zaanstad places - placegame report

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Report of the Place Evaluation that took place in Zaanstad: De Burcht and Sluiskwartier in June 2014. Hosted by Project for Public Spaces Organised by Gemeente Zaanstad, Placemaking Plus and Stipo

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Page 1: Zaanstad Places - Placegame Report
Page 2: Zaanstad Places - Placegame Report
Page 3: Zaanstad Places - Placegame Report

Prepared for

CITY OF ZAANSTAD

Prepared by

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PLACEMAKING PLUS

STIPO

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

VISION ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

WHAT IS PLACEMAKING? ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE? ........................................................................................................................................... 12

QUALITY OF GREAT SQUARES ........................................................................................................................................... 14

PLACEMAKING PROCESS ...................................................................................................................................................... 19

PLACEMAKING IN ACTION AT DE BURCHT AND SLUISKWARTIER ...................................................................................... 22

EVALUATE PLACE .............................................................................................................................................................. 28

SHORT-, MID- AND LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 34

GROUP 1 – BURCHT WATERFRONT ................................................................................................................................... 35

GROUP 2 – DE BURCHT / SQUARE ..................................................................................................................................... 36

GROUP 3 – BURCHT / GREEN AREA-PLANTSOEN .............................................................................................................. 38

GROUP 4 – IN FRONT OF THE THEATER ............................................................................................................................ 41

GROUP 5 – THE SLUIS (DAM, OOSTKADE AND WESTKADE)............................................................................................... 44

CREATING CIVIC AND LIVABLE WATERFRONTS .................................................................................................................... 48

THE POTENTIAL FOR ZAANDAM’S WATERFRONT .............................................................................................................. 52

9 STEPS TO CREATING A GREAT WATERFRONT ................................................................................................................. 54

ZEALOUS NUTS ................................................................................................................................................................. 64

APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................................................................ 66

ABOUT PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ............................................................................................................................... 66

PLACE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ................................................................................................................................. 67

On the cover: Monet, Claude (1840 - 1926). Zaandam. 1871. Musée d'Orsay. Paris.

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y On June 17th 2014, the City of Zaanstad, together with PlacemakingPlus and Stipo initiated the idea to do a community placemaking workshop at the area of De Brucht and the Sluiskwartier.. The workshop was guided by Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping communities transform public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs. Just below 30 participants from local businesses, residents, institutions and government officials participated. The Project for Public Spaces described an improvement strategy that focuses on “lighter, quicker, cheaper” interventions that are lower risk and lower cost. The approach allows for coordinated experimentation to determine what works best to ‘jump start’ stakeholder visions into physical reality, allowing for a more nimble way of testing ideas, trying alternative approaches, and providing an iterative learning process to inform public improvements.

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V I S I O N

A m e e t i n g p o i n t o n t h e Z a a n

We are listening to you about what you want the “Meeting point on the Zaan” to be—what you love about it, and how you want to improve it to make it an even better place.

You have told us that you want to make De Burcht a place where locals will go and stay. A place, where the diversity, culture and history of the area will be celebrated on a daily base. You want to enhance the connection of the area with the water and turn the public area again into a civic space.

You have also told us that you would like to see the Sluiskwartier being more used and on a daily basis. You would also like to see the area function as a whole: the Sluiskwartier, the Theater and de Burcht to be a new waterfront area in Zaandam for locals and visitors.

We envision this area as a dynamic and exciting place, where people will be able to engage into various activities throughout the whole day and all year round; cultural, commercial, recreational, social activities and of course an area where people will be able to connect and enjoy the water and the nautical and industrial history and heritage with which it is linked.

You have also told us that you want to be actively involved. You want to turn the managing of the area from a design-driven to a community-driven process, where everyone who identifies themselves within the district will be able to participate and become the “zealous nuts” of the new waterfront.

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WHAT IS PLACEMAKING?

Thoreau said “there is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” In this light, Placemaking is a dynamic human function: it is an act of liberation, of staking claim, and of beautification; it is true human empowerment.

It is a Sacred Community Process

It is a Natural, Organic Process

It Localizes

It is Economic Development

It is Scaled to each Community

It Creates Social and Place Capital, Health and Sustainability

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WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE? A great public space is like a magnet for people. People go there not only because they must pass through on business, but because it is pleasant to be there. What can transform an otherwise ordinary square into a magnet for people?

In its 30 years studying what makes a good public place, Project for Public Spaces has found that four key attributes typically characterize a good public space. The first of these is Comfort and Image: users describe the space as “safe”, “clean”, “green”, “charming”, “attractive” and “historic”. There is comfortable seating; the space feels inviting and comfortably scaled; walking into and through the space is appealing.

