The next significant step towards a greener city center of Alkmaar has been taken with the transformation of de Laat. In 2020, Bureau B+B launched a strategy for the greening of the historic inner city center of Alkmaar. Besides a future perspective on the historic Bolwerkparks (old defence bastions) and greening the many shopping streets and alleys, Bureau B+B worked on the design of de Laat; one of the main shopping streets in Alkmaar.
De Laat suffered from vacancy, a low quality of public space and was heavily paved causing heat stress. Additionally, the street was prone to flooding; in 2021, during the design process de Laat was severely flooded, proving the significance of the transformation. The aim of the redevelopment was to create a sustainable, healthy, and liveable city center that is climate-adaptive and responsive to changing shopping needs. In close collaboration with the municipality and the business association, an extensive design process has been established. Various model studies, in which residents of the municipality had a say, have resulted in a significant greening of de Laat.
The Laat is a typical example of historic city centres that originally have a largely paved center. To be able to achieve the high ambitions regarding climate adaptation and a pedestrian-friendly street, important alterations had to be made on the larger (infrastructural) system. By smart adaptation (re-directing cyclists along the old strongholds of the city, redirecting car traffic and expedition) pedestrians now get maximum space. This was the only way to achieve the ambitions regarding water storage, biodiversity and reducing heat stress.
In order to gain support for this, there was city-wide participation in various scenarios. The project came about by intensively involving residents and entrepreneurs in the design process. Our design looked closely at the connection to the rest of the city and its specific location. De Laat is an east-west oriented street with a north facade that heats up strongly and a south facade that is always in the shade. The Laat forms only 1/3 of a very long line in the city centre: continuity is maintained by integrating light poles and the existing trees. The paving and the planting areas form the special feature on this stretch, including the seating areas and the fountain at the heads.
The incorporation of planting borders creates a vibrant green experience, setting de Laat apart with its unique identity among other streets in the city center. Additionally, the planting borders play a significant role in mitigating flooding during heavy rainfall. The generous planting areas with trees and blooming perennials alternate with open spaces, creating areas for social interactions and relaxation. Positioned on the north side of the street, the numerous terraces and seating areas are located in the sunniest spots. At the same time, the addition of more than 60 newly planted trees provides shaded spots and cooling. The two entrances of de Laat are accentuated with eye-catching water elements, enticing playful interaction.
Client: Municipality of Alkmaar in collaboration with Stadswerk 072 and Alkmaars Bolwerk
Contractor: KWS infra & Rots maatwerk
Surface: 0,5ha
Location: Alkmaar, De Laat
Design year: 2020-2022
