The Damsterplein, a square in the heart of Groningen, will be redesigned, with the OTO landscape architecture office from Rotterdam having been commissioned to turn it into a green square. Adding in more greenery should help to reduce heat stress in the city center, reports the Groninger Internet Courant.
The redesign is intended to deal with heat stress, water and traffic nuisance, so that the Damsterplein can again function as a central location for the neighborhood.
In the proposal, the Damsterplein will become a green square and a water buffer for rainwater from the square and the surrounding streets and roofs. This will make it possible to use this water as a raw material and to return it to the neighborhood, for example for watering plants, as a supply for the fountain and to use it as gray water for flushing toilets. A tree roof will provide shade and help, and together with the green islands and comfortable benches will create quality places to sit on the square.
Image via OTO Landscape