The second feature of a good public space is a variety of Uses and Activities that make the space interesting. Users describe the space as “fun”, “special”, “vital” and “real”. Food vending and other retail activities may go on in the space; celebrations occur; children play there.

A third attribute is Access and Linkage: that is, the space is visibly connected to other spaces, to transit facilities, to streets, to parking. The entrances and connections are inviting and can be understood at a glance, and the space is designed and located for convenience.

And last, a good public space has Sociability: the elderly sit and gossip; chess or other board games are ongoing activities; people meet acquaintances and stop to visit; there is a sense of ownership and pride in the place.

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QUALITY OF GREAT SQUARES

THE INNER SQUARE & THE OUTER SQUARE Visionary park planner Frederick Law Olmsted’s idea of the “inner park” and the “outer park” is just as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago. The streets and sidewalks around a square greatly affect its accessibility and use, as do the buildings that surround it. Imagine a square fronted on each side by 15-foot blank walls — that is the worst-case scenario for the outer square. Then imagine that same square situated next to a public library: the library doors open right onto the square; people sit outside and read on the steps; maybe the children’s reading room has an outdoor space right on the square, or even a bookstore and cafe. An active, welcoming outer square is essential to the well-being of the inner square.

» Active edge uses

» Gateways and entrances

» Focal points inside

REACH OUT LIKE AN OCTOPUS Just as important as the edge of a square is the way that streets, sidewalks and ground floors of adjacent buildings lead into it. Like the tentacles of an octopus extending into the surrounding neighborhood, the influence of a good square such as Union Square in New York starts at least a block away. Vehicles slow down, walking becomes more enjoyable, and pedestrian traffic increases. Elements within the square are visible from a distance, and the ground floor activity of buildings entices pedestrians to move toward the square.

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT & PEDESTRIAN To be successful, a square needs to be easy to get to. The best squares are always easily accessible by foot: Surrounding streets are narrow; crosswalks are well marked; lights are timed for pedestrians, not vehicles; traffic moves slowly; and transit stops are located nearby. A square surrounded by lanes of fast-moving traffic will be cut off from pedestrians and deprived of its most essential element: people. In addition to the connection of a square to its adjacent areas it is also essential that people find their way around at the square itself; it is important that the sights surrounding the square are easy to find.

» Connected to adjacent areas

» Range of transportation

» Vehicles do not dominate

» Wayfinding

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ATTRACTIONS & DESTINATIONS Any great square has a variety of smaller “places” within it to appeal to various people. These can include outdoor cafés, fountains, sculpture, or a bandshell for performances. These attractions don’t need to be big to make the square a success. In fact, some of the best civic squares have numerous small attractions such as a vendor cart or playground that, when put together, draw people throughout the day. We often use the idea of “The Power of 10” to set goals for destinations within a square. Creating ten good places, each with ten things to do, offers a full program for a successful square.

» Choices of things to do

» Triangulation opportunities

» Clustered activity around destinations

» 10 + Places

IDENTITY & IMAGE Historically, squares were the center of communities, and they traditionally helped shape the identity of entire cities. Sometimes a fountain was used to give the square a strong image: Think of the majestic Trevi Fountain in Rome or the Swann Fountain in Philadelphia’s Logan Circle. The image of many squares was closely tied to the great civic buildings located nearby, such as cathedrals, city halls, or libraries. Today, creating a square that becomes the most significant place in a city–that gives identity to whole communities–is a huge challenge, but meeting this challenge is absolutely necessary if great civic squares are to return.

» Showcases local assets, culture & civic identity

» Contextual signage

» Educational opportunities

FLEXIBILITY IN DESIGN The use of a square changes during the course of the day, week, and year. To respond to these natural fluctuations, flexibility needs to be built in. Instead of a permanent stage, for example, a retractable or temporary stage could be used. Likewise, it is important to have on-site storage for movable chairs, tables, umbrellas, and games so they can be used at a moment’s notice.

» Overlapping and changing uses

» Form supports function

» Experiments with low cost improvements

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AMENITIES A square should feature amenities that make it comfortable for people to use. A bench or waste receptacle in just the right location can make a big difference in how people choose to use a place. Lighting can strengthen a square’s identity while highlighting specific activities, entrances, or pathways. Public art can be a great magnet for children of all ages to come together. Whether temporary or permanent, a good amenity will help establish a convivial setting for social interaction.

