A plan for the regeneration of the greenspaces in Overvecht District

copyright 2001, Anne R. Beer and City of Utrecht 

Identifying Key Issues and Defining the Problem

Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses
Lack of diversity and variety	Lack of "meeting places"
Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area	Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas
Traffic issues	Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads
Lack of "Sense of Place"	Problems of different age groups
Special ideas and features	Identifying possible local "work" projects

There is a lack of diversity and variety throughout the District of Overvecht
Lack of pride in place	Difficult to feel proud of the local green and open spaces improve so that people can cherish them the idea of a Green Overvecht is a major component of the District's potential to become something special within Utrecht
Appearance	Improve "impression" of Overvecht Overvecht is dull to look at the District lacks any wild looking areas strengthen its image as a "good" place in which to live needs to be recognisable as an attractive place in which to live if problems relating to social exclusion are not to take over there needs to be more differentiation in the housing neglect of external environment consider developing north Overvecht as a particularly green looking area and the southern part as a more urban looking area- more active - make them look like different "places reduce the "regularity" of the views
Lack of visual variety and delight	- described as "boring and dull by many local people - trees "look the same" - monoculture and mono age rules - little colour in the landscape particularly in winter the buildings too are colourless Cannot easily see or experience the other local landscapes - the "Forts" - the rural landscape - the river landscape
Lack of human scale	The human scale should be central to the redesigning of Overvecht - including: slower traffic and ultimately lower buildings - reduce width of roads - make pedestrian crossings which give priority to people not cycles and vehicles
Lack of "things to do"/ "places to go"	Nothing to do in the local open spaces no round "walks" utilising the local landscape features Cannot easily get to the other local landscapes the "Forts" are perceived as inaccessible and once there "nothing to do" the rural landscape is inaccessible because of the road the river landscape is underused as it is not possible to make a walk directly along the river bank lots of greenspace but needs linking into a more obvious structure - the paths through it need to go somewhere - schools, sports areas etc.
Lack of nature	No variety of natural habitats across the District area between Polderweg and de Vecht should be kept for nature little variety in wildlife across the District
Lack of Art	Little art in Overvecht This is not entirely true as there are many sculptures - but it is difficult to find them
Lack of a visible Structure	Everything in the District has to "fit together" eliminate dead corners and "left over" spaces the external environment should support what the users want just as much as the buildings should
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Lack of any "Sense of Place"
Lack of sense of "place"	The District could be anywhere in the Netherlands - in many parts of the site a person could be anywhere within it - no visual clues to "the place" - spaces too anonymous
Lack of landmarks	Difficult to understand where one is within the site - so many buildings are "the same" (despite the efforts to paint them different colours) - easy to "feel lost" - lack of local focal points at walking speed and at eye level - lack of local focal points at driving speed - redesign Einsteindreef and Brailledreef- Zamenhof (?) as "entrances" to the District -consider making more of corner of Zambeziedreef as a landmark
Lack of safe/ secure outdoor space	Many people feel unsafe outside their homes and in the parks particularly at dusk and after dark (see survey of over 55s) -many older people do not go out at night as do no feel safe - many children are not allowed out of their apartment to play as parents consider the "outside" unsafe - more lighting where people cross roads and along any cycle and walkways - any dense planting well back from edge of walkways - Overvecht's main roads so wide that it is frightening to move through the space at night especially for slow moving older people and those with disabilities
Lack of "users" in greenspace	The lack of people in and moving through many of the spaces increases insecurity -"busy space is safe space" - greenspace should be lively - Parks are not lively enough - improving their usability would attract many more people into them so they are used used in daytime and in the evenings
Lack of sense of history	There is history surrounding and underlying this District - make the local people and visitors aware of this - the Museum of Utrecht should be involved in interpreting the Forts - historic walking/ cycling route possible
Lack of differentiation between public and private space	There is no clear demarcation between private and public space in the areas immediately adjacent to people's homes - confused ownership/ responsibility - who has the right to control use and therefore people's expected behaviour in local open spaces
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Lack of outdoor "meeting places"
Nowhere to sit near home	Few places to walk to near the home, lack of places to stop and sit when walking to shops - places one would hope to meet "familiar" faces for a chat - places just to sit and watch the world go by - places to rest in while the children play - places which feel safe and no one feels threatened - places which both old and young feel attracted to use - few sitting spaces near bus-stops
Nowhere to sit on way to and from shops etc.	Few sitting spaces and fewer which feel safe and inviting to use on the way to and from the shops/ schools/ work - make lots of small meeting spaces along main walking routes
