Preliminary design for public space in the Slachthuiswijk approved
Densification and greening
The number of residents in the Slachthuiswijk will increase in the coming years. The construction of almost four hectares of green public space will allow residents to experience 'real nature' in their neighbourhood on a daily basis. The neighbourhood greenery will be connected, as much as possible, to the surrounding green areas. This way, the neighbourhood will also become a habitat for birds, butterflies and bees. In addition, te abundance of greenery will make for pleasant living by reducing heat stress, wind and noise. Besides, all the greenery also simply creates a beautiful living environment.
Water management
In addition to all the greenery, water is an important element in the new design. The water study shows what is needed to sustainably collect rainwater in and around the district, reuse it and allow it to penetrate the soil. The water playground in the Kalverpad and the water garden in the Hall garden are of great importance here.
Pedestrian central
The new Slachthuiswijk is car-free with the focus on slow traffic. A finely meshed network of footpaths and cycle paths has been designed with plenty of opportunities to meet people. The Damroute connects all the play, sports and accommodation areas in the district and is enriched with art objects.
Consultation with market players
To involve the various residents, an extensive participation process on public space took place from August 2020 to the end of 2022, with online surveys, activities for children and their parents, neighbourhood walks with the design team, focus discussions with young people, the local hospitality industry and harder-to-reach residents in the neighbourhood, a working workshop and dialogue market. About 600 residents and stakeholders participated a total of 731 times, including 208 children.
Characterful subspaces
The strength of the Slachthuiswijk is the diversity of characteristic subspaces. These have been worked out in
Lobroekplein
Lobroekplein is the living room of the neighbourhood. The intimate square is bordered by trees and offers space for neighbourhood events and markets. The square is home to the play fountain and basketball court on the Damroute. The square offers plenty of seating opportunities for young and old. Cafés and restaurants with terraces surround the square, which overlook the event area.
Kalverwei
The Kalverwei is the neighbourhood's green park. The hill on Slachthuislaan dampens traffic noise. Various landscaped play and sports areas are concentrated in the central park section, so sufficient free-standing park space is available for recreation and meeting.
Old Kalverstraat
This street is the entrance to the Slachthuiswijk and has a green appearance due to verges with trees and undergrowth. The street is safe for slow traffic thanks to the spacious footpaths and bicycle lanes, which are separated from the roadway by green verges.
Kalverpad
The Kalverpad is free of cars and offers plenty of space for sports, games and recreation. Older children can play adventurously in the various water-rich play areas. The existing trees have been integrated as much as possible into the design and together with the new trees they attract insects, butterflies and birds. For the adults, the Kalverpad includes a large space for ‘together gardening’.
Hallenplein
This plaza is also car-free and offers a varied paved and green open space for staying, playing and sport for all ages. The central area consists of small tree squares alternated with grassy meadows with trees.
Hallentuin
The Hallentuin is a tranquil water garden and an oasis of peace in the neighbourhood. The garden is full of special (water) plants through which walking routes run. This water garden is a playground for young children with seating areas for parents and study areas for the students of the college.
Lange Lobroekstraat
The street will be maximally greened. The green, raised verge with perennials, shrubs and trees is provided with shaded seating areas that invite to meet.
Streets Kalverweibuurt
A new development in the preliminary design are the streets as barrier-free residential areas with a green layout that includes trees, front gardens and façade gardens. Additional meeting and seating areas have also been added.
Follow-up
In the run-up to the final design of the public space, a dialogue market will be organized in the neighbourhood this fall. At this market, the plans for the subspaces will be discussed. The final design should be ready in early 2022. If everything goes according to plan, the construction of the Kalverwei, the Old Kalverstraat and the Lobroekplein will start in early 2023.
© Image by Triple Living
