Utrecht Quality Plan

How do you maintain urban identity in the face of rapid change?

Utrecht Quality Plan

In 2021, Utrecht City Council adopted the Utrecht Spatial Strategy 2040 (Ruimtelijke Strategie Utrecht , or RSU 2040) plan, opting to develop Utrecht as a 10-minute city. Outside the city centre, new hubs would bring amenities closer to residents, with homes, offices and meeting places located at easily accessible intersections. De Zwarte Hond collaborated with the Municipality of Utrecht on a quality plan that encapsulates the vision of a great quality of life in both the existing and growing city. Based on discussions about the future, it appears that Utrecht residents value a people-centred city, with space for diversity and encounters and a pleasantly green living environment. Therefore, 11 city-wide principles have been developed and supplemented with inspiring visions. These principles form an assessment framework for spatial plans, promoting a diverse and future-proof city. Implementation varies from location to location, depending on identity, density and urban dynamics, whether categorized as hush, buzz or fizz. The neighbourhood and structure framework helps to guide use and design, while allowing room for local identity. Green-blue routes and city streets connect neighbourhoods, town centres and the landscape. In this way, Utrecht is growing in a manner that suits its character: it is becoming more compact, more connected and more people-focused, but it is still very much Utrecht.

data

Location
Utrecht, NL
Size
n.v.t.
Client
Gemeente Utrecht
Discipline
Urban Design
Program
Design Research, Urbanization Strategy
Period
2023
Status
Completed

11 principles for a liveable city
Together with the Municipality of Utrecht, De Zwarte Hond has developed a quality plan that sets out a vision for the quality of life in both the existing and the growing city. This plan consists of 11 urban design principles to guide designs in line with Utrecht’s identity and character. The principles align with Utrecht’s small-scale nature, where people can easily meet and buildings and outdoor spaces are welcoming to all age groups. The principles promote a diverse, future-proof city and provide guidance for the use, design and appearance of public spaces.

The principles apply to the entire city and form the assessment framework for plans submitted by the municipality and other parties. To help guide spatial development, practical guidelines have been developed for each principle. When applied to specific locations, it must be demonstrated that the proposed development offers equivalent quality – this is known as the equivalence principle.

Pre-war residential area

Urban hub

Business area

Visions of inspiration
Inspirational visions have been developed based on the 11 principles. These will help steer the quality of the living environment so that Utrecht can grow while remaining true to itself. The character, history and experience of each location mean that urban planning principles are applied in different ways. This results in localized, customized solutions based on city-wide principles. Not every principle has the same effect everywhere.

For example, an attractive plinth looks different in a residential neighbourhood than in a busy urban hub. The translation of an urban planning principle into a spatial intervention depends on the location’s identity, the area’s density and its urban dynamics: hush, buzz or fizz. It is this context that determines the approach to applying the principles and leads to area-specific solutions. This diversity is characteristic of Utrecht, both in the existing city and in new developments, and it is precisely this that Utrecht residents value so much.

Hush

Buzz

Fuzz

In a compact 10-minute city, functions are closer together and more mixed. Everything you need on a daily or regular basis is located within about 10 minutes of your home or workplace. Public transport, cycling, or walking enable you to reach your destination quickly, thereby reducing travel within the city. The blending of functions such as living, working, relaxing and going out requires extra attention. It is therefore important to manage how we use the city, so that different activities can coexist – both physically and temporally – without interfering with each other. The municipality uses a framework of neighbourhoods and structures, each with a specific quality: hush, buzz or fuzz.

A framework for urban dynamics
In the future, the distribution of hush, buzz and fizz in Utrecht will change. The city will have multiple urban centres, with the vibrancy concentrated primarily around intersections in mixed-use (highly) urbanized areas. City streets will connect these intersections with the historic city centre. Green-blue routes – boulevards featuring water and vegetation – will connect neighbourhoods and workplaces with the surrounding landscape. Traffic connections will ensure that the city remains accessible to various modes of transport.

The identity and dynamism of a place determine its spatial quality