Waterfronts in the Netherland and Belgium

Waterfront transformation has long followed similar trends worldwide, as urban ports become loci for corporate headquarters, housing districts, or leisure activities with some heritage buildings providing maritime flair. In the Netherlands and Belgium, waterfront renewal has a long tradition. Waterfront revitalization in the Netherlands, for example, around the IJ in Amsterdam, projects such as Kop van Zuid, the RDM Campus, or M4H makers district in
Rotterdam have been the subject of many publications and have been discussed
extensively, (including in PORTUS). A number of more recent interventions merit more study as they show the breadth of possible approaches to waterfronts and their heritage, such as approaches where preservation has been achieved with commercial partners and where traditional port areas have become home to new maritime functions. In these projects, rather than heritage being a consumer of funding, heritage buildings and structures offer financial benefits and aid positive urban transformation. The case of the Rijnhaven in Rotterdam and the case of Schiedam, just outside Rotterdam, illustrate different possibilities. The case of Antwerp further shows the role of former migration facilities such as those of the Red Star Line, in the redevelopment of waterfronts.