STUDIO BAS SALA
A colorful Evenaarplein through green placemaking!
What happens when you truly involve residents in the design of their neighborhood? At Evenaarplein in Rotterdam-Oosterflank, we collaborated with local residents, the municipality, and partners on new plans for the square, based on green placemaking, not blueprints.
Placemaking is a valuable process of testing and learning. It is not a temporary 'fun initiative,' but builds on the existing local energy. It can start small, with a conversation, a colorful picnic table, or a large pot of soup. Green placemaking stimulates the greening of outdoor spaces and, at the same time, fosters social interaction within the neighborhood. In this way, you work together with residents on a climate-adaptive neighborhood—a neighborhood that adapts to a changing climate.
A game and a few picnic tables
We developed the Placemaking Game for a good, balanced start. It involves residents, policymakers, and urban developers in a place. While playing the game, ideas and ambitions are collected and immediately developed into actions. This way, you can get started right away after playing the Placemaking Game! In early 2024, we played the game using the Evenaarplein as a case study. It is a centrally located spot in the middle of the neighborhood, but very stony and cold. The initial needs quickly became clear: more color and an inviting place for social interaction. To kick off the placemaking process, we painted picnic tables in cheerful colors together with residents and policymakers.
Being present and building together
In the autumn of 2024, things started to move more. We placed a striking yellow container on the square to serve as the base of operations and storage facility. Together, we cooked soup and built the wooden monster of the Equator. There was always tea and coffee to warm our hands. During the construction days and informal conversations, ideas, plans, and connections emerged. These are the moments to get to know the needs of the residents. Many residents turned out to have the same wish: more color, more greenery, more life on the square. And not just any greenery, but flowers!
In the spring of 2025, the second part of the placemaking process started. Children from De Pionier primary school drew their ideal square, filled with flowers, insect hotels, and play areas, on coloring pages. That energy formed the basis for the second phase of the process: building something visible together. Through door-to-door campaigns, flyers, and conversations, everyone was invited personally. In this way, we also reached residents who would not participate automatically, and gave the square a face, both literally and figuratively.
Green fingers and two left hands
Step by step, the square blossomed starting in the spring of 2025. Greening ran like a common thread through the entire placemaking process. Together with residents, we planted dozens of plants in planters, removed paving stones, and watered the greenery during the hot days. A beautiful sea of flowers in red, orange, and pink brightened up the square.
The planting brought not only color and coolness in the summer, but also structure and a greater sense of security. It served as a separation between the motorway and the square. Where there was previously mainly stone, something now grew that attracts people and keeps them on the Evenaarplein.
We built three wooden structures with the residents. All objects are painted in cheerful colors and feature greenery. The Yellow Oasis is a seating area with integrated planters. It is a lovely spot to sit amidst the greenery, rest, chat, or pick an apple. The Deck with Gate is a wooden deck with a gate that adds height and scale to the square. People sat, played, ate, and even held a fashion show here. The deck divided the square into different zones. Additionally, it ensured that the square was no longer crossed by scooters and cyclists. During the summer months, the Jeu de Boules court was played extensively by local residents.
Neighborhood party as both conclusion and starting point
On July 4, 2025, we celebrated the transformation of the square with a big neighborhood party. There was a fashion show on the boardwalk, stories about the artwork by Toni Burgering, pétanque, and of course: lemonade, popcorn, and a communal meal cooked by the residents themselves.
The planting brought not only color and coolness in the summer, but also structure and a greater sense of security. It served as a separation between the motorway and the square. Where there was previously mainly stone, something now grew that attracts people and keeps them on the Evenaarplein.
The municipality is now incorporating the lessons learned from the placemaking process into new adjustments for the square. The temporary objects will be given a second life elsewhere.