Omloop in Utrecht, Schalkstad HIGH5 in Haarlem, the Koningswei in Tilburg, and Duivendaal in Wageningen have been included in 'Stand van de Stedenbouw' (State of Urban Planning), the new book from the Professional Association of Dutch Urban Designers and Planners (BNSP).
The book brings together 250 urban planning projects that are currently shaping the living environments of tomorrow, with the housing construction task as the common thread. Not only what and where we build is central, but also how those environments become future-proof. A reference work and a plea for good urban planning.
In Utrecht, we are working on the Omloop project, focusing on densification within a historical framework: the urban planning master plan of Berlage. The 'Schalkwijk HIGH5' project in Haarlem (with BURO LUBBERS landscape architecture & urban planning) transforms the Schalkwijk shopping center from a monofunctional shopping area into a multifunctional urban center. The redesign breathes new life into the outdated structure and lays the foundation for a dynamic neighborhood with living, working, and leisure. The hardened Koningsplein in Tilburg will become the Koningswei (with awg architects and ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles]): a green city park that reconnects the city center and Piushaven. Duivendaal in Wageningen (with veenenbosenbosch landscape architects) adds nine carefully integrated buildings to the site of the former State Agricultural School. A strong densification that still ensures intensive greening and integration with the surroundings.
In addition to projects, the book contains interviews and essays, including one from our partner Marianne Loof. In the essay 'Sustainable Realism in the Station Area', she argues that the station area plays a key role in making our cities future-proof.