» Comfortable places to sit

» Attracts a cross-section of users

» Source of local/regional civic pride & ownership

PLACE MANAGEMENT: CENTRAL TO SOLUTION The best places are ones that people return to time and time again. The only way to achieve this is through a management plan that understands and promotes ways of keeping the square safe and lively. For example, a good manager understands existing and potential users and gears events to both types of people. Good managers become so familiar with the patterns of how people use the park that waste receptacles get emptied at just the right time and refreshment stands are open when people most want them. Good managers create a feeling of comfort and safety in a square, fixing and maintaining it so that people feel assured that someone is in charge.

Management presence through:

» Security

» Maintenance

» Knowledgeable & accessible staff

» Ongoing visible improvement efforts

SEASONAL STRATEGY A successful square can’t flourish with just one design or management strategy. Great squares such as Bryant Park, the plazas of Rockefeller Center, and Detroit’s new Campus Martius change with the seasons. Skating rinks, outdoor cafés, markets, horticulture displays, art and sculpture help adapt our use of the space from one season to the next. In addition to a seasonal strategy it is important that a square offers something for each hour of the day as well; from early morning to late at night.

» Flower Show, Skating Rink, Fashion Show,

» Christmas Market, Play Equipment, Cultural Festival, etc.

» 18 Hours Economy

DIVERSE FUNDING SOURCES A well-managed square is generally beyond the scope of the average city parks or public works department, which is why partnerships have been established to operate most of the best squares in the United States. These partnerships seek to supplement what the city can provide with funding from diverse sources, including–but not limited to– rent from cafés, markets or other small commercial uses on the site; taxes on adjacent properties; film shoots; and benefit fundraisers.

» Public support

» Private sponsorship

» Broad partnerships

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Reading time at the Imagination Center in Burnside Park, Providence. Source: www.pps.org

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PLACEMAKING PROCESS

How do we got to where we are

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Aerial photo from the book: “Oud Zaandam vanuit de lucht” by Helsloot, P.N.;

photo by Foto KLM Aerocarto

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Aerial photo from the book: “Oud Zaandam vanuit de lucht” by Helsloot, P.N.;

photo by Foto KLM Aerocarto

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PLACEMAKING IN ACTION AT DE BURCHT AND SLUISKWARTIER

Placemaking involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs, aspirations and vision for that place.

Placemaking is a place-based, community-driven approach to creating vital public spaces that build stronger communities.

Our approach to Placemaking is based on our belief that it is not enough to simply develop design ideas and elements to improve or develop a public space. Improvements need to reflect community values and needs. We believe that a public involvement process that defines and responds to community conditions and needs from the outset is one of the most critical factors in achieving a public space that is truly sensitive to its context.

Placemaking must begin with a thorough understanding of the dynamics, desires, and conditions within a community. It involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people in a community about their problems and aspirations.

We work with them to create a vision around the places they view as important to community life and to their daily experience; and we help them implement their ideas beginning with short term, often experimental improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them.

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Power of 10. Source: Project for Public Spaces

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DEFINE PLACE & IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS - POWER OF 10 AT DE BURCHT AND SLUISKWARTIER To be successful, cities need places. They need destinations that give an identity and image to their communities and that help attract new residents, businesses and investment, but they also need strong community places for people to go. A place might be a downtown square, a main street, a waterfront, a park, or a library.

Cities of all sizes should have at least ten places or destinations where people want to be. What makes each destination successful is that it has sub places within it. For example, a park needs at least ten sub-places: a café, a children’s play area, a place to bird-watch or to experience water, a place to sit, somewhere to meet friends, etc. Within each of the sub-places, there should be at least ten things to do. Cumulatively, these activities, places and destinations are what make a great city. This is a big idea that PPS calls the “Power of 10”.

De Burcht is one of these places that you can feel the vibe and history of a city. In De Burcht you can sense the feeling of neighborhood and community. Currently, it seems to be mainly the area, a former square, where people usually visit in order to park their cars while attending events at the Zaantheater. However, the already existing facilities, like the shops, restaurants and cafés in combination with the openness of the area and the great view to the water offer a great potential for this area to be turned into a Zaanse St. Tropez; a waterfront area with many activities for the locals and visitors on a daily and year-long basis.

The Sluiskwartier is also a place with great historical and aesthetical value that is currently under-used. The many levels of the area along with the cultural, historical and industrial elements of the landscape draw a great vision for what this area could be.

We want to envision those two –currently- different places as one; a waterfront area that consists of many diverse, vivid and interesting places. Using the “Power of 10” concept as a framework, it then suggests that there are several different types of places that the area should have within it.

The destinations within and around the envisioned waterfront and the activities that enliven and define them create these special places. They will be the attractions that locals and visitors will return to, again and again, where friends will gather and where everyone will experience the unique qualities of a civic area.

