Lecture 3: Infrastructure
- First king after the French occupational power.
Since 1800 there was an increase in scale of infrastructure.
The speed at which the networks were developed, and the
speed increased of the medium and distance of travel from A
to B became more and more accessible.
 All these elements had consequences for the
Landscape and special planning.
 Travel went faster, everything was more rapid and
therefore time became money. + Colonialization
 People traveling the world
WHAT IS INFRASTRUCTURE?
Our oldest systems and surfaces, like transport, which we
need to organise for a country to work.
- Waterways (Canals)
- Railways
- Roads (Highways)
 With all these developments there is a need for
design.
19TH CENTURY – ROADS:
In the early 19th century, a good road was scarce, people used
to live in rural areas and the travelled distances remained
short. Most people walked to their destinations.
 CHANGE IN INFRASTRUCTURE:
FRANCE:
- Napoleon Bonaparte:
Made a system ‘Route impériale francaise’ (1811)
with Paris at the centre, designed during the time of
the empire’s greatest expansion, exemplifying the
magnificence of the system.
1. Main roads
2. 13 routes, made it possible for Paris to connect
with large cities in smaller provinces
3. 200 routes(?) with a more regional, than
national interest. > Departmental Roads of the
time.
THE NETHERLANDS:
Took over the ideas of Napoleon. When King Willem I came,
he presented a national network of ‘Grote Wegen’ similarly to
the route work of the French.
- Rijkswegen Eerste Klasse
500 km of road thanks to Rijkswaterstaat.
- How it was done:
Meticulously designed
CANAL – TRANSPORT:
Even though the roads looked nice, the canal was the main
means of transport of the 19th century.
 More reliable than the road (despite weather
conditions)
 Travelling by boat on a canal looked very
comfortable
 Took some days, but time was perceived differently
during those days than we do now.
KING WILLEM I (1772-1843):
- The canal King
o Ordered for several canals all through the
Netherlands
 North: Finely mazed canals (peat)
 South & West: Larger canals
o Ordered dig of a Canal from Den Helder to
Amsterdam:
Wide enough to let a military navy and
merchant navy pass each other.
 Causing the trade to have as much
means as possible (Good
Infrastructure).
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
At the start of the 19th century the Zuiderzee (Ijselmeer) was a
rough water, causing for ship to have a rough time trying to
enter Amsterdam
DE NIEUWE WATERWEG (NL - 1872):
A ship canal in The Netherlands from the Hoek van Holland to
the rest of the World.
- Constructed to keep the city and the port of
Rotterdam accessible to the sea ships. Still the
primary access to the port of Rotterdam.
- Design: Pieter …
ENGLAND:
A forefront runner in the development of all kinds of ideas
and tools.
- STAFFORDSHIRE AND WOCESTERSHIRE CANAL (1771)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
19th century > The increase of industry and a demand for
industrial transport and the canals played a key role in the
pace of the industrial revolution, as roads at the time were
unsuitable for large volumes of traffic.
The early canals contoured around hills and valleys, but later
one they became straighter (+Sluizen to get up and downhill).
In a way you can see these elements all over England.
From the mid-19th century, railways began to replace canals.
COLONIALIZATION:
The goods and the commodities had to come from the East of
the Indies and Africa to Europe.
 Need for a shortcut.
THE SUEZ CANAL (1869)
It was an Company from the French and the British who
created this Canal in Egypt.
- Idea: 1854 by Ferdinand de …
- 164 km. long, so it took some time to execute (10 years)
- Until 1956 ruled by French and British.
o Suez crisis > It became Egyption owned.
THE PANAMA CANAL (1914: Parisian Idea of the Metropolitan station:
Another shortcut designed by Ferdinand de … - Art Nouveau, immediately recognised as a typical
Much struggle and pain + problem with the construction of French Station.
the shortcut around Kaap Orange. o HENRI GUIMARD (1867-1942):
- Dynamite + dug + digging: More costs and Time  Entrance Metro, Cast iron
consuming.  Destroyed almost 90% of these
stations in the 60s. So there are
RAILWAYS – TRANSPORT: only few left.
The railway developed in the mining companies of the United
Kingdom. It started with horses, and they were towing the 1863: London - First in the World with a Metro
carts with kohls into the mines. 1896: Glasgow, Budapest, New York
1769: Invention Steam Engine.
1804: First Steam Engine on the railway. LONDON – UNDERGROUND: THE TUBE (1863)
1814: George Stephenson (1781-1848) invented the first - First World Metro
manageable Steam Locomotive. - Remarkable:
Not only the traffic, but A NEW FORM OF MAPPING.
Main issue Steam Locomotive: The physical location is no longer that important, the
 Ship the kohl from Stockton to Darlington (1825) and stations need to be clearer.
bring these kohls from the mine to the harbour.
 FIRST DIAGRAMMATIC MAP OF LONDON’S
NEED FOR RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE: UNDERGROUND BY HARRY BECK (1931):
ENGLAND: He simplified a map consisting of stations and
- Finely mazed railroad all over England, which still straight-line segments. The only thing one has to
exists. know is where you are now and where you want to
THE NETHERLANDS: go.
- Less elaborate railway system.
- The railroad developed from 1860 onwards and THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO
funded by the money coming from the colonies. DEVELOPED OUR THINKING ABOUT DISTANCES.
- First electrical Railroad > 1980: Between Den Haag (The underground map is a nice example of it)
and Rotterdam

