For years, the Lindensite in Schilde was a bare gravel area where cars parked randomly. Today, the site has been transformed into a pocket parking filled with wildflowers, promoting water infiltration and providing space for insects. Koen Laurent, thematic consultant for green spaces and nature at the municipality of Schilde, discusses this transformation and the role of the Green Deal Nature-Inclusive Parking Lots.
The informal parking lot got a second life when the municipality decided to thoroughly green the main roads through the village centers of Schilde and ‘s-Gravenwezel. To make way for more green spaces and a more pleasant shopping experience, parking spaces had to be sacrificed. Therefore, the municipality opted for creating 'pocket parkings' on residual municipal, OCMW, and church land, each within a 200-meter walk of the shopping areas. The parking lot on the Lindensite is the first of three to be constructed in a nature-inclusive manner.
“"By signing up for the Green Deal, we were able to adjust the design and make it much more nature-inclusive."
The design for the Lindensite was not yet finalized when the municipality joined the Green Deal. This allowed them to adjust the design with clear requirements for permeable paving, native planting, and facilities for breeding birds, insects, and small mammals. A Green Deal workshop also convinced colleagues from public works to opt for a diverse seed mix, rather than the initial design with only one plant species.
The entire parking lot is now designed for infiltration, including the roadway. Instead of classic asphalt, concrete pavers with large joints have been used, making the parking lot fully water-permeable. A grass mix that is easy to drive over has been sown at the front, and at the back, where fewer cars park, a herb mixture with wildflowers. Four charging stations have been installed, and a standby pipe under the entire parking lot allows for easy expansion with charging stations in the future without disturbing tree roots.
The future-proof approach of the municipality of Schilde was praised by the Association for Public Greenery (VVOG) during a jury visit as part of a competition. The jury lauded the variation in the seed mix and how the green approach was extended to the adjacent youth club premises. Within the municipality, this approach has now become the standard for all new parking lots.
Koen Laurent's position did not exist five years ago, reflecting the growth of the Spatial Affairs department. New colleagues with a greener perspective have made the development of such projects possible.
“"The more biodiversity you can integrate into such a parking lot, the better. For nature, and therefore for all of us."
Koen encourages other cities and municipalities to use the tools from the Green Deal when (re)developing parking lots, especially for larger areas. The municipality of Schilde, already known for its green policy, went a step further with the Green Deal in diversifying its planting, benefiting biodiversity.