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Place Performance Evaluation Sites

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E V A L U A T E P L A C E

P L A C E M A K I N G W O R K S H O P

In order to develop ideas for all the places at De Burcht and Sluiskwartier, PPS elicited programming and conceptual design ideas from local stakeholders, both in a workshop setting and in individual meetings. The workshops took place at the historical building of the film theater De Fabriek in Zaanstreek.

During the Placemaking Workshops held on June 17th 2014, PPS facilitated Place Performance Evaluations of each of the Power of 10 places within the focus area(s), where participants evaluated sites based on the four key attributes of a well-functioning place: Uses & Activities, Comfort & Image, Access & Linkages and Sociability. Workshop participants were also asked to come up with ideas for both short- and long-term improvements for each of the places.

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On Tuesday 17th of June there were around 30 participants; people from local businesses from the area, residents, institutions, neighborhood organizations and government officials participated. There were for instance owners of businesses on the “square” of De Burcht, placemakers, policy makers and representatives of the local neighborhood group. Moreover, it was interesting to see among the participants people who had very specific and interesting knowledge of the area: historical, cultural and even creative and artistic one. Each and every one of them added to the whole conversation and this contribution allowed the community to build a strong and complete vision for the area.

The atmosphere started as orientative; people were curious about the concept and approach of placemaking. The members of the community were laughing and sharing comments with each other. After the presentation of PPS and answering some of the raised questions the enthusiasm to start working increased and people were eager to go out to the places/clusters. PPS also described some examples which helped to form an idea of the concept of Placemaking, like Paris Plage, Harvard Square, and Times Square.

The area was divided in five clusters (see map). In groups people started filling in the Place Performance Evaluation form; they did it in a quick way, in order to capture their intuitive ideas. They were asked to grade the place from a scale of 1 to 4, according to its qualities of Comfort & Image, Access and Linkages, Uses & Activities and Sociability.

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Participants also interviewed people on the spot to get their opinion on the area.

“View to the water!”

“Pay more attention to the back streets, not only to the heart of the city”

“Create more of an atmosphere; Lighting, more green, more flowers”

“We need more reasons in order to come and stay in the area”

- in some cases there were also no users to be interviewed - many interviewees asked also for more sitting places, green and activities

After that the community gathered together to summarize their ideas on flip chart sheets and present them to the other groups. The atmosphere was creative and inspiring, and the participants came up with surprising ideas.

The area scored quite high in accessibility and attractiveness, while people also evaluated it as a safe and well-maintained place. Of course, there are some variations from place to place. For instance, Place 5, which is the area on the Sluis, scores higher at its overall quality than Place 4, which is the area around the Theater. It is also interesting that apart from sitting infrastructure and organized activities, what the whole area seems to be lacking in is signage and way-finding facilities. A further presentation of the Place Evaluation scores can be found in the APPENDIX.

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After the presentations people were asked to evaluate the entire area by adding colored dots on an aerial map; blue for a good place, green for a potential place, and red for a bad place. After finalizing this assignment the community was invited for drinks. By the end of the day the atmosphere was positive and some interesting connections were made. People were eager to start doing things even on the same day! We do believe that this is the feeling that all community members should be ending the placegame day and move forward to apply their proposals.

It is also important to mention that the first Quick Win of the Placegame was achieved only a couple of days after the meeting, when the market trucks were relocated in order to open up the view from the stores on De Burcht towards the water.

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DOT-EVALUATION MAP

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SHORT-, MID- AND LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

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GROUP 1 – BURCHT WATERFRONT

Vision: Create an active promenade with connection to the water

Short-term points

Move the market trucks to another place

Food and drinks

Pop-Ups

Benches – Sitting facilities

Shows and performances on the water in

cooperation with the Zaantheater

More green

Mid-term and long-term points

Beach

Lagoon on the square

Extras1

Playful activities

Watergames for children

Local monthly events

Binocular

Trap to the water

- Who is going to help?

- Me!, retailers association, entrepreneurs,

residents, gemeente, theater

1 Extras zijn punten van de placegame forms

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GROUP 2 – DE BURCHT / SQUARE

Vision: Create a multicultural Square

Short-term points

Lighting : + Multicultural adapted to

entrepreneurs: organise an event where

each local cultural identity of

entrepreneurs can provide a lightning of

its own tradition and culture (e.g. Turkish,

Indonesian, Dutch, Moroccan, Surinamese

etc.)

Walkways to the shops

Benches

Creative promotion / activities – markets

Music tent

More green low / path

Mid-term and long-term points

Beach

Paving

Nicer horeca and shops

More connection Connect the

diversity Cultural square

Extras

Playgrounds

Less parking lot

- Who is going to help?