Lack of community owned outside spaces	Greenspaces need to belong to specific houses
Summary of the particular problems faced by the different age groups and culture groups in relation to local greenspaces
Older people	Many people feel unsafe outside their homes and in the parks particularly at dusk and after dark ( see Report on over 55s in Overvecht) - many older people do not go out at night as do no feel safe - no provision for short, middle and longer distance circular walks -set up a special system to help older people look after the green areas adjacent to their homes
Children	Many children are not allowed out of their apartment to play as parents consider the "outside" unsafe - spaces adjacent to houses are boring for children - need "indoor" sheltered play facilities adjacent to the play areas - more places needed to support informal play near the home - provide more of the "controlled" playgrounds and extend their opening hours - many of the present play areas and sports areas are "brutal" in scale, style and appearance due to perceived need to make them vandal proof (ARB- note)
Youths	More meeting places for young people but spread these out so as to avoid any dense concentration of young people - near other facilities not too isolated - have special facilities for 12 to 15 year olds - girls as well as boys near the "Speeltuinen" (existing adventure play areas) - the present hang-out areas alienate older people - new better quality spaces fro youth integrated into the main greenspaces in locations which are well used by the whole community - eradicate "youth only" spaces Set up a system whereby young people can do something useful for their community - so that they too can feel ownership of spaces and places - allow the young people to feel a sense of achievement through building something and looking after it
Other adults	No specific issues mentioned by the inhabitants - see needs of this group as described in the Background Paper - Places to live, work and play
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Summary of the particular problems of the Parkland and the adjacent rural area
Parkland areas	Encourage more use of parkland - make the Parks more noticeable and greener and in places more open - more lighting in Parks - more supervision in Parks - more active recreational and play possibilities - encourage neighbourhood clubs which use the parks - encourage catering facilities - "tea house" and "ice cream parlour" - areas of concentrate use within the Greenspace - reactivate the "open air theatre" - locations with specific "busy "recreational functions - make a bigger difference between the Parks and the surrounding greenspace to draw attention to Parkland as different from the Housing land - use more fences --the Parklands have the potential to support a greater level of biodiversity
Park de Gagel	Park de Gagel does not look like the "special place"- it should be the "heart" of the northern part of the District - pond and "central" area need much upgrading and improvement to become a special attraction - more supervision of the park area - improved catering facilities - including a "terrace" for drinks and snacks - extend opening hours of the enclosed playground - artificial snow (winter play needed) - better access for wheel chairs and prams - improve the level of maintenance immediately improve the "furniture" and add more - more parking needed for visitors - areas of wet and marshy soil in north need dealing with -the Park for an area of this size is an ecological desert - increase the range of natural habitats within the Park to enhance biodiversity - dogs in Park make many people afraid - fence park to keep them out
Park de Watertoren	Park de Watertoren does not look like the "focal point" it should be in Overvecht - it could be the "heart" of the southern part of the District - it must stay green looking and well treed - animal pasture should be kept and made more like a city farm - passage of cycles and brommers should be controlled better -facilities should be improved - have a "terrace" for drinks and snacks - more landmarks needed - longer opening hours for the successful Bouwspeeltuin (adventure play) - use proximity to Centre and redesign Park to encourage people out into it - but do so in a way that does not make anybody "frightened" to go into the Park - improve access for prams and wheel chairs - redesign the area near Mosel and Marnedreef to be a part of the Park in which people stay - rather than just pass through - this will make the Park feel safer to use - improve the present standard of maintenance and supervision - the roads through the Park threaten people and discourage use of park - areas of wet and marshy soil need dealing with - these have the potential to be developed into areas with a different sort of natural habitat (different plants and animals) -the Park for an area of this size is an ecological desert - increase the range of natural habitats within the Park to enhance biodiversity - dogs in Park make many people afraid - fence park to keep them out
Children's -/City Farm	City Farm - the present "kinderboerderij" centres in the Parks could be amalgamated and upgraded to make one high quality "City Farm" with good access for all - this could be associated with "green- management" training schemes for the local people
de Klopvaart	More needs to be made of the potential of this linear park - it needs clear connections to other parts of the District - the edges of the canal have the potential to support a special range of plants and wildlife and to aid in the enhancement of biodiversity in this part of Overvecht
de Vechtzoom	Park de Vechtzoom has potential to become somewhere very special within Utrecht City - it needs to be redesigned so that its focus is the river - a riverside Park - improve access to Park from the east and south - have an old persons home overlooking the river and nearby have a children's crèche - have houses along de Vecht - high quality buildings - have a crossing over the river for pedestrians and cyclists to Zuilen and the city centre (away from the main roads - dogs in Park make many people afraid - fence park to keep them out - make more open looking - accentuate the river - use part of hospital site to link Vechtzoom Park into the rest of the District's greenspaces - at present it is as if it is separate - there are areas within this Park where small extents of natural habitat could with benefit be introduced but for safety ensure that there is no dense planting near walkways or cycle routes
