Connected Disconnections is an urban design project that reimagines the heart of Hoogvliet, a car-dominated district in Rotterdam. The existing shopping centre, surrounded by endless parking lots and closed facades, functions as an isolated island within the city. This project seeks to break open that enclosed structure and reconnect it to the urban fabric by transforming it into an accessible and vibrant core. Central to this vision is the creation of a new green-blue network of public spaces, culminating in Park Overhage—a multifunctional ecological park that combines water retention, biodiversity, and recreation. The project redefines Hoogvliet’s centre not only as a place to shop but as a destination for everyday life, community, and escape from urban intensity.
The design process began with a layered analysis of Hoogvliet’s spatial, ecological, and infrastructural qualities. The area is characterized by oversized, fragmented public spaces that lack enclosure and human scale, often reduced to lifeless expanses of asphalt. Green areas are monotone and poorly maintained, failing to provide value for residents beyond visual buffers for roads. The shopping centre itself is encircled by car infrastructure, creating a psychological and physical barrier. Through ENVI-met simulations and mapping of vegetation, wind flow, heat, and water systems, the analysis revealed critical environmental weaknesses—like overheating, poor infiltration, and lack of biodiversity. These insights helped pinpoint opportunities to create a greener, more livable, and better-connected city core.
The design is driven by four core principles: water management, green quality, routing, and public space. The plan improves water retention with open soil, floodable zones, and permeable surfaces. Green areas are made more diverse and functional, enhancing both ecology and comfort. Routing is restructured to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, cutting through the car-dominated layout with clear, direct paths. Public spaces are transformed from leftover zones into lively, purposeful places that support daily life. Together, these principles create a connected, resilient, and human-centered city centre.
Hoogvliet’s urban design is shaped by its car-oriented infrastructure, with main roads dividing neighbourhoods. Walking and cycling paths follow the same routes, forcing detours. A redesign proposes shifting active transport routes to internal roads and improving crossings, creating a safer, more direct network. This enhances key hubs—Metrostation Hoogvliet and Shopping Centre Hoogvliet—boosting development potential. Additionally, five distinct public spaces will be added, catering to different audiences, from a playful schoolyard to a natural park surrounding an artificial lake.
Park Overhage is the green heart of the redesigned city centre—a multifunctional space where ecology, climate adaptation, and leisure come together. Positioned between the busy road and shopping area, the park creates a calm, shaded buffer that filters noise and pollution. Its centerpiece is a floodable lake that retains rainwater and offers seasonal recreation—swimming in summer, tranquility in winter. The park features diverse vegetation, open soil for infiltration, and walking paths that invite residents to slow down and reconnect with nature.
The public area will inevitably meet the private domain of housing. This calls for a thought through design that softens the transition between public spaces and private residences. Gradual shifts—like semi-permeable paving, planted edges, and seating zones—create a comfortable buffer that encourages interaction while respecting privacy. These edges invite people in without overwhelming the residential character of the area.
Impression of Park Overhage