- Local Entrepreneurs, Residents, Gemeente

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Neighborhood lantern festival in Sharrow. Source: http://thrifty-six.blogspot.nl/

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GROUP 3 – BURCHT / GREEN AREA-PLANTSOEN

Vision: Create an active and attractive square

Short-term points

Relocate the parking spot of the trucks

Trim the greenery

No cars on the bicycle lane

Improve walking accessibility and view to

the water

More green

Less parking

More things for children and parents

Mid-term and long-term points

A music pavilion

Decrease view to the cars

Relocate the flower stall – obstructs sight

connection

Improve connection to the Sluis

Spanish stairs + footbridge to the water

Renovate the building facades

Extras

Connection from the square to the water

Create an underground parking lot

- Who is going to help?

- Residents, shop owners and

entrepreneurs, working group of residents,

lawyer’s agency

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Paris Plage

Source: Project for Public Spaces

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GROUP 4 – IN FRONT OF THE THEATER

Vision: Create an inviting and multifunctional place for the whole day

Short-term points

Improve the visibility of what is inside the

theatre

o More inviting border (restaurant and

pier)

More green

Theatre should be a flexible place

entrance also during the day working

space

Advertising pillar – theatre posters and

information

Mid-term and long-term points

Improve walking atmosphere

Swimmingpool in the Zaan

Install long benches

Changing cabins

food truck drinks, icecream

Extras

Swimming around the fountain

Outside stage, open-air shows

Rolling kitchens (food-truck festival)

- Who is going to help?

- Verkade can be the sponsor “Baden van

Verkade”, Shop owners, developers,

Theater, horeca at Dam, residents from

the other side

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Holding Public Office” brings co-workers out into the streets, re-framing work as a mechanism for building social capital Photo: Lisa Burnell, Graphic Studio Shelf. Source: www.pps.org

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GROUP 5 – THE SLUIS (DAM, OOSTKADE AND WESTKADE)

Vision: A multi-functional place where social, historical and geographical trajectories meet

Short-term points

Places to sit and flowers in the music pavilion

Organise more events at the “Sergeant

Peppers” (music gazebo) – also for buskers

Connect Monet’s work and the city

Remove parking

Vendors and kiosks with food and drinks –

fish-stall enhance nautical character

Install sitting areas with a view on the locks

More green and flowers

Install signs from city center and Dam to the

locks. Mention f.i. a ten minute walk

A place for families – install games for children

on the locks

o Draw a compass on the parking space:

attraction/game for children, shows the

trajectories of the places and it creates a

nautical theme

Mid-term and long-term points

Music festival on the locks, the pavilion and the water –

maybe a street musicians’ festival?

Re-use/redivide the empty restaurants for a number of

smaller lunch places

o Contact the owner of the empty restaurants to discuss

with him in order to offer the buildings initially for

free and after one year of success to start paying rent.

Create a promenade with tables and stools in front of

the restaurants

Create a visitors’ and tourists’ center in the Zaangemaal

for the function and history of the locks

o Offer touristic boats that make a route inside the

locks

Extras

Enhance the sense of the meeting point of trajectories:

west and east neighbourhoods of Zaandam with the

north and south of the country and Europe

Make connections with nautical and royal history and

heritage

o Shop(s) and facilities for boaters and fishermen

- Who is going to help?

- Water Control Board,

Heymans, horeca owners

(vacant and busy),

entrepreneurs,

gemeente, residents,

shop owners at

Peperstraat, church

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Busking festival at a music tent. Source: http://bandstandbusking.com

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C R E A T I N G C I V I C A N D L I V A B L E W A T E R F R O N T S

If the goal is to make Sluiskwartier and de Burcht a meeting place for all citizens from all neighbourhoods of Zaandam and advance it to an active waterfront that both locals and visitors will use, then we need to utilize the assets that make this area unique and attempt to reimagine its use and role in the city’s urban daily life.

The Sluiskwartier and de Burcht is an area tightly related to the history of Zaandam. Not only is this area important for its architectural heritage, but also for its cultural, social and economic aspects of Zaandam’s history.

Now it’s the time to reimagine this area as the waterfront of Zaandam. Though the city features a large area that is connected to the water, it seems that the citizens and visitors do not have such a daily and organic access to the water as one would have imagined.

This situation was also the same in the case of Paris. In 2002 the Parisian authorities and its former mayor Bertrand Delanoe, decided to turn Seine’s waterfront into a city beach. Paris Plage is an ongoing one-month summer project that attracts not only visitors, but also locals, who have the chance to enjoy summer in the city.

The concept is simple and creative. Basically, a two-mile stretch of the Georges Pompidou expressway along the Seine has been turned into a beach, replete with sand, activities, and vendors. The closed segment, which usually receives 200,000 cars per day, is located on the Seine’s right bank near the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), facing Notre Dame.

