COLAND Case Study 2020 - Ostend

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Area	Workgroup 7: Ostend
Place	Ostend
Country	Belgium
Topics	Coastal Line Study, Understanding Coastal Landscapes, Evaluation and Assessment for Coastal Landscapes Integrated Planning and Design for Coastal Landscape
Author(s)	Chismorie Almond Edgar David, Delia Laura Maria, Gonțilă Larisa-Cristina, Neculai Raluca-Elena, Trifan Loredana-Andreea, Pătrășcu Paula Silvia, Popa Maria-Andreea

Rationale

Keywords: urban area, diversity, historical background, strategic position, mix between old and new, area as a palimpsest

Ostend area was very important for the strategic position on the North Sea coast, having a complex history and evolution regarding all the layers of its system in the last centuries, becoming now an important urban pole nearby the coast. The erosion of the coast, heavy rainfall, storms and rising sea level due to climate change are the main challenges for the area, making it vulnerable. Moreover, the tourism is not controlled, and the area can soon be on the list of over-touristed cities.

The study case is structured in three steps: landscape system analysis (understand the coastal landscape and its layers that make a complex system), landscape evaluation and assessment (critically understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats leading to a diagnostic of the area) and finally strategy and master plan, a vision, a proposal, an integrated planning and design for coastal landscapes (projects and directions of intervention to protect and highlight the main characteristics of the zone, while looking to ameliorate the problems).

Location and scope

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A Landscape System Analysis

A.1 Landscape layers and their system context

Geomorphology, landscape units and coastal typology

The geomorphology evolution starts with the Ostend valley which was formed in the course of the Saale ice age, when the North Sea was a dry land crossed by large rivers that deposited sediments in the valleys. During the warmer Eemian interglacial period, the sea level rose and the Ostend valley was transformed into an estuarine area, influenced by tides. Around 7000 BC the sea level stabilized and a dune barrier was formed, which prevented the land from frequent flooding. During the Roman era the sea was located only a few kilometers offshore from today`s coastline, the sandy dunes made a stronger border between the sea and a marsh area crossed by many creeks and tidal gullies. During the Middle Ages, tidal channels and creeks formed many islands, the medieval town of Ostend was part of Testerep island, which was separated from the mainland by the tidal channel called the “Tersterep gully’’. Later in the medieval times, human impact became more present in the evolution of the landscape, people were building dikes in order to protect themselves from flooding. The shoreline retreated over 1 km and in the 16th century the old town of Oostende was drowned almost completely, after this point the present coastline was more or less reached.

The landscape is influenced by the biggest urban area of Belgian coast - the city of Ostend which is developed above a land corridor with higher altitude, that separate the North Sea from the low altitude inland plains which sometimes are below the sea level. A common landscape unit for these corridors are the dunes and the most important of them here, are the Dunes of Bredene. From the beginning of the 17th century dates the 24.6km long Bruges - Ostende Canal which connects the city of Bruges with the North Sea and forms on the intersection a small estuary.

Also an important unit is Spuikom, an artificial pond used as a drainage basin built in order to keep the harbor channel sufficiently deep. After the First World War the drainage system was destroyed and never repaired again.

The Coastal typology is a tidal system, the coast is stabilized by groins, distributed on intervals ranging from 300m to 400m across the beaches.

Land use

• settlements, infrastructure, agriculture, resource extraction, natural areas, energy production...
• description of evolution, status quo and driving forces, is the land use likely to change? Why is that? (approx 200 signs)
• add 1-2 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like

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Green/blue infrastructure

• What are the major potential elements of a green/blue infrastructure network? Are these likely to change/disappear? Why is that?
• You find my background material on green infrastructure in our reading list
• add 1-2 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like

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Actors and stakeholders

An important category of stakeholders represents the administration sphere, the municipality and different organizations, having a high level of interest and moderate means of action. The main stakeholder with the highest interest and power in the area is the Flemish agency for Maritime Services and Coast, given the importance and role of the Ostend as a key component in the costal system. A direct relationship is formed with the local interested parts. The residents, fishermen, tourists, investors and business owners are considered playing a key role at local scale and having a crucial part in the eco-social and environmental situation of the area. Between all the stakeholders there is a relationship of codependency, influencing one another, improving and promoting the right kind of development for the city.

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Sacred spaces and heritage

In translation, the city of Ostend means East –End (oost - einde). Ostend was a small fishing village of about 3,000 inhabitants, founded five hundred years ago. The village rose to the status of "town" around 1265, when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall. The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a military port and aharbour. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering armies. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering armies. After the memorable siege, during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War, Ostend was turned into a harbour, provided an importante alternative exit to the sea, in the 1722, and today this city is the largest coastal city of Belgium.

