Burgemeesterkwartier

Urban residential area with strong landscape character

The Burgemeesterkwartier is being redeveloped into an urban residential area with a strong landscape character. This former Blokker location is the most south-eastern plot of Goudse Poort business park. The most important core value for the transformation is the combination of the Gouda Landscape and a robust, urban structure. This creates a special, healthy, and safe living environment where future users and residents can enjoy the nature that Gouda has to offer, also in an inner-city location.

Location

In terms of infrastructure, the location has a lot of potential; both the station and the A12 motorway can be reached within a few minutes. In the current situation, the location can only be reached from Antwerpseweg. The study on the reprofiling of the Burgemeesterkwartier takes into account a new access on the east side, intended for both fast and slow traffic.

The new Burgemeesterkwartier covers an area of ​​over 45,000 m2 and forms a pivot point between the Goudse Poort business park and the residential areas of Bloemendaal. Residential areas are located on the north and east sides, and commercial properties are located on the west side. To the south lies infrastructure: the Burgemeester Jamessingel and the railway, but also the Railway Park to be developed.

Landscape and identity

The Dutch landscape has defined our identity in the field of nature and culture and has a large share in Dutch art history. From our geological structure, the Netherlands has always had a strong relationship with water. Gouda is one of the areas where water is an integral part of spatial issues. Visible water structures dominate the natural and urban landscape. At the same time, the municipality knows how to deal with the water management of the peat landscape in a smart way, and the ambitions in terms of greening and sustainability are significant. In the Burgemeesterkwartier, these landscape qualities are brought together in a pleasant and healthy living environment.

Connecting people to nature

The Burgemeesterkwartier connects people with the Gouda Landscape. The living environment is intensively infused with greenery and water, and cars and traffic disappear into the background. There are places to play, sit by the water and enjoy nature. An extensive plan is being drawn up for planting and vegetation, with a focus on sustainability, nature inclusivity and climate-proofing. The adapted nature must not only withstand the seasons, but also withstand heat stress, soil subsidence, varying groundwater, and surface water. Management and maintenance are geared to the design, so that the informal, landscape qualities match the banks in the area.

The quality of the landscape is reflected in the robustness of the public space. Changes can be absorbed. This is important; not only now, but also in the long term, the plan must be able to grow with its users. This offers a high degree of future-proofing.

Low-traffic and shared mobility

The Burgemeesterkwartier will have both private and communal gardens, and the car will disappear into the background. By including semi-underground and covered parking facilities in the plan, no parked cars are visible. Its location (near Intercity station Gouda) makes this location ideal for alternative forms of mobility. That is why this is also one of the two pilot locations of the City Deal for Electric Mobility. In addition to electric shared cars, good quality bicycle parking facilities are also included, and we’re investigating whether offering partial scooters, shared cargo bikes and / or partial e-bikes is an interesting addition.

Spoorzone

The Burgemeesterkwartier is part of a larger building task in the Spoorzone (Railway zone) and a pivot point between living, working, recreation and traffic. With a careful spatial structure, the different neighborhoods are connected to each other in urban design, and opportunities arise to connect to future developments in the Spoorzone. Due to the high demand for urban living in the Randstad, close to a public transport hub, there is space in the entire Spoorzone for more than 1000 new homes for different target groups and in different categories, such as social rent, medium rent and affordable owner-occupied homes. In addition to a varied living environment within the Spoorzone, efforts will also be made to new work functions, offices, and facilities.