What are clues and opportunities for linking the plan area of Buijtenland van Rhoon and the surrounding urban area? That was the key question the participants of the discussion meeting ‘Kennis, kansen en koppelingen Buijtenland van Rhoon (knowledge, opportunities and links)’ worked on. Field Academy and Landscape Architecture at TU Delft were asked by the provice of Zuid Holland to do a proposal on how to get started this year with several parties from the surrounding area to strengthen the relationship between Buijtenland van Rhoon with its environment.
600 Hectares in the municipality of Albrandswaard, South of Rotterdam, are being transformed into a nature and recreation area with space for agricultural activities, Buytenland van Rhoon. The province of Zuid Holland is the initiator for this development, which is a formal part of the project mainportontwikkeling (development) Rotterdam (PMR). Main Goal is to improve the quality of life in the area of Rotterdam. In order to create and organize an increase in social value, businesses, associations and institutions are needed that find each other and see an opportunity in Buijtenland van Rhoon through their own motives. Field Academy mapped these organisations and parties by doing an overall area analysis at district level. Further, a workshop was organized in the Vlakkenburg, an old farm on the Essen Dijk, right in the middle of the plan area. Three scale levels were appointed during this afternoon: the scale of surrounding neighbourhoods, of the island of IJsselmonde and of the Rotterdam region. In the old barn the conversation went well: “We must connect with existing social programs, for example with Rotterdam Zuid”, said Wouter den Hengst, project leader of the province Zuid Holland. Sandra de Bont, planner for Urban Development in Rotterdam South appoints her concern how to get the Rotterdam youth moving, to counteract obesity. "Buijtenland still seems very far away, but if the Groene verbinding (Green Connection: bicycle bridge over the A15) is completed you will get there in no time," Wim Leussink explains on the map. The meeting resulted in many suggestions for links and connections, in which also the parties were mentions that should be involved.