Green urban lung for Schiedam

The vision for Schiedam’s northeast edge was created by Witteveen+Bos in 2022. Together with the Bijzonder Provinciaal Landschap Midden-Delfland, this part of Schiedam forms a ‘backyard’ for almost two million people. In a rapidly urbanising region, the areas have an important recreational and ecological function.

Due to competing claims on space, however, both areas are under significant pressure. The claims range from urban development in the interest of industry and housing, on the one hand, to preservation and improvement of the natural landscape on the other. If nothing is done, the green urban lung formed by this landscape could disappear in the face of mismatched functions which increasingly crowd the area.

The impetus for creating a vision was formed by two local railway developments: the planned doubling of tracks on the Leiden-Dordrecht line and the new NS station envisioned for Kethel, a district in Schiedam.

The proposed Schiedam Kethel station will serve various purposes. One of these is meeting the mobility needs of the currently poorly accessible Schiedam-Noord. The station is also a prerequisite for preparing this part of the city, still sparsely built-up, for future densification resulting from, for example, housing construction. It will also offer workers at the nearby business park a more sustainable alternative to travelling by car.

The location of Schiedam Kethel station will make it a gateway to nature, creating a fast and pleasant means of accessing the Bijzonder Provinciaal Landschap Midden-Delfland in the Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area.

In developing Schiedam Kethel station, significant attention was paid to effectively organising important recreational routes for ‘slow traffic’ (pedestrians, bikes, mopeds, etc.) in an area divided by barriers including the railway and a canal. This was achieved by introducing new cycle paths, bridges, and underpasses, allowing recreationists to head out into nature from the city in a safe and attractive way, with the new station as the crucial link.

The area around the station is divided into two distinct sides: on the west side, recreational landscape; on the east side, an urban hub where bus, taxi and (in the future) tram stops surround a pedestrian square.

The two station sides are connected by a sunken plaza that runs under the railway line and forms a welcoming reception area. This is the station’s vibrant heart. A variety of facilities, including a café, gym and bicycle parking, create liveliness as well as positive structural connections with the surrounding area.

Large windows frame the station plaza, offering a pleasing street view while also affording sufficient visibility to prevent socially undesirable situations.

To ensure that no construction occurs in undesirable places, a series of edges and transitions have been designed to give, for example, the business park a well-defined boundary and a clear transition to nature. At the same time, various rest areas and viewpoints, together with a harbour pavilion, will enhance the quality of the landscape as a recreational area.

In short, our vision for the development of Schiedam’s northeast edge guarantees the future liveability of a highly densifying conurbation. We achieve this by protecting and enhancing the landscape while committing to sustainable mobility, public transport, and cycling.