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ATELIER ROTTERDAM I

 Social housing in Rotterdam South: the case of Dumasstraat, Lombardijen 

Introduction & methodology

Participants in this atelier dealed with the redevelopment of Rotterdam, mainly South Rotterdam, with a focus on social housing in the areas of Kop van Zuid, Katendrecht, and particularly, Lombardijen.

The students tackled the case of Dumasstraat, a problematic neighbourhood of Lombardijen, by proposing physical, as well as social interventions. They looked into the liveability aspect of this small neighbourhood and analyzed neighbourhoods' complexity from a physical, social and economic point of view.

 

Strategic overview

 

Lombardijen is a district in the municipality of Ijsselmonde, Rotterdam, built between 1960-1967 as one of the post-war projects in the city, with a surface of 230 acres.

The area was targeted at single families and private property owners, with a more urbanized area and a more quiet, green area. 

However, instead of the target group, more youth and immigrants inhabited Dumasstraat. Havensteder, the main housing corporation in the area, had a problem with unoccupied business units in the street. Issues like lack of safety, crime and non-sociable individuals worsened the situation. 

Problems and objectives

 

Problems concerned different stakeholders, so they were divided between problems identified at a community level and problems of the housing corporation.

Stakeholders analysis

 

Different stakeholders must take different actions and have their own responsibilities, even if at times they might intersect, as seen in the graphic below.

Strategies and solutions

 

The solutions adressed different age groups and categories, as can be seen below. Stakeholders include: the residents (youth, the elderly, immigrants), the housing corporation (Havensteder), Submunicipality and municipality, NGOs, owners of the empty business units.

 

Main strategies include:

1. Promote art workshops to better integrate dwellers

2. Encourage bazaars/markets to generate income and improve social integration

3. Create a professional workshop to improve the work skills and business knowledge of potential businesses in Dumasstraat area. 

4. Concession of the business units for the residents to organize other activities for the time they are unused.

 

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