Norderpark	Make good links to the proposed Norder Park - safe crossings - at present frightening - more links and entrances - make Norder park part of Overvecht - make links from the District's greenspace system into the park - consider making a bridge across the main road
Other potential parks	Park Shanghaidreef has a landscape with a special character - to maintain this needs special maintenance and upgrading solutions
Forts	Make something special of the Forts - something children can learn from - "history" fort, "frightening place" fort etc. - make round walks/ cycle routes Link Forts adjacent to the District with others further away - cycle routes with interpretation of points of interest -the areas forming the Forts have the potential to carry a wider the range of natural habitats within the Park to enhance biodiversity
Fort de Klop	Make a "harbour" in the Fort
Fort Blauwkapel	Blauwkapel Fort presents a real opportunity to enhance the interest of the area - it needs to be connected with Overvecht so that it can be perceived as part of the District's greenspace system -at present there is no obvious route to use to get into it - it needs picnic places, restaurants and cafes to make it a special place to go to
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Summary of the particular problems of the Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads see also Traffic issues
Parkway Roads and the Main Highways	Make the landscape of the main roads so that they give a strong visible structure to the District - add housing along Carnegiedreef to make it look more urban - use the spaces set aside along the major roads as ecological corridors but ensure that only low growing flowering meadows are created where people cross through the areas on foot or cycle
Parking areas and access roads	Many of the parking areas are "brutal" in appearance - lack any intricate "doorstep" meeting and waiting spaces - lack of plant material - many trees look unhealthy - lack of "delight" - lack of privacy for bottom windows - make more interesting - make a better quality environment - people would like their "own' parking bay - parking areas have to be safe places for people and cars - parking areas take too much space - consider garages ( note: safety implications) - make parking areas more "private" - have barriers to restrict access and differentiate from other road surfaces - make more urban street-like - do not want to see too may cars at once - reduce hard area - more private spaces - there is space within many of the Parking courtyards to develop small areas of wild-life gardens - although these are not naturalistic habitats they can support a range of insect (e.g. butterflies) and birdlife
Summary of the particular problems and opportunities associated with the Greenspaces within and near the houses and apartment blocks and in the Central area
Doorstep Greenspaces and Open space	"Municipal landscape" solutions of the type and style found next to almost all the housing within the district cannot function as a landscape to support the activities of those who live in the "blocks" - outdoor recreational opportunities are needed near the home - make the "binnenhoven" more interesting and greener - the quality of the greenspaces needs improvement and they need linking into the main greenspace structure - make greenspaces near buildings more usable- this will increase social control - more supervision of spaces needed - make a small local park - Rio de Janierodreef - fit into adjacent greenspaces - investing in these spaces outside the house will increase social and economic value - make the spaces next the home multifunctional and more usable -- children and older people to be encouraged to work together to tidy and maintain their local spaces - perhaps even on a regular basis - the present lack of private space is not compensated for by the extent of public space within the District - they are two different things - more "private" / "controlled" space is needed - strengthen open and greenspace near homes - make good public/ private distinction - more multi- functional and flexible use of spaces - do not segregate people- encourage interaction - make the spaces next the buildings more beautiful and perhaps more productive - use the local community to reorganise and improve its greenspaces - many of these spaces have "shadow" problems from the high buildings and large trees - redesign to make maximum use of sunny corners in the winter/ spring and summer periods - many of these spaces are very 'overlooked" which deters people for using them as general daily spaces - redesign to allow much more diversity of spaces and so increase the number of people using the areas - add lighting for evening/night safety - not municipal lampposts but special "garden" lighting - it would be possible to have small specialist vegetable/ herb growing areas within any redesigned "Doorstep Greenspaces" - there is space within many of the Greenspace adjacent to housing to develop small areas of wild-life gardens - although these are not naturalistic habitats they can support a range of insect (e.g. butterflies) and birdlife which can be a source of delight for those living nearby - it would be possible to build small winter gardens (conservatories ) adjacent to places occupied by older people - these could be heated in winter by waste heat fro building blocks - consider local water storage of water from roofs for watering plants in these spaces
