Lesson 2 From Problems to Solutions
Bringing New Life to Old Cities
As cities age, neighborhoods can become old and lifeless, which ____ cause citizens to move away.
When this happens, a collaboration between the ____ government and citizens is an effective way to revitalize the area.
Let’s take a look at two projects in the Netherlands to find out what successful ____ revitalization looks like.
Wallisblok: The One-Euro Apartment Project
Rotterdam, the second largest city in the ____, is known for its modern architecture and busy port.
By taking a ten-minute tram ride west from the city center, however, you ____ get to a more peaceful environment.
Instead of crowded streets, you will see neighbors chatting in front of a modern residential structure and families spending ____ in its garden.
The structure is a large ____ building called Wallisblok.
Not that long ago, this ____ was very different, and nobody thought it could become a place where families would want to live.
____ that is exactly what happened.
For years, the neighborhood was known for its ____ crime rates.
Many apartments in Wallisblok were abandoned and ____ taken over by people who lived in them illegally.
At first,
At first, the local ____ thought that the best solution was simply to tear the building down and build a new one in its place.
However, having a limited budget, the government was unable to do so and had to come up with a ____ plan.
The ____ was to sell the empty apartments for one euro each.
The only condition was that people who bought these ____ needed to renovate them.
Although the new residents would have to pay for these renovations, the government’s plan soon attracted many ____.
Apparently, it was not just the idea of one-euro apartments that people found ____.
They were also excited by the ____ to use their creativity to improve the building.
In the ____, 42 new families moved into Wallisblok.
The government’s bold ____ was a success.
The residents transformed the old, worn-out building into 42 unique apartments with a ____ garden and rooftop terrace.
The ____ area soon began to improve as well.
Today, Wallisblok is one of the most desirable places to live in ____.
De Ceuvel: A Green-Technology Playground
In the early 20th century, there was an area in the northern part of Amsterdam that was full of shipyards and ____.
Over time, the shipyards closed down, and the work once done at the factories was ____ abroad.
As a result, the area was left abandoned and ____ for years.
Wanting to do something to ____ the area, the city purchased an abandoned shipyard called De Ceuvel.
However, city officials ____ not know what to do with it.
So they turned to the public for help by ____ for plans that would achieve two primary goals.
First, the plan had to include a method to clean up the land and turn it into a ____ development.
Second, it ____ to suggest a way to transform the site into a creative workspace.
In the end, an architectural company submitted an innovative plan and was awarded a ten-year ____ on the former shipyard.
The plan was to turn the site into a sustainable office ____.
Since it was impossible
Since it was impossible to build ____ on the oily mud of the polluted land, the architects decided to use old, abandoned boats instead.
They were able to purchase these at low ____ from the boats’ owners.
The architects created a small community that includes creative workspaces, studios, meeting rooms, cultural spaces, and even a café, all by upcycling the ____.
____, to connect the boats, wooden paths were built.
In addition, special plants that purify polluted ____ were planted across the site.
Today, ____ people come to De Ceuvel to test new sustainable technologies such as bio-filters and water reuse systems.
Many others come to experience this successful ____ project in person.
De Ceuvel is now known as one of the most ____ playgrounds for innovative green technology in all of Amsterdam.
At the end of the lease, the project will also leave behind a more valuable piece of land for the next ____ who use it.
These ____ examples of urban revitalization in the Netherlands required much more than a budget and a plan.
Innovative thinking, creativity, ____ spirit, and cooperation were all vital to their success.
These projects are great sources of inspiration for other cities that are ____ to bring new life to abandoned areas.