Why | To revitalise and make safe the centre of a shrinking city
What | Multi-analyse + strategies + masterplan + design
Where | Bottrop, Germany
With | COLOKi
Who | competition EUROPAN 10

Bottrop is a small city of the Ruhr area with a relative dynamic town centre. But there are lots of vacant and cheap bargain shops, a declining and aging population, and unsafe peripheral car traffic. What the centre needs is more green public spaces, a new attractive inner city living concept and activities for the youth.

The idea is to imagine what the inhabitants would have developed as common vision. Bottrop has grown at a human scale and this is its biggest strength. “In Bottrop you just feel like in a village, you recognise people on street, you know the butcher by his name, and it has to stay so! The new central square is the scene for diverse activities and becomes the biggest meeting place of the city.” We use a set of 16 tools to transform this vision into a spatial plan.

A story is build around the old horses market of Bottrop. The horse becomes the symbol of the city and as a statue, the meeting point in the centre. That one is placed at a central car park at the back of the shops, that is transformed into a lively spot for activities for different populations: kids, youngsters, seniors… This creates a sense of safety, and also community. Other public spaces are created: a food corner, a community garden, shared streets.

The central carpark is moved to the side of the centre and the dangerous road is reduced to a bus lane. Urban furniture is set regularly along a 1km track around the centre. That’s a perfect way for the many seniors to keep fit and activate the city at the same time.

To create density and offer modern housing for younger people, new houses are developed on the top of the roofs of the extensions of the shops. New entrances are set at the back of the 1st floor of shops so current empty top floors can be used as accommodations. Gardens face South. Shops are extended and can become more competitive. At the back of the shops, garages are set to replace the car park and workshops for craftsmen or non-profits are developed to activate the new main square with the horse.

An organic plan is developed to introduce improvements few by few. It’s start with the quick and cheap elements to end up with the housing development project.