THE IMPLOSIVE CITY

ROTTERDAM, 1999

At 400 people per km squared, Holland is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The few left over natural areas are under permanent pressure of constantly growing cities. The city of Rotterdam commissioned Maxwan - once again collaborating with Crimson architectural historians - to research the possibilities of inner city densification.
Maxwan discovered that 17% (12'000ha) of the ground within the city ring road is underused or not used at all. In order to develop these plots it would be necessary to soften or adapt the building regulations, for example to allow a more diverse mix of their uses. In different case studies Maxwan proved how this could lead to an exciting city of increased density with no compromise to quality.