title: Phytoremediative urban design: transforming a derelict and polluted harbour area into a green and productive neighbourhood.
abstract: Many urban areas are polluted by industrial activities and waste disposal in landfills. Since conventional soil remediation techniques are costly and unsustainable, phytoremediation might offer an alternative. In this article, we explore how phytoremediation can be integrated into the transformation of urban post-industrial areas, while improving public space. Buiksloterham, a polluted and deprived industrial area in Amsterdam, serves as case study. Buiksloterham is polluted with heavy metals, with Zinc (Zn) concentrations being the highest. A regression-model for Alpine Pennycress (Thlaspi caerulescens) is used to estimate the time needed to remediate the site. This reveals a conflict in time between remediation and urban development. A research by design experiment shows how to overcome this conflict by dealing with polluted soil innovatively while emphasizing spatial and aesthetic qualities of the phytoremediation plant species. The resulting landscape framework integrates phytoremediation with biomass production and gives new ecological, economic and social value to Buiksloterham.
authors: Department of Landscape Architecture, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: wilschut.mark@gmail.com.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Wilschut
authors: P A W
authors: PA
authors: Theuws
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Duchhart
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D002947:Cities; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D010944:Plants; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Phytoremediation; Post-industrial; Research by design; Urban transformation