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The City established the “beach” by closing the city’s busiest traffic artery, the Pompidou expressway. Then they hauled in sand, grass, stones, umbrellas–and hundreds of blue-and-white-striped deck chairs. The stage was set for a multitude of opportunities to play, eat, stroll, and, of course, catch some rays!

A stroll through Paris Plage in late July revealed an incredible variety of activities. In front of the Hotel de Ville, school kids used a sand court for a (somewhat) organized soccer game. Later in the afternoon people used the same court for volleyball. Nearby was a miniature golf course and a patio with several of those ubiquitous blue deck chairs and umbrellas. Along the Seine, the promenade and beach had more games for both adults and children: a trio of bocce courts, a climbing wall (transformed from an existing wall), a “wild” children’s play area, several cabanas, and outdoor cafes directly on the river, open until 8pm. People were strolling, sunning, and socializing. Security guards clad in shorts rode by on roller blades or bicycles, and everyone–Parisians and tourists alike–seemed to be having a good time. A series of musical events on different days and evenings added to the attraction.2

2 Original text was featured on www.pps.org with the title” Paris: The Best Public Spaces Keep Getting

Better”, by Kathy Madden

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Paris Plage. Source: Project for Public Spaces

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Paris Plage Source: Project for Public Spaces

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T H E P O T E N T I A L F O R Z A A N D A M ’ S W A T E R F R O N T

While looking through the suggestions that the placegame participants made we realized that many of them had to do with creating an active waterfront for all citizens. As the area of Sluiskwartier and de Burcht is envisioned to be the meeting place of Zaandam, activities that have to do with waterfront are considered to be much appropriate in order to turn this place into a vivid, community-driven area.

Various activities related to water can be the attributes that will attract locals and visitors on the area and keep them there.

The case of Paris Plage highly resembles the one of Sluiskwartier and de Burcht. Paris Plage is a project on the Georges Pompidou Expressway along Paris’s Right Bank that transforms a high-speed street into a pedestrian refuge replete with a sandy beach. Though in the case of Zaandam there are already infrastructures that create the basis in order to develop the waterfront, the activities that would actually turn this area into a year-round active place by the water are yet missing.

This is why the Paris Plage is a great example for the case of Zaandam. In Paris Plage a dazzling array of attractions vie for your attention, from activities like dance lessons, climbing walls, games, and swimming (in floating pools, not the Seine, thankfully), to amenities like beach chairs, cafes, misting fountains, and shady palm trees. Its enormous popularity can be traced to strong management and innovative programming, which keep the place humming well into the night with shows and performances.

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Though financed in part by corporate sponsors, the acknowledgements are appropriately modest. There are no outrageous logos on display, and the experience never feels overwhelmed by commercialism. Paris Plage is a truly public space of tremendous benefit to everyone.3

This vision and its application are very relevant to the suggestions that the placegame participants have made for the area of Sluiskwartier and Zaandam.

3 Original text was featured on www.pps.org with the title: “Great Waterfronts of the World”

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9 STEPS TO CREATING A GREAT WATERFRONT

1. LOOK FIRST AT THE PUBLIC SPACE

In planning a waterfront development, city officials or a developer should begin by envisioning a network of well-connected, multi-use public spaces that fit with the community’s shared goals. By orienting waterfront revitalization around public spaces, new construction will enhance the quality of existing destinations and result in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

While streets may be appropriate on some waterfronts, pedestrian connections should be given top priority, making large parking lots and auto-oriented development out of the question.

2. MAKE SURE PUBLIC GOALS ARE THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Waterfronts everywhere are too valuable to simply allow developers to dictate what happens there. . This is not to say that private development is unwelcome and should be discouraged – on the contrary, it is often necessary to the future of a healthy waterfront. But the best solutions for revamping waterfronts put public goals first, not private short-term financial objective . As long as redevelopment plans adhere to the notion that the waterfront is an inherently public asset, it will be relatively easy to follow the rest of the steps here. Community engagement – and, ultimately, local ownership and pride – depend on this basic premise.

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3. BUILD ON EXISTING ASSETS & CONTEXT

After establishing the public spaces and public goals, begin the public visioning process with the existing assets and surrounding context. Start with the historical form and function of the site to foster a locally grounded identity by channeling former vibrancy into a variety of uses. Existing industrial uses should be preserved when compatible with human activity on the waterfront. Surrounding neighborhoods should be integrated into the waterfront to strengthen connectivity between destinations. And new development should embrace its waterfront context with appropriate orientation and usages.

