Something’s up. Metaobjects are sprouting up. A different vibe is on the air. The old industrial place awakes. One can see the path from the ways. Living in the nearby housing estate, there’s still a small garden and apiary… I tend to. The reaction accelerates! Character, linkage, attachment… strengthened. To do it for the common good. More and more people I know from around. Relying on one-another, sustainable, ecological, abundant… nature and society. Everybody’s! My creek.

General view of the creek

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

Compared to the European average the low green surface ratio of Budapest carries a warning message. The lack and continuous decrease of greenery influences urban and social structure in a negative way. This chain reaction can be reversed by reinventing the role of Rákos creek. The green strip of Rákos creek would become a link, an avenue of nature for Zugló, enhancing accessibility, that would serve as an everyday recreational destination, and would strengthen local communities and their identity. The regional park of Rákos creek could also be part of the green belt of the suburbs of Pest.

City scale: Green Zugló - Green belt - Expanding destination

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

The concept has three main pillars. An elementary need is the structural reform – extension, permeability – of the green strip in a way that only the really necessary and consequent interventions are made. The chain reaction initiated by the metaobjects makes this area valuable and livable for local residents.

District level: changing areas - sack - soft-hard parallel - traffic alleviation - green corridors - old industrial facilities

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

Both ends of the Zugló section of Rákos creek lie near areas in transition that have the prospect of becoming intermodal nodes in the future. The green ribbon spanning in-between would become an important link for pedestrians and cyclists, while vehicular traffic would be diverted to the boulevard turned old belt-line. By exploring and rationalising the broader context and network that surround the site, it facilitates to revise the traffic system in the immediate vicinity of the creek.

Chain reaction diagram

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

Two-lane roads on both sides of the creek are unnecessary, just like some of the crossings. Considerable extension of the green area becomes possible by minimizing paved surfaces and involving municipally owned adjacent lots. Pedestrian and cycling lanes run on separate sides of the creek, unhindered as much as possible. Alternative functions are dispersed along the walkway, while it also links the creek with the mixed-use lane on the edge of the green strip.

#01 “crossing boundaries”

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

One way for raising value is the revitalisation of the creek’s bed. It would mean change not in a formal, but a rather ecological sense. The so called green rooms along the creek would have a sequence of slightly differing vegetational character, giving new identity to the whole area.

#01 “crossing boundaries”

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

Metaobjects placed at strategic locations provide the initial points of intervention. These would be means of communication with a previously missing function also incorporated. Patak Radio, a second layer of PR would broadcast updates and useful information related to the transformation of the creek. At the same time cultural centers, open workshops and community gardening clubs would find their places in old, abandoned industrial buildings with the hope of generating social participation. After a free registration local residents could take part in collective workshops aiming for the transformation of the waterbanks also by creating their own catalogue objects. Decision about placement and maintenance would be up to the community. Each site of the project provides opportunity for different interventions #01 A wide zone of high-grown energy grass (Miscanthus spec.) would appear in place of the bunch of disused rails at Rákosrendező. The ecosystem of the polluted soil would be restored, facilitating a long-term sustainable development of the future. An overpass for pedestrians and cyclists would help crossing over the remaining rails while also linking to the future intermodal node. Also at M3 motorway an underpass parallel with the creek would mean the way of crossing.

#02 “green civic hub for urban living

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

02 Green zone extends in width again, surfaces for sitting are carefully placed, vegetation growing rampant can be witnessed from the converted bridge houses. Traffic gets reduced as roads are relocated and made one-way only. The abandoned aluminium factory turns into a Cultural Center, while two Open Workshops are established next to the creek.

03 Complementing the future shopping center an urban terrace would be created with cafés and small functions, and improved sport facilities on the other side.

04a Running lane and dog exercise areas are placed next to the creek. Disused high-voltage structures turn into look-out points.

05 By reorganizing the parking and public transport system, and the elimination of the bus turn, a green space with a new quality is born. Climbing wall, bicycle bait, sport fields, community gardens and apiary find their place. Link to the new Community House is established by a new pedestrian bridge.

04b A seasonal marshland appears at this point with a new ecosystem. Walk- and bikeway leads under the HÉV line next to the creek.

#03 “linking to the new civic axis“

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

#03 “linking to the new civic axis“

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

New center: urban meets nature

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

#05 “new potentials“

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

#05 “new potentials“

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

#04b “recreational corridor “

© Sándor Guba . Published on January 20, 2014.

Team portrait

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.

Site Plan

© Sándor Guba, Balázs Besenyei, Lilla Szabó. Published on January 20, 2014.