City Architect Studio

Energy transition, climate change, housing: our living environment is going to look very different. But what will Leeuwarden, its villages and landscape look like in 2050? Where do we want to go? What do we need to do now to get out where we want to be later? The City Architect Studio (Atelier Stadsbouwmeester) will be working on this. Today, we are building the history of the future.

What is the City Architect Studio

The City Architect Studio is a creative hotspot in the City of Leeuwarden. We use it to think together about what our living environment could look like in 2050. Designers and other experts talk about important topics such as the housing shortage, living together, sustainable mobility and climate. We work together on new ideas during fun workshops, exhibitions and lectures. This is how we combine knowledge and creativity. Together, we come up with new plans for the city and the villages around it. After all, we make the future together, and it starts today.

Studio Agenda 2023-2026

Over the next 3 years, we will use design research to devise future scenarios about how we can use our space in the municipality of Leeuwarden smartly. What kind of city, village or landscape are we aiming for and what is required for this? And what should we leave as is, what should we protect?

9 workshops, 9 themes

We work according to the Workshop Agenda. This agenda consists of 9 workshops and 9 themes. We highlight one theme per workshop. The 9 themes are the themes presented during the opening of the City Architect’s Workshop, refined by the input of visitors and a group of professionals who help us think about the workshop. We head for 3 workshops per year: 1 in the spring, 1 in the summer and 1 in the autumn. And for each workshop we appoint a ‘workshop master’, a specialist from the professional world who acts as a guest curator for that workshop. Of course, we also occasionally organize ‘separate’ activities, when current events require it. More information about the mission, themes and rough planning for the next three years can be found in the document Workshop Agenda 2023–2026 (opens in new tab).

Workshops

Workshop 1 The city centre as an extended living room

In the first workshop, we looked at the subject of The historic city centre. Where the city centre used to be mainly for working and shopping, more and more people are going there to live. In this workshop, we focus on how the city centre works as an extended living room in 2050. How do you meet each other, and are there opportunities for that? And how do we ensure a healthy environment, for both people and animals?

Summary, presentations and studies

We have summarised and translated everything studied, designed and discussed in this workshop into The city centre as an extended living room, lessons learned from Workshop 1. Presentations and studies have also been added.

Workshop 2 The compact city

On 10 July 2024, GEAR gave a presentation on how Leeuwarden can be a city where you can live, work and enjoy recreation close to home on the way to 2050. They came up with new the idea of building new streets across the city, connecting neighbourhoods from inner city to outer area and vice versa. Just like the spokes of a wheel. The findings can be found in the document Workshop 2 The compact city (opens in new tab).

Smart growth

According to GEAR, these streets could transform the city. Industrial estates become live-work zones, flats are built on single-storey buildings and parks on streets are connected by green space. That is how Leeuwarden is growing smartly in terms of living, working and staying. You will find more information in the workbook The compact city. (opens in new tab)

Workshop 3 The adaptive environment

Workshop 3 focused on the theme of adaptive environments. Design agency FABRICations collaborated with experts on water and heritage. They looked into how water affects our city and landscape in the past, present and future. Their research is called Friezstad, a water network of the future. They exhibited 3 ideas on what the future with water could look like:

dynamic balance;
fast and slow;
working water.

The study shows that we need to relearn how to work with water. A video was also made. It is shown on an 8-metre-long carpet. The film shows old footage, drawings and 3D models. Together, they show how important water can be for a habitat well prepared for climate change. The findings of the study can be found in the document Workshop 3 The adaptive environment (opens in new tab).

Workshop 4 Mixed city

How do we create a city where people can live, work and use facilities close to home? That question was the focus of Workshop 4 of the City Architect Studio. Participants explored the idea of the ’15-minute city’. They looked at three levels. City, district and building to the opportunities and challenges of combining functions. The conclusion was: mixing functions only succeeds with a clear plan, courage and customisation. The local economy plays an important role in this. Local businesses not only make districts more vibrant, but also make people more connected. They deserve more attention in policy. Mixing functions is not easy, but it helps make the city strong and flexible. Workshop 4’s findings and studies are summarised in 3 papers.

Workshop 5 Maintainable environment

On Thursday 10 July, the workshop masters PeetersenDaan presented their research on a maintainable environment. They were looking for the best place in Leeuwarden to live well in the future. This question immediately gave rise to a discussion: how would you even measure this? Would this not be different for everyone? After having looked into different locations in the city and villages, having talked to residents and having collaborated with artists, one place clearly stood out. In the report (opens in new tab) by PeetersenDaan, you will also find a poem by Jan Kleefstra, robot Vitruvius and the most maintainable piece of seating furniture in all of Leeuwarden.

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Questions

Send an email tostadsbouwmeester@leeuwarden.nl or contact the City of Leeuwarden.

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