4. CREATE A SHARED COMMUNITY VISION

Unlike a master plan, a community visioning process does not lock a project into a prescribed solution. It is a citizen-driven initiative that outlines a set of goals–ideals to strive for–that set the stage for people to think boldly, make breakthroughs, and achieve new possibilities for their waterfront. Because a vision is adaptable and can be implemented gradually, starting with small experiments, it often becomes more powerful through time as public enthusiasm for making bold changes gains support.

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5. CREATE MULTIPLE-USE DESTINATIONS BY TAPPING THE POWER OF 10

Through decades of work, PPS has found that the most effective way to propel a visioning process is to set a goal of creating ten great destinations along a waterfront, an idea we call the “Power of Ten.” This focus on destinations, rather than “open space” or parks, enables a genuine community-led process to take root. Residents, businesses, community organizations and other stakeholders all join in to help identify the key destinations and then define the uses and activities they want to see at each place.

After using the Power of 10 to create great destinations throughout a waterfront, the same principle should be applied at each destination to come up with a list of ten activities for that spot. A wealth of things to do broadens the appeal of the destination, encouraging round-the-clock use.

6. CONNECT DESTINATIONS ALONG THE WATERFRONT

Destinations should be connected to one another and incorporated into a vision for the waterfront as a whole. A waterfront that is continuously walkable with a variety of activities along the way will successfully link destinations, allowing the appeal of each one to strengthen the place as a whole..

Creating these seamless connections is a fascinating challenge that involves mixing uses (such as housing, recreation, entertainment and retail) and mixing partners (such as public institutions and local business owners). Another key element is attracting people to the waterfront on foot or bike, rather than just in their cars.

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Parks or esplanades should not serve as the whole purpose of the entire waterfront. Too much passive, one-dimensional open space puts a damper on the inherent vibrancy of waterfronts, as evident in many spots throughout Toronto, New York City and Vancouver, — cities that have relied too heavily on “greening” their waterfronts without including other public activities that draw people for different reasons at different times. The world’s best waterfronts use parks as connective tissue, using them to link other high-profile destinations together. Helsinki, Stockholm, Sydney, and Baltimore have successfully employed this strategy.

7. MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS

It is essential that the waterfront be accessible for everyone to the greatest extent possible. Here too, the goal of continuity is of paramount importance. Waterfronts with continuous public access are much more popular than those where public space is interrupted. Even small stretches where the waterfront is unavailable to people greatly diminish the experience. California’s Balboa Island, located off the coast of Newport Beach, makes its entire shoreline accessible to the public instead of giving waterfront property owners sole rights of use.

Access also means that people can actually interact with the water in numerous ways–from swimming and fishing, to picnicking dockside and feeding the ducks. If it is not possible to actually dip their hands in the water, people should have access to another type of water nearby–such as a fountain, spray play area or a swimming pool that floats next to the shore (such as the pools set up in the Seine during Paris Plage).

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8. BALANCE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS WITH HUMAN NEEDS

While a wide variety of uses can flourish on a waterfront, many successful destinations embrace their natural surroundings by creating a close connection between human and natural needs. Marine biologists and environmentalists today promote the restoration of natural shorelines — at least where marine uses do not dominate – and advocate replacing crumbling bulkheads with natural vegetation that will improve water quality, and revive fish and wildlife habitat. But this natural restoration should not preclude human use. Boardwalks, interpretive displays, and even more active uses such as playgrounds and picnic areas can be incorporated into the shoreline design without sacrificing environmental benefits.

9. START SMALL TO MAKE BIG CHANGES

Good public spaces don’t happen overnight, and no one has all the answers about improving a place right at the outset. Placemaking is about doing more than planning. Many great plans get bogged down because they are too big, too expensive, and simply take too long to happen. Short-term actions, like planting flowers, can be a good way not only to test ideas, but to also give people the confidence that change is occurring – and that their ideas matter.4

4 Original text was featured on www.pps.org with the title: “9 Steps to Creating a Great Waterfront”

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Paris Plage Source: Project for Public Spaces

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Paris Plage Source: Project for Public Spaces

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Paris - les Berges 2013 Source: Project for Public Spaces

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Paris - les Berges 2013 Source: Project for Public Spaces

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We Have To Turn Everything Upside Down - To Get It

Right Side Up

To

Get From Inadequate To Extraordinary

TO

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Z E A L O U S N U T S

Leaders (Zealous Nuts) are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds

against them…

They make the impossible happen

- Dr. Robert Jarvik

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APPENDIX

ABOUT PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, educational and technical assistance organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.

PPS was founded in 1975 to expand on the work of William (Holly) Whyte, the author of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Since then, we have completed projects in over 3000 communities in 42 countries and all 50 US states. Partnering with public and private organizations, federal, state and municipal agencies, business improvement districts, neighborhood associations and other civic groups, we improve communities by fostering successful public spaces.

