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 | |
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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. 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
You can edit this map with the map editor
A Landscape System Analysis
A.1 Landscape layers and their system context
Geomorphology, landscape units and coastal typology
- Description of evolution, status quo and driving forces, is the coastal typology changing? Why is that? (approx 200 signs)
- add 1-2 graphical representations to the image gallery, you can add more if you like
- Yourcase landscapeunits1.jpg
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- Yourcase landscapeunits2.jpg
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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
- Yourcase landuse1.jpg
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- Yourcase landscapeunits2.jpg
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- Yourcase landscapeunit3.jpg
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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
- Your case green blue infrastructure1.jpg
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- Your case green blue infrastructure2.jpg
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Actors and stakeholders
- Who is driving changes in this landscape? Who is affected by those changes?
- Draw a stakeholder and/or power map: Who is affected highly but with low power? Who has high power but is not affected?
- Your case your powermap.jpg
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Sacred spaces and heritage
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. In translation, the city of Ostend means East –End (oost - einde).
- 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.
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.
Map 1775
Atlantic Wall 1942 - 1944
Atlantic Wall Museum
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel visiting the Atlantic Wall defences near the Belgian port of Ostend
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 subject is 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.
- Your case character1.jpg
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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
- Your case your hypothesis visual.jpg
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
A.4 References
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;
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
- Your case your assessment mapping theme2.jpg
briefly explain the findings of your mapping
- Your case your assessment mapping theme3.jpg
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
- Your case problems potentials map.jpg
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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
- Your case spatial translaton vision.jpg
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- Your case transect.jpg
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- Your case transect detail1.jpg
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- Your case transect detail2.jpg
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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
- Your case spatial your governance model.jpg
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- Your case spatial your process model.jpg
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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