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This daylong trip to Delft focuses on the capacity of placemaking to heal the scar left by an old rail line through the city center, among other projects.
Moving the train station and rails underground added a huge new space to Delft's city center—a space that could reconnect the center to adjacent areas. How can we use placemaking so that a piece of the city will be given back to residents and “heal” the urban fabric of the city?
Delft is both a city of innovation as well as a historical one. It’s well known for the Technical University Delft, which facilitates innovation spaces like RoboValley where more than 170 robotics researchers from a multitude of fields collaborate. Yet at the same time, the city cherishes its historical accomplishments, from the paintings of Johannes Vermeer to the area's distinctive blue and white pottery, called "Delftware."
For years, the inner city of Delft was divided into two because of the railway. Recently, though, the new train station has opened complete with underground tunnels. The space left aboveground has the potential torelink several parts of the city and provide renewed energy. Delft wants to make sure that this will become a place for the city—today, tomorrow, and in the long run. It is also using placemaking as a strategy for regeneration throughout the city, from the inner city to post-war housing areas.