Ostend is a city with a rich history, with military, maritime and cultural heritage.

• Ostend’s Raversyde neighbourhood has been left with one of the best preserved remnants of the immense German Second World War coastal defence, the Atlantic Wall, an extensive system of coastal defence and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944, along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia. This structure is made up of two kilometres of tunnels and trenches, 60 bunkers, as well as observation posts and gun positions.
• Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul), the main church of Ostend, is a Roman Catholic Neo-Gothic church. It is built on the ashes of a previous church that occupied the site. King Leopold II supported the plan to build a new one. Construction started in 1899 and was completed and consecrated by Bishop Waffelaert on August 31, 1908.
• In 18th century, Napoleon feared an attack from England, and therefore build an impressive fort in the dunes in 1811. The attack never happend, but in both world wars the fort serves it purpose for artillery used by the German army. After it became a museum and now it is a children's playground.
• The lost fishing settlement of Walraversijde is one of the most important archaelogical sites in Flanders with four reconstructed fishermen’s dwellings.

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  Map 1775

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  Atlantic Wall 1942 - 1944

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  Atlantic Wall Museum

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  Field Marshal Erwin Rommel visiting the Atlantic Wall defences near the Belgian port of Ostend

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  Ostende Map - Attractions

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  Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk

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  Fort Napoleon

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  ANNO 1465 Raversyde

Visual appearance and landscape narrative

The characteristics of the land were modeled by nature and men, the costal landscape remained an iconic part of the setting, whilst the city changed facing numerous hardships such as war. The perception of the city has been contoured during its entire evolution resulting in a distinctive image. The town interweaves the sea landscape with the urban development without losing its identity as a key harboring point. An important aspect of Ostend all throughout history is the culture and personalities it hosted as a place of creation when it was a fashionable outing for royalty and aristocracy. Among the residents that captured the essence and were inspired by the city were the painters James Ensor, Gustaaf Sorel, Roger Remaut, the writer Karel Jonckheere and musician Marvin Gaye.

In return, the city was immortalize in paintings, portraying the sea and the beauty of life, writings, depicting the hardships of World War I and World War II, and in later years in movies or documentaries. The most illustrated subjects are the costal landscape, the sea, the harbor, the beach and the promenade along the shore. In the passing of time, all this elements represent the history of the place and combined create the social identity on which the city developed and is identifiable on local and global scale. Ostend is well known for artists under the name “Ensors” town, because of the renowned painter James Ensor. A beautiful description of the essence of this city is “…Ostend also conjures up memories of bursts of energy, and intensity and strength, of a new beginning with the force of a catapult…”, found in the book Summer Before the Dark: Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, Ostend 1936 by Volker Weidermann.

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A.2 Summary of your landscape system analysis and your development targets

• You can summarize your findings with an DPSI(R) Model or a Spider Diagram
• Link back to the Sustainable Development Goals: Which goals are at risk?
• What is your hypothesis for this landscape?
• Visualise your hypothesis with one graphic/pict
• Are there any existing initiatives taking action in this landscape? Do you have a critical perspective on that?
• Add text and visuals

• Your case your spider diagram or dpsir model.jpg

  explain your analysis briefly in the caption

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  explain your hypthesis briefly in the caption

A.3 Theory reflection

• National document

Belgian National Adaptation Plan 2017 - 2020

The National Climate Committe members of the federal and regional (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) gouvernments built this plan in order to cover all the areas influenced by climate change. Extensive links between different policy areas and thei adaptation efforts will lead to synergies and could further avoid maladaption, finally leading to a coherent adaptation policy.

Ostend area, due to the coastal landscape and the vulnerability to climate change needs to have a plan to adapt to this changes: to build capacity and anticipate and mitigate risks and maximize the potential benefits of climate change. The 6th (evaluate the impact of climate change on the security of the energy supply and the energy transport and distribution infrastructures) and 7th (evaluation of the socio-economic impacts of change in Belgium) measure of this document have a direct influence on the study area.

• European document

European Commission Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The aim of “Marine Strategy Framework Directive” is to protect more effectively the marine environment across Europe and to achieve GES (Good Environmental Status) of the EU’s marine waters by 2020 and to protect the resource base upon which marine-related economic and social activities depend. This is the first EU instrument related to this topic.

