Water and City – the Danube in the Masterplan of Budapest

Richárd Ongjerth

MobEx Workshop Budapest 03.07.2012.

Historic background• The functions are following the social needs of The functions are following the social needs of

the given development phasethe given development phase

• 1830 rural riverbank1830 rural riverbank

• 1880 wharf for construction materials1880 wharf for construction materials

• 1910 quay for passanger ships1910 quay for passanger ships

• 1940 motorway for cars1940 motorway for cars

• 2010 main street for traffic2010 main street for traffic

• 2020 ??? 2020 ???

The question of timing• Everybody knows, that the Everybody knows, that the

future function of the future function of the riverside is the recreation riverside is the recreation butbut

• Nobody founds proper Nobody founds proper solution for the solution for the trasplantation of the traffic trasplantation of the traffic transfertransfer

• We are in transitional We are in transitional situation, with its all situation, with its all difficulties – the temporary difficulties – the temporary solutions are the most solutions are the most durablesdurables

The Danube in the current Masterplan• Determinating North-Sud axe Determinating North-Sud axe

of the city structureof the city structure• Special role in the city Special role in the city

structure: natural values, structure: natural values, islands, word heritage islands, word heritage cityscapecityscape

• Planned functions: lenghtening Planned functions: lenghtening the city core in the historical the city core in the historical inner districts, recreational inner districts, recreational areas in former industrial sites areas in former industrial sites and in suburban city quarters and in suburban city quarters

Contradictions between land use and traffic plans• The traffic is the today The traffic is the today

(temporary?) winner: (temporary?) winner: • „„the separation of the riverside the separation of the riverside

and urban areas by the traffic and urban areas by the traffic is respectable historical is respectable historical situation” and situation” and

• it „is needed to make efforts for it „is needed to make efforts for strenghtening of the links strenghtening of the links between city and the river with between city and the river with the tools of the contemporary the tools of the contemporary solutions”solutions”

Hesitating public, purposeful private• Contradictional public plans Contradictional public plans

versus characteristic private versus characteristic private actions: actions: – new hotels in the city core new hotels in the city core

riversideriverside– Office buildings and new housing Office buildings and new housing

projects of the old brownfieldsprojects of the old brownfields– Changing recreational functions: Changing recreational functions:

the agony of the traditional (and the agony of the traditional (and chip) watersport areas in the chip) watersport areas in the suburban riversides restoring its suburban riversides restoring its with (expensive) exclusive with (expensive) exclusive sportclubs, hotels and housingsportclubs, hotels and housing

Efforts of the city• The culture as the main development forceThe culture as the main development force

– The old warehouse project – the CET Cultural The old warehouse project – the CET Cultural centrecentre

– The Old Gas Factory and the Graphisoft ParkThe Old Gas Factory and the Graphisoft Park

Ongjerth RichárdOngjerth RichárdManagiong directorManagiong director

ongjerth@t-online.huongjerth@t-online.hu+36 30 311 3540+36 30 311 3540

Hungarian Urban Hungarian Urban Knowledge CentreKnowledge Centre

Thanks for the attention!