In addition to leading projects in our nine program areas, PPS also trains more than 10,000 people every year and reaches countless more through our websites and publications. PPS has become an internationally recognized center for resources, tools and inspiration about Placemaking.

Through research, conferences, and strategic partnerships, PPS promotes Placemaking as a transformative agenda to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. In its broadest application, Placemaking is a catalyst for building healthy, sustainable and economically viable cities of the future.

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PLACE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

How to look at a “place”

Yogi Berra once said; “You can see a lot just by observing.” Over the past 37years, PPS has applied this idea to its work in making urban public spaces function more effectively for people. By spending time in an area, observing how people use it and asking the people who are there what they like or don’t like, it is possible for just about anyone to experience firsthand how a place functions. This knowledge then becomes an important tool in determining how specific places can be improved.

The experience of looking at these spaces can actually be fun as well as educational - especially if structured to involve teams of people in a creative way. In St. Louis, Missouri, for example, the transit agency used this approach in planning new light rail stations. By looking at existing stations as well as interviewing transit riders on the trains, community representatives and station planners found new insight into the positive and negative qualities of the existing stations which will aid them in their own planning efforts. They also found the experience entertaining!

What is a placemaking evaluation?

Place Performance Evaluation© is a place-oriented approach to community improvement. It asks participants to use common sense and intuition along with structured observation and interview skills. This allows them to very quickly see the good and bad qualities of a place, and suggest improvements, both short and long term. It ignites a creative process about how to make a place vital and great. The evaluation can be done by anyone who is observant, from a highly trained professional to a layperson. Equally dramatic results have been achieved by both groups.

Place Performance Evaluation can be done by a small planning team working individually, and it also makes an excellent workshop. By participating in this “game,” participants not only can get to know each other better but also can gain insight on ways to look at neighborhoods and the areas within them more holistically and to see their potential as “places” in communities.

Structuring the place performance evaluation

The exercise begins with a PowerPoint presentation of places that have good and bad qualities. After the presentation, small groups of 3-8 people spend the time in the designated area observing activities and informally interviewing people. During the site visit, participants fill out observation checklists designed by PPS, and answer questions about the space, and recommendations for improving it are solicited.

After the observations, the groups return for a discussion in small groups of what each group found and to brainstorm ideas for programming and improvements while someone records notes on a flipchart. The groups come back together after working in small groups and a presenter

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from each group gives a 5-minute presentation describing their findings using slides of the observation areas for reference. Specific suggestions for improvement should be developed along with a plan of action appropriate to the location. A vision will begin to emerge of what the evaluated space can become; focusing on both small-scale improvements that can begin to take place almost immediately as well as longer-term improvements to be implemented over time.

PLACE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION GRADES FOR DE BURCHT AND SLUISKWARTIER

Table 1: Medium scores for each place evaluation for the area of De Burcht and Sluiskwartier (17th of June 2014). Source: Place Evaluation Forms – author’s edit

Overall

attractiveness

Feelining

of safety

Cleanliness/Qu

ality of

Maintenance

Comfort

of places

to sit

Visibil ity

from a

distance

Ease in

walking to

the place

Transit

access

Clarity of

informatio

n/signage

Mix of

stores/ser

vices

Frequency of

community

events/activities

Overall

busy-ness

of area

Economic

vitality

Number of

people in

groups

Evidence of

volunterism

Sense of

pride and

ownership

Presence of

children and

seniors

Place 1 2.83 2.67 1.67 1.00 2.83 3.17 2.67 1.00 1.67 1.33 2.33 1.33 1.33 1.33 1.33 2.00 1.91 3

Place 2 2.58 1.67 1.33 1.33 2.83 2.75 2.75 1.00 2.17 1.50 1.33 1.58 1.33 1.75 1.58 1.42 1.81 6

Place 3 3.00 2.33 3.00 1.67 1.00 2.00 2.00 1.33 2.00 1.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 1.67 1.67 1.33 1.75 3

Place 4 1.6 1.6 2.2 1.6 3.2 2.8 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.4 1.7 1.2 1 1.3 1 1.76 5

Place 5 3 3 3 1 3 3 4 1 1.5 2 2 2 1 1.5 1 1 2.06 5

All places 2.60 2.25 2.24 1.32 2.57 2.74 2.70 1.23 1.83 1.53 1.75 1.59 1.17 1.45 1.38 1.35

All places

Number

of forms

Comfort & Image Access & Linkages Uses & Activities Sociability

Overall

score

2.10 2.31 1.67 1.34

Place