Commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht, PosadMaxwan created the Master Plan Overvecht Centrum. With targeted densification we strengthen the heart of this post-war reconstruction district and make room for more greenery, liveliness and inclusiveness.
The Master Plan shows how Overvecht Centrum can grow in the next twenty years into a mixed high-city neighborhood with approximately 2,500 new homes, 55,500 m² of existing and new facilities, a Mercado as a market hall, a cultural attraction and inviting squares and courtyards where meeting becomes more natural.
Overvecht Centrum is the daily heart of Overvecht. A place where shopping is done, encounters take place and the rhythm of the neighborhood is tangible. At the same time, the area is under pressure. Stores are losing quality, the public space feels unsafe in places, maintenance lags behind and real places to stay with greenery are missing.
Overvecht Centrum has been designed and calculated for twenty years, but the desired result has not been achieved. The cause is not a lack of ambition, but the reality of the area: fragmented ownership, many interests and a low level of trust. Therefore, a different route was chosen. Using an open planning process, the master plan was built together with residents, entrepreneurs, owners and the municipality. Transparent, step by step, with room for difference.
In the resulting plan, densification goes hand in hand with greening and social cohesion. The design principles ensure sufficient light, air and liveliness - even with high-rise buildings. Residents should be able to recognize themselves in the area, whether in the 'Casa', a place that feels familiar, or in the 'Plaza', a shared space where different worlds come together. Overvecht Centrum will be a place where people can feel at home, no matter who they are or where they come from.
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A clear spatial structure
The main structure consists of a north-south axis and an east-west axis. Along this backbone there are recognizable places like Mercado Square, O Square and Pharmacy Square. Around these places there will be urban activity with stores, restaurants, facilities and culture. Overvecht Centrum will have a clear and recognizable structure with wide streets, lively squares and logical routes to and from the surrounding neighborhoods.
Three entrance streets for motorized traffic lead to the collective garages. From there you are right in the heart of the area. The existing shopping center will be transformed into a lively shopping district with compact and qualitatively designed shopping streets. The area will be designed for pedestrians and cyclists, with pleasant places to stay and good public transport connections. The routes are easy to read so that visitors can easily orient themselves. Where routes converge, there are inviting places to meet: for residents, entrepreneurs and visitors.
Each central spot will have its own atmosphere: the Mercadoplein will be a vibrant city square with space for markets and events. The O-square combines a park-like atmosphere with catering facilities. The Pharmacy Square is more intimate and forms a green transition to Park de Watertoren. Between the main routes, clear side streets provide tranquility, variety and connection. This creates a clear and accessible city neighborhood, in the middle of the green framework of Overvecht.
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Diverse, connected and attractive
Overvecht was built from the ideal of the 1960s: stamp structures, lots of greenery, orthogonal lines and light, horizontal architecture. In the center we make a modern translation of this. Building blocks remain open through cuts between volumes. The orthogonal layout is counterbalanced by buildings that deviate in form and building line. This helps with orientation, individuality and variation.
The image quality plan aims at unity in diversity. No monotonous tranquility, but also no visual bustle. A center where liveliness and lee alternate, and where material and color get more space to give the area character.
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An inclusive neighborhood calls for two types of places: Casa and Plaza
Casa represents a sense of home. Space where different communities can identify. This can be a brown pub, a supermarket with African products, a quiet residential courtyard for reading or just a coffee bar where you linger. It is about recognition in public space, in facilities and in the way places are programmed.
Plaza stands for the shared. When groups have their own place, connection can also grow. We create spaces where people cross, see and recognize each other in a light way. And where deeper encounters are also possible: through shared activities, housing, amenities and a public space that invites joint use.
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Green unless
Public space will be as green as possible. Green is not a layer, but the framework. We connect the center with the surrounding greenery and build within the plan a network of green streets, squares and parks, complemented by façade greenery, roof gardens and interior gardens.
Everything that does not really need to be on the street, we solve indoors: containers, transformers, ramps and siding. This creates space for trees, shade and cooling. The greenery also helps with water: during peak showers rainwater can flow away in a delayed manner and on hot days unpaved areas provide a cooler microclimate. In total, we are realizing more than 2.5 times more green space than now, with streets that can be 10 to 40 percent green depending on the location.
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Open plan process as basis for implementation
The past history of Overvecht Centrum called for an approach that can regain trust. Therefore, the master plan was created through an open planning process, guided by basic principles and research questions established by the council.
From the beginning, three equal teams worked together:
Team Overvecht Centrum with involved residents and entrepreneurs
Team Owners with landowners and property owners
Team Municipality with involved policy departments
With the guidance of design team and core team, a shared vision of the future and a plan that is feasible grew this way. Not because everyone agrees on everything, but because choices were made visible and interests were weighed up seriously.
Follow-up steps
Overvecht Centrum will become a place where densification delivers quality. Where you enjoy walking, where squares bustle and courtyards provide shelter. Where green cools and connects. And where more people can feel at home, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Between December 5, 2024 and January 26, 2025 was the formal public participation period and people could submit views. On December 16, 2025, the master plan was approved by the council.
