of the former school site. The area has acquired a new identity within the neighbourhood and the city centre, organised around three squares linked by a public thoroughfare for non-motorised traffic. The former VTS vocational school complex in Sint-Niklaas has been redeveloped into the ‘Vakschoolhof’ residential area. This project integrates historical heritage with modern apartments and homes within an urban, green context. The site contains valuable 20th-century school buildings that have been listed, including the Scharniergebouw. A unique conversion project by DENC-STUDIO, BLAF and Volt transformed the old school buildings into homes, whilst preserving their industrial character. The site comprises a diverse mix of housing types and also incorporates cultural facilities, such as d’Academie Podium. The project is situated in the immediate vicinity of the inner ring road of Sint-Niklaas, which significantly strengthens the town centre.

Winkelwandellus – BUUR part of SWECO
The shopping promenade between the Grote Markt and Stationsplein makes the city centre more attractive for residents and visitors alike. The streets now look greener, brighter and more attractive. The beautiful Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings in the neighbourhood, Regentieplein and the museum park are more prominent, but more importantly, the pedestrian shopping loop also runs through the heart of the school town of Sint-Niklaas. Every day, thousands of schoolchildren cycle and walk through the city centre streets. The creation of this loop has also drastically improved road safety and the quality of life for road users in these streets.

Organisation: Hera Van Sande en Kristoff De Wilde