Maarten Van Acker | University of Antwerp (original) (raw)
Maarten Van Acker is fascinated by cities and what shapes them.
He is professor of urbanism at the Faculty of Design Sciences at the University of Antwerp.
His research focuses on infrastructure and urban design.
Maarten is spokesman of the new Research Group for Urban Development and member of the Urban Studies Institute.
He coaches several city planning departments and architecture offices with the realisation of urban development projects, the integration of infrastructure projects and the coordination of design competitions. He serves to the editorial board of RUIMTE and ONTO cahier.
He holds a PhD for his research on the impact of infrastructure design on the urbanization of Belgium since the 19th century. He is the author of several publications such as From Flux to Frame, Highway x City, In Via Veritas, KempenAtlas, Spoorboek, Groene Singel, Zaaien op Beton, Turnhout 2012,...
In New York, Maarten continued at The New School for Design his post-doctoral research on urban (infra)structures. He is currently working on a publication that compares urban design in New York with spatial policy in Belgium.
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As global warming persists, regions with moderate climatic conditions will be confronted with exa... more As global warming persists, regions with moderate climatic conditions will be confronted with exacerbating seasonal variations, including aggravating dry periods. This upcoming drought challenge receives, however, little attention from policymakers. Likewise, Flemish planners and designers focus on floods, not droughts. This research concentrates on design strategies that deal with a lack of water in highly urbanized territories such as Flanders. The article analyses the results of a design workshop on (future) drought issues in the Campine region: Shifting Climate, Reshaping Urban Landscapes. Four distinct strategies are delineated: remodelling the valleys, retrofitting urbanization, aqueducts 2.0, and autonomous, local water networks. The article discusses the premise of each strategy and its approach to the local landscape and urban tissue. Moreover, it highlights key issues to drought design in highly urbanized territories.
As global warming persists, regions with moderate climatic conditions will be confronted with exa... more As global warming persists, regions with moderate climatic conditions will be confronted with exacerbating seasonal variations, including aggravating dry periods. This upcoming drought challenge receives, however, little attention from policymakers. Likewise, Flemish planners and designers focus on floods, not droughts. This research concentrates on design strategies that deal with a lack of water in highly urbanized territories such as Flanders. The article analyses the results of a design workshop on (future) drought issues in the Campine region: Shifting Climate, Reshaping Urban Landscapes. Four distinct strategies are delineated: remodelling the valleys, retrofitting urbanization, aqueducts 2.0, and autonomous, local water networks. The article discusses the premise of each strategy and its approach to the local landscape and urban tissue. Moreover, it highlights key issues to drought design in highly urbanized territories.
Gebruik het bouwafval van de stad ín de stad Column Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbou... more Gebruik het bouwafval van de stad ín de stad Column Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbouw aan de Universiteit Antwerpen. Samen met zijn gezin woont hij in het centrum van de stad, vlak bij het Theaterplein. Via O bij het Theaterplein. Via de Onderzoeksgroep voor StadsOntwikkeling zet hij zich in voor kwalitatieve stadsvernieuwing en betere infrastructuurprojecten. Voor Gazet van Antwerpen is hij een van onze vier columnisten mobiliteit.
Verfrissende ideeën op hete dagen W Column Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbouw aan de ... more Verfrissende ideeën op hete dagen W Column Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbouw aan de Universiteit Antwerpen. Samen met zijn gezin woont hij in het centrum van de stad, vlak bij het Theaterplein. Via de Onderzoeksgroep voor StadsOntwikkeling zet hij zich in voor kwalitatieve stadsvernieuwing en betere infrastructuurprojecten. Voor Gazet van Antwerpen is hij een van onze vier columnisten mobiliteit.
Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbouw aan de Universiteit Antwerpen. Samen met zijn gezi... more Maarten Van Acker (40) is professor Stedenbouw aan de Universiteit Antwerpen. Samen met zijn gezin woont hij in het centrum van de stad, vlak bij het Theaterplein. Hij is een van onze vier columnisten mobiliteit.
Ondergrondse ruimte
Steden zetten steeds meer in op een duurzame modal shift met meer ruimte voor fietsers, voetgange... more Steden zetten steeds meer in op een duurzame modal shift met meer ruimte voor fietsers, voetgangers, deelmobiliteit en openbaar vervoer, waardoor ook de parkeerbehoefte in de binnensteden gestaag afneemt. Deze transitie vormde de aanleiding voor onderzoek naar de herbestemmingsmogelijkheden en specifieke opportuniteiten voor ondergrondse stadsparkings.
Journal of Landscape Architecture, 2021
Abstract Public underground car parks could be interpreted as capsular infrastructure landscapes,... more Abstract Public underground car parks could be interpreted as capsular infrastructure landscapes, attracting cars to the heart of the city and sweeping them under the proverbial carpet. However, today many contemporary urban planners and policymakers tend to discourage car use in their city centres, causing a decreasing need for parking space. This emerging paradigm shift in mobility creates the potential for adaptive reuse of these hidden landscapes. However, scenarios for adaptive reuse of these specific urban landscapes are currently lacking. Through research by photography, the study first uncovers the specific morphology of underground car parks by visually unpacking the construction into its constituting elements. Then three scenarios for adaptive reuse are elaborated through a landscape approach, all facilitating more inclusive and sustainable urban public programmes. Finally, the impact on the urban landscape and the potential of these scenarios are tested in the specific design context of a small-scale city: a network of three car parks in Mechelen in Belgium serves as a canvas for this research by design conducted in the context of a Master’s design studio.
Ondergrondse ruimte
Onze stedelijke ondergrond is onbekend en onbemind terrein, een letterlijke en figuurlijke black ... more Onze stedelijke ondergrond is onbekend en onbemind terrein, een letterlijke en figuurlijke black box. Nochtans zit de grond onder onze voeten bomvol potentie om bij te dragen aan de creatie van meer duurzame steden.
Building and Environment, 2020
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.