Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners
The Pitch
Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners used participatory design to realize a new city district around urban agriculture. The area consists of a 15-hectare forest with 1000+ fruit trees and 220 different species of edible plants, herbs and shrubs.
The Problem
Rotterdam lacked green and blue spaces where residents could interact with the natural world. In addition, the city had a large gap between food production and consumers, who rarely engaged in agriculture.
The Process
- Co-designed a “food forest” alongside residents to maximize food production and ecological health
- Used permeable paving and gravel for pathways
- Designed water retention areas, including a public pond for recreation and an amphibian pond
- Developed a maintenance plan with a regular mowing, pruning and maintenance schedule; A dedicated maintenance team was involved in the design phase and received special training due to the unique nature of the area
The Impact
- Created an urban haven for ecological health and biodiversity
- Allows residents to access nutritional foods, supplement their household groceries and learn about new edible plants they otherwise might not have encountered
- Provides physical and mental health benefits to community members by providing access to green space and fostering community interaction: The community holds monthly meetings to evaluate the health of the food forest and discuss the future.
- Fosters behavioral change among residents: residents are removing pavers and concrete from their own backyards and adding more greenery and permeable surfaces
- Shares food forest and edible neighborhood design principles with other people and organizations through food tours, courses and educational programs
- Spurred the local school to hire a food forest teacher that provides outdoor lessons
