Based on the idea of ZUS’ theory ‘The City of Permanent Temporality’, the Luchtsingel introduces a new way of making city. This means using the city’s evolutionary character and existing forms as a starting point.
The Luchtsingel is a 400-meter long pedestrian bridge reconnecting three districts in the heart of Rotterdam while serving as a unifying backbone for numerous urban interventions. The bridge is the world’s first piece of public infrastructure to be accomplished through crowdfunding, aiming to revive the former derelict Rotterdam Central District.
The Luchtsingel is situated at the center of Rotterdam’s post-war reconstruction. It stretches over the railway line that separates the city center from the north. Before World War II, this location was Rotterdam’s bustling heart. Decades after their separation, the Luchtsingel pedestrian bridge has reconnected the three districts in the heart of Rotterdam. The inner sides of this wooden construction are made up of planks bought by crowdfunders and have been engraved with their personal message.
Together with new public spaces, including the Delftsehof, Dakakker, Pompenburg Park, and the Hofplein Station Roof Park, a three-dimensional cityscape has arisen. These developments have returned the former heart of Rotterdam back to being green and livable, with the Luchtsingel running throughout as an indispensable unifying factor. By simply increasing accessibility and connectivity for pedestrians, the bridge ensures synergy between these various sites. The Luchtsingel is more than a piece of infrastructure, it is a catalyst of city development. It functions as the public backbone for further developments on, alongside and under the bridge.
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