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
It took some time before the railroad was a success, because
in The Netherlands the waterworks and canals were much
easier and more accessible + soft soil in the Netherlands so it
took more time to develop those railroads + The involvement
of different stakeholders, making it more difficult for all the
rails to be connected to each other.

Around 1900/1920 the railroad and the train became the

main form of transport. Around 1930 it was enhanced by
cable cards, or trams.

From the 1930s onwards more lines closed, due to the rise of
car transportation after WWI.
 The car became more popular, and roads became
more important.
 1958: Closed the last Steam Engine

PARIS – METRO (1900):

1855: Friends Engineers … had the idea to make a
underground between Gard du Nord to the Centre of the city.
It took some time
19/07/1900: First Line opened, especially for the World
Exhibition.
Part 2: actieradius (range) and therefore a growing need for
recreation and better roads.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE 20TH CENTURY:
Positive approach towards modernity and Machines. 1. PARKWAY:
Specific North American Open Landscaped Highway
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WORLD BETWEEN 1800 AND from 1875. It’s originally intended for a scenic
NOW? recreational drive. These have evolved into major
There are multiple ideas on what the best way could be for a Urban and Commuter routes.
layout on infrastructure: o ‘Parkways as boulevards that refer to power
and elite rule.’
EBENEZER HOWARD, 2. HIGHWAY:
BOOK: GARDEN CITIES OF TOMORROW (1902): The main direct road.
His principle is a belt of country around the city and there are 3. FREEWAY:
a cluster of cities, united by a railway transit. It connects all 1926-1930: The ideal of the freedom of movement
the cities and villages (absence of tolls)
o A level of town connecting
o A level of city connecting FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED:
For each level there is a form of railways. - 1880 (1890?): Emerald Necklace:
In his version he did not include the fast increase of cars after A green Ribbon of Parks.
WWI.
 He wanted a railway station that was no longer a US BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS (BPR):
maze (chaos), but a system. - Early 1920s
- They promoted the America as a form of America
1935: EXHIBITION CIAM Beautiful:
The large and famous Modernist movement came together in o Simple, democratic, reference to natures
Amsterdam. o GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL
The idea of the FUNCTIONAL CITY: PARKWAY (1929-1970):
 FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: Designed to encompass landmarks related
It states that the basis of urban planning is the to George Washington and other Founding
division of land use in the three functions of housing, Fathers. (A patriotic travel)
work, and recreation, linked by traffic as the fourth.
So, Infrastructure was the glue that linked the BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY:
elements. Looks natural, as natural as a Landscape Garden.
> MADE INFRASTRUCTURE A FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM - 1935: Planned Landscape by Stanley Abbot:
He combined the most beautiful (Panoramic sights)
INVENTION DAIMLER AND BENZ: as a rhythm of panoramic features (Like the emerald
Around 1900: The invention of the internal combustion necklace). All planned to provide a ride through a
engine and the diesel engine. ‘perfect’ USA.
 Changed our view of travel. (Car) - Gives a route to the east side of the USA.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: NEW APPROACH:

The ideas on cars and travel changed after WWI. The size had
increased during to the war, due to the perfect role that cars
could play in the transportation of all kinds of goods (people,
materials, weaponry). This caused for the amount of cars and
roads to increase and it was more important than ever.
USA:
HENRY FORD
Believed that the car should be available for everybody. He
developed cars that looked more affordable.
+ The Highways and Freeways developed faster in the USA
than in Europe.
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE (1940):
- Striking down all of the nice (aesthetically pleasing)
elements and instead of the rustic, it is austere.
What you see is what you get. No longer room for
pleasantries.
- A place provided to simply get from A to B and in
which higher speed are possible.
- The naked form of a highway, or freeway as we know
it.

