The Balkland Park in Harlingen

For young children there will be natural and adventurous opportunities for play: climbing and clambering frames and play opportunities with water. There is plenty of place to play sports or to just relax and lie in the grass, but there are also attractive routes for a stroll and quiet spots with benches.

The Balkland Park is a former refuse tip, which imposed limitations on digging in the area. In the design we have turned this disadvantage into an advantage. Grassy hills have been created in the landscape with available good land from the surroundings. These grassy hills afford not only good growing conditions for new plants, but also visual variation. Dense vegetation alternating with open areas make the area seem larger.

The varied planting with trees and bushes – many of them species that are popular with birds and insects such as cherry, maple and hawthorn – also contributes to the biodiversity. The area that was previously dominated by fences has now been given a friendly and inviting character thanks to the use of natural partitions. Although the existing vegetation has been retained as much as possible, it will still take some time before the park is really mature. All the same, thanks to the much improved connection with its surroundings, the users have already managed to find it. The deliberately wide paths are filled with the bustle of cyclists, skaters, ramblers and joggers.