Strategic vision for the adaptation of agricultural village to the challenges of the future.

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Panorama Julianadorp​

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Julianadorp is an independent village within the municipality of Den Helder, characterised by the great proximity to the sea and the dunes, and located at the heart of one of the largest bulb production landscapes in the Netherlands. As a consequence of the ‘cauliflower’ planning approach realized during the 1970s-1990s, urban fabric became a collection of segregated and introverted mini-districts, creating large unused areas in-between and contributing to the isolated and unsafe slow traffic routes, poor public transport and high car ownership with the ever-growing parking pressure.

We proposed a strategy inspired by the Japanese Kintsukuroi technique - the art of repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer rooted in the belief that the traces of breakage and repair contribute to the beauty of an object - to reveal the full potential of Julianadorp’s outstanding green and blue structures and boost social and ecological qualities of the area.

Through a rigorous analysis and dialogue with the involved stakeholders, we identified seven thematic layers that, similarly to the golden seams of Kintsukuroi, establish a framework for the ’repair’ of Julianadorp on various scales: Water, Recreation, Nature, Sport, Energy, Mobility and Development.

The water layer is concerning the creation of connected and integrated water storage and distribution system of Julianadorp and the Koegraspolder, increasing fresh water level to secure the future for sustainable agriculture industry and to remedy the pressure of the rising sea-level. By revising the left-over areas created by the ’cauliflower’ districts and converting them into new public space, we implement the local ONS Park initiative (standing for Recreation, Nature and Sport) offering new qualities for residents, seasonal visitors and tourists. We further propose integrated solutions for Energy, Mobility and Development, including solar energy generation, consolidated mobility hubs, and new development opportunities enhancing existing qualities and introducing new public gathering places, converting present-day fragmented districts into an integrated and sustainable future village of Julianadorp.