PARKWAY, HIGHWAY AND FREEWAY:

The idea of travel and driving as a pleasant place, gave a sort
of recreational idea. Creating a division between Car vs. Train,
while the car promised freedom and envisioned a growing
GERMANY:
REISCHSAUTOBAHNEN:
Idea is that it has been done by the National Socialism
between 1903 and 1945 (partly true).
- Propaganda: Strassen des Führers
o Hitler started the construction in 1933
o Engineer: Fritz Todt
- All roads were built by “volunteers”
- The Landscape was an item in designing these
Highways as well as Nature Conservation.
- Indigenous plants
Why do you need this expense when there are no cars to
drive on these Autobahns? Hitler: Intended to provide a small,
affordable people’s car.
 1938: Volkswagen – Ferdinand Porsche
ROAD DESIGN:
HANS LORENZ: THE TRANSITION CURVE
In his research he wanted to optimize the design of the roads,
using all kinds of elements in his design:
- Geometric design of roads.
ITALY:
PIERO PURICELLI (1883-1951):
The 20th century engineer and entrepreneur were the first to
create an Autostrada (HIGHWAY) in Europe.
- LA PRIMA AUTOSTRADA DEL MUNDO/ AUTOSTRADA
DEI LAGHI:
Declared as the first motorway in the world and
went from Milano to Varese.
THE NETHERLANDS:
Since king Willem I the planning of roads was done by the
State.
- RIJKSWEGENPLAN:
Inspiration from the USA and Italy
- THE ROAD IN THE LANDSCAPE:
Landschapsverzorging door het Staatsbosbeheer
(SBB).
- G.A. OVERDIJKINK - BOOKLET:
Against the cluttering of the landscape by, for
example, Billboards. He presented the way he
wanted to have the design of the highways:
differentiating between a good practise and a bad
practise. Moreover, he informed the engineers
together with the designers.
> He provided suggestions of vegetation for different
kinds of landscape.
- 1933: FIRST HIGHWAY
Part 3:
THE NETHERLANDS:
She wants to show how the development of the Dutch road:
Not only in the change of function, but also in the change of
attitude towards green and towards the use of the roads.
HISTORIC CONTEXT:
After WWII the world drastically changed, just like the world
of infrastructure. (For example, the introduction of the
weekend in 1961 (NL)) Together with more free time came
more time for leisure. Moreover, the existence of the
AFFORDABLE CAR (> Economic growth). Roads were needed
for places to go to.
There is a difference in the design and layout in the highways
of the Netherlands:
- Almost resembling the PARKWAYS of the USA.
1955: First traffic jam
LEISURE TIME:
Another idea of Leisure Time was having your weekend start
at the roadside. The roadside was a pleasant place to look at
the cars passing by as a pleasant way of spending your free
time.
DUTCH PARKWAYS > A28:
From the West to the East by Cas Oorthuys, from 1962.
With the idea and with the evolution of the road came
counterparts:
MAKE HIGHWAYS SAFE (?)
- BENZINE LAADSTATION (1946)
- PARKEERSTROOK transformed into a VLUCHTSTROOK
o Ensuring the safety of the roads
- SECTION VERKEERSWEGEN (SBB):
You can see how a modern form of the road changes
and forms to the landscape. The Landscape is
perceived from a inner-car perspective, so if you
want to appreciate the landscape, you should
enhance it from the perspective of the windshields.
- ROUNDABOUT:
Safety first and the changed layout of the best way
to keep the crossings away. At first created in 1907 in
the UK as a safe crossing island for pedestrians.
Nowadays found all over Europe.
o ROUNDABOUT-ART
- CLOVER-LEAF:
One of the most used elements of a highway.
STOPS – SERVICE AREAS:
Started from the 60s, mostly places where you can take a
pause (eat, drink, play)
- FRANCE
Prices for well-designed service areas:
o Volcans d’Auvergne, Ricardo Bofill (1991)
o Carrières de Crazannes, Route A87, Bernard
Lassus (1995)

ASPECTS OF A CHANGE OR USING ROADS/

INFRASTRUCTURE:
- The roadside as a display
- The Integration of noise shields in building
- Using Infrastructure to create Landscape
o Maastricht:
The infrastructure restored the link between
the two parts of the city through a tunnel,
leaving room for greenery again on the
spaces above this tunnel.
o Seattle:
A road going under a sculpture park.
Transforming an industrial place into a park.
o Barcelona:
A similar traffic solution by Ana Coello de
Llobet in Barcelona. She transformed a
roundabout into a park and gave places for
different functions of traffic.

PREDICTIONS OF THE FUTURE:

Different layers of streets, it could or might enhance the
landscape…