Due to a major housing shortage in the city of Groningen, around 20,000 new homes will be needed by 2030. The site of the former sugar factory – the Suikerfabriek – offers a unique opportunity to create an extensive new living and working area close to the city centre. There is space here for 5,000 homes of various types and a corresponding range of commercial and social facilities. The Noord neighbourhood (north of the railway and close to the city) has room for the first 2,000 homes, meeting the demand for urban housing.

Connection is central to the design and development of the Suikerzijde site. The district is connected to its surroundings on various scales, with structural greenery lining the recreational route and good connections to the area by bicycle and public transport. Functions and residents are also linked: there is room for living, working, learning and recreation. By offering a variety of homes and providing plenty of places to meet, the Suikerzijde becomes a district for everyone.

In the Suikerzijde, greenery is designed as part of every scale level:

1. Space for greenery in climate-adaptive streets with wadis, places to linger and alternating sun and shade thanks to large trees
2. Spacious green residential streets encourage meeting and movement
3. By solving parking by placing it in built structures or enclosing it within built frameworks, there is no parking in public space, but greenery right up to the front door
4. The Noord neighbourhood has 2,000 homes in a green framework, with a spacious city park on the west side that has an adventurous layout for walking, playing, sports and relaxing
5. At city district level, a green connection will be made with the surrounding neighbourhoods and a continuous green zone will be created along the Hoendiep.

Four important principles apply to the development and layout of the Suikerzijde:

Spacious: The building fields are generous and allow for very different implementations

Connective: It links the western neighbourhoods together

Quality of life: The Noord neighbourhood consists largely of pleasantly green public spaces, which offer plenty of opportunities to meet and exercise

Varied streetscape: The Noord neighbourhood’s varied street scenes offer a variety of functions and experiences.