Information

By shaping an inspiring narrative and presenting a coherent and robust framework, we future-proof ‘Spoorzone Veenendaal’ with high spatial quality and social cohesion. This way, we can create space to land the urgent challenges the city faces.

The city of Veenendaal is a growing node in the Food Valley South cluster, situated on the corridor between Utrecht and Arnhem-Nijmegen. As many middle-size cities in The Netherlands, Veenendaal has a significant challenge to facilitate growth, combining the urgent need for housing and work with achieving goals on health, mobility, climate adaptivity and sustainability. As Veenendaal has almost no space to further expand, the municipality focuses on transformation and densification of existing urban tissue.

The main area where this can take place is Spoorzone, a 160 hectare zone in the middle of the city, consisting of different types of neighbourhoods and industry, with Station Veenendaal Centrum in as focal point. Here, transformation is already underway. With over a dozen separate initiatives the coherence and optimal use of space is lacking. To create space for the challenges, ambitions and more coherent spatial quality in the area, VenhoevenCS was selected to develop an integral structuring plan for Spoorzone. With different types of project being developed with varying pace, creating an integrated framework for future proof development requires an intensive process with many municipal divisions and involved stakeholders.

Shaping a robust framework and redevelopment guidelines
With ‘Toekomstbeeld Spoorzone’ we show an integral vision for the area in 2045. The plan shows how the district can be made future proof and therefore makes structural choices. It also inspires initiators and developers in Spoorzone to utilize the presented matching opportunities. The ‘Toekomstbeeld Spoorzone’ creates spatial and programmatic coherence between the different areas, themed planning layers (such as energy, sustainability, mobility and living environment) and connecting elements. It shapes the future image of the area in a robust framework and presents guidelines for redevelopment of plots and public space.

Leading design principles
The vision is based on eight overarching design principles:

• Water and soil are guiding in a climate adaptive Spoorzone
• Robust green-blue network as carrier of the framework
• Fine-mazed network for pedestrians and bicycles
• Integral and efficient mobility system
• Mixed and densified district with human scale
• Social and dynamic neighbourhoods, with bustling and calm places
• Facilitating a resilient economy and agglomeration strength
• Shaping the circular economy and sustainable energy systems

This leads to a future image for more densely built neighbourhoods, with high quality public space, loads of green and efficient use of space.

More space for a healthy robust natural system
We enhance the green system in Spoorzone, by prescribing more green in neighbourhoods, but also connecting missing links in the ecological framework. This also results in more shaded spaces for a healthy outdoor environment and buffer zones for periods of extreme rain or drought.

Integral system for sustainable accessibility
With the principle of proximity in more compact district, Spoorzone has an extensive pedestrian network that fans out from the station area and connects the hearts of the neighbourhoods. The great bicycle network is improved, together with public transport. This makes a less spacious and more sustainable alternative for the car. In a car oriented city, this transition requires a step-by-step transition and organising high quality alternatives.

Mixed use and more dense neighbourhoods enhance social cohesion
In Spoorzone your daily needs are only a walk away. This means spontaneous interaction takes place in the public space. Here, not only complementary housing typologies – predominantly for the young and elderly, but also places for work, healthcare and education in the neighbourhood make for interesting interactions and safe streets. In diverse living environments a network of spaces forms bustling and quiet areas.

Circular economy in neighbourhoods with sustainable energy systems
With job intensive work spaces a more knowledge based economy offers a stronger economic profile for the city, driven by the excellent multimodal accessibility. Conditions are shaped to create neighbourhood economies. This creates local loops for (among others) energy, food and materials and is an important condition for a circular economy.

Spatial quality guidelines for framework and different neighbourhoods
Together with the municipality, we create visual quality (‘Richtlijnen beeldkwaliteit’) by creating leading guidelines for coherence in the public framework and distinguishing diverse neighbourhood typologies. It combines the historic grid structure with a new meandering pedestrian network and treasures industrial past with modern dense walkable neighbourhoods. It does not form a rigid frame for development but inspires to use the districts systems and local qualities to create a characteristic and liveable urban district.

National visions locally applied
For ‘Toekomstbeeld Spoorzone Veenendaal’ we could apply the ambitions from national – theoretical – level (NOVI, NOVEX and our study on guidelines for Liveable Urban Nodes (Mooi NL)) to the neighbourhood scale. This brings the national and regional framework to the local practice of an existing, built-up area. We landed ideologies on densification and mixed program around nodal points in a complex district. Working closely with the municipality and stakeholders, we created an exciting vista that invites to cooperate and strive for a future proof heart of Veenendaal.

Approval and Supervision
In 2024, ‘Toekomstbeeld Spoorzone’ was approved by the College of Aldermen. Currently, we monitor the implementation through a supervision process, in which we not only contribute to testing plans, but also help guide several initiatives.