The Transition Park N50C in Kortrijk emerged from the natural redevelopment of a former motorway reservation strip on the edge of the city. In 2019, this strip was given a new purpose as a park zone, which will serve as an important green and recreational link between the Warande and Astridpark in the city center of Kortrijk.
The park is part of the broader master plan “De Groene Verbinding Kortrijk Noord” (“The Green Connection Kortrijk North”), through which the city aims to create green experience routes that connect neighborhoods and places via safe cycling paths and green-blue corridors. The plan also emphasizes the creation of attractive public spaces with local greenery within walking distance, well-maintained public domains, and facilities that encourage play and physical activity.
Ecological development is at the heart of the design. The park provides a framework of fixed structures within which nature can evolve. Since the area had been used as farmland for many years, the soil structure is depleted. To restore it, a framework of poplar trees will be planted. Thanks to their fast growth and efficient nitrogen conversion, they improve soil quality and increase organic matter content. This framework will be complemented by slow-growing tree species that will gradually replace the poplars over time, creating a stable and sustainable forest structure.
