Moermanpark Roeselare: from historical gray to new green

Moermanpark Roeselare: from historical gray to new green

At the end of the 19th century, the location served as housing for the dyeing and weaving mill of Moerman Frères. After the closure in 1956 until 2010, Community education used GO! the site as a school building. Since then, the large asphalt surface has provided about 300 parking spaces.

Heat island becomes cool zone

Everywhere, cities are warming up faster than rural areas. The heat is also retained longer. This is due to the higher building density, more pavement and the lower fraction of vegetation. Just like in other cities in Flanders, Roeselare also suffers from that so-called “urban heat island”. The change from the car park to a park should help with this.

“By softening the site, we create a climate-adaptive, cooler place in the heart of our city,” says alderman Nathalie Muylle.

Design tailored to people and nature

To elaborate the transformation of the Moerman site, the City organized an international design competition. OMGEVING cvba was appointed as designer together with VK architects+engineers.

The park will be an added value for local residents. No more fenced parking, but a liveable space, a place of meeting and relaxation.

“We are planting more than 130 trees in the Moermanpark. This planting fits in with our ambition to plant 100,000 additional trees in Roeselare by 2025, 20,000 of which in the city itself. The entire site will be a model of softening, with 80 percent of the surface will become green and 20 percent will consist of water-permeable paths,” explains Alderman Michèle Hostekint.

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