Climate change is affecting the marine environment and will continue to modify the layers of the maritime coastal landscape, flora and fauna. Marine strategies in some coastal areas (including Ostend) will need to identify ways of adapting to the effects of global warning and to reduce the vulnerability.

• Intenational document

UN HABITAT Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning

The Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning reviews typical steps in the city level climate action planning process in light of a proposed set of globally applicable principles (city climate action planning should be: ambitious, inclusive, fair, comprehensive and integrated, relevant, actionable, evidence-based, transparent and verifiable).

The Guiding Principles are aimed primarily at city-level actors (local officials, local planners, local stakeholders), in order to guide and help the cities and their supporting partners in their efforts to tackle the climate challenge in the coherent way.

A.4 References

http://archmanche.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/uploads/images/Documents/Technical_Report_Section_3L.pdf, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.climat.be/files/4214/9880/5755/NAP_EN.pdf, date 20.02.2020;

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/marine-strategy-framework-directive/index_en.htm, date 20.02.2020;

https://unhabitat.org/guiding-principles-for-climate-city-planning-action, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.the-low-countries.com/article/ostend-a-sea-change, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.matchup-project.eu/news/smart-solutions-for-over-touristed-cities/, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.portofoostende.be, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.reboostende.be, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.oostende.be, date 20.02.2020;

https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/publications/national-adaptation-strategy-belgium, date 20.02.2020;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostend, date 20.02.2020;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Ostend, date 20.02.2020;

J.E Kaufmann,The Atlantic Wall: History and Guide, 2012;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Wall, date 20.02.2020;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Ostend#/media/File:Sitio_de_Ostende.jpg, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.haroldtkint.com/objectdetails/789064/0/0/james-ensor-ostend-belgium-1860-ostend,date 20.02.2020;

https://www.britannica.com/place/Ostend, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.poeticous.com/william-lisle-bowles/the-bells-of-ostend, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.akg-images.co.uk/archive/The-beach-at-Ostend-2UMDHUR67L8E.html, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.iala-aism.org/organisation/agency-for-maritime-services-and-coast-flemish-government/, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.portofantwerp.com/en/flemish-agency-maritime-services-and-coast, date 20.02.2020;

V. Weidermann, Summer Before the Dark: Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, Ostend 1936, 2016, date 20.02.2020;

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/belgium/ostend-st-petrus-en-paulus-kerk, date 20.02.2020;

https://www.planetware.com/belgium/bruges-surroundings-b-wv-bgsur.htm#B-WV-OOO, date 20.02.2020;

https://oostende.org/en/monument/9830/fort-napoleon.html, date 20.02.2020;

Phase B: Landscape Evaluation and Assessment

B.1 Assessment Strategy

• Based on the hypothesis derived from your previous landscape systems analysis you are now asked to define the goals for assessing the landscape. Your assessment is the basis for evaluating the landscape status.
• Which elements and phenomena need to be mapped, why and how?
• This a text contribution, max 250 words

B.2 Mapping

• As defined by your assessment strategy you conduct the mapping and present your findings here
• As a minimum, at least three different themes need to be mapped, you may choose more if needed

• Your case your assessment mapping themel.jpg

  briefly explain the findings of your mapping

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  briefly explain the findings of your mapping

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  briefly explain the findings of your mapping

B.3 Problem definition and priority setting

• Give a summary of the major findings of your mapping process, what are the problems/potentials identified?
• Draw a problems/potentials map
• Set priorities for the most relevant issues

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B.4 Theory reflection

• Please reflect the assessment and evaluation methods used based on at least three readings
• Did you encounter limitations'
• 200 words test contribution

B.5 References

• give a full list of the references you have used for this section

Phase C – Strategy and Master Plan

C.1 Goal Setting

• Define strategic planning objectives based on the evaluation findings
• Link back to your original targets from section one and the Development Goals
• 150 words text contribution

C.2 Spatial Strategy and Transect

• translate your strategic goals into a vision
• develop a spatial translation of your vision
• exemplify your vision in the form of a transect with concrete interventions
• add map(s) and visualizations

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C.3 From Theory of Change to Implementation

• For implementing your vision: Which partnerships are needed? Which governance model is required?
• Who needs to act and how? Draw and explain a change/process model/timeline
• Which resources are needed? On which assets can you build?
• add 150 words text and visuals

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C.4 References

• give a full list of the references you have used for this section

D. Process Reflection

• Reflect in your intercultural and interdisciplinary team on the outcomes of your study
• Which limitations were you facing?
• What have you learnt from each other?
• What would you do differently next time?
• You can also use diagrams/visuals
• 250 words text

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