Allotments	There is a need for places to grow vegetables within the Housing areas despite the large area of allotments to the north of the District - possibility of different ethnic groups growing specialist vegetables/ herbs near their homes could be explored as could using waste heat fro building blocks to warm small greenhouses
Private gardens	Making screens around the private gardens too high gives a fenced in feel for passers-by - in many places it would be possible to redesign the garden boundaries to reduce the number of little left over plots of grass between the footways and the garden fence
Local Centres	The local centres need total redesigning - make more focal points - concentrate more activities there - do not leave empty premises - if no takers change into housing quickly - consider setting up workshops for young local entrepreneurs
Sports facilities	More very local sports possibilities - little features like jeux de boule - sports clubs need encouraging and places to meet - sports facilities need improving Improve the existing sports facilities - raise the quality of the local landscapes around the Sports Fields - make more "friendly" - improve lighting - investigate having more supervision and increase use by "Sports Clubs"
Ice rink area	Make more of the proximity to The Ice-Rink and develop the potential of that part of the City to support day recreation - add a Cinema - there is good parking there
Water areas	Make a Water plan - water is a beautiful element in any scene water areas should be treated carefully and in conjunction with the greenspaces through which they flow - make the link between water and green into a special feature - housing by water - a missing element here - have an area like Waterrijk Boskoop - the water areas have the potential to be the core for introducing a wider range of naturalistic habitats
de Vecht river	Make more of de Vecht River - de Vecht river needs to be perceived as part of the District of Overvecht - a distinctive element in it - a pedestrian route is needed along the river edge and a bridge for cycles and pedestrians over the river
de Klop canal	New urban villa housing along the canal
de Watertoren canals	de Watertoren canal system
The Centre	More needs to be made of the Centre - needs to be a special place - good that parking free - needs a sports facility with the Centre - allow football/ kickabout etc. to be played - perhaps on roof of parking garage or warehouse. Needs to be well lit and with lots of people around if it is to work and not become a threatening place - improve the quality of all the public spaces in and around the Centre - more high quality open-space outside - need special elements to give "sense of being in a particular place" - a style of design, style of furniture, paving and signing - make more of the outside spaces and the canals - make a special "square" - use proximity to Park de Watertoren and redesign to encourage people out into the Park - but do so in a way that does not make anybody "frightened" to go into the Park - build student flats nearby - connect station with shops - make into a promenade with shops - poor link between offices, shops and the road - redesign -Business is taking more and more land and now parking has become a problem - this needs sorting
The Station	More needs to be made of the station to encourage people to use the train system - needs to appear more important - make more of the route between the Station and the Centre
Schools	Too much "litter" is produced by school children - the problem needs solving - make more of the schools' facilities for the whole community- could be organised by the Wijkbureau - make a public biological garden near a school for children and adults - all segments of the community to be involved in making this facility so they learn to work together to make their environment better and more stimulating - encourage links with local businesses - improve school yards - make greener
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Special ideas and features suggested for the District by the local people which impinge on Greenspace and its use
"Pride"	Allow local people to feel proud of Overvecht communicate this "pride" to others - people need to identify with "their home environment"
"Pop-in "centre	Somewhere a local person can go just to make a suggestion about a place or about a facility and to inform the District when a particular maintenance activity needs to be increased in frequency
Information	Need to keep local people informed as to changes
Use of Cycles	Encourage local people to use their cycles - cycle track users should have priority over cars within the housing area
Local work projects	Keep local youngsters busy -the present level of youth unemployment is having an impact on local people's feelings of safety when they are outside their homes - encourage local small enterprises to start and to use local labour - encourage more local involvement in the market and particularly ethnic groups who might initially sell specialist foodstuffs - more opportunity to work fro home or in small local workshop in blocks of flats/ disused buildings - more flexibility by planners to enable this multi-use of land - encourage a Telewerk complex - catering facilities in the Parks could be small local businesses if given financial incentives -recycling businesses could be encouraged on appropriate sites and with good controls - could encourage more car servicing facilities - link small local businesses and schools - encourage small business into Centre - the shops are not varied enough - e.g. bookshop - make training opportunities for those who want to learn to work with "green - cheep and easy access to basic workshop space for local inhabitants wanting to start a business
Set up a "Stichting" (Foundation)to help older people stay in their homes	There is a need for a special organisation which older people can contact to get help with garden making and maintenance and with little jobs such as: laundry, shopping, joinery etc. - need a contact point to phone Have a "Work Pool" for all ages so people can volunteer to help others and ask for help when they need it
Use Forts as special places and features	Have facilities in the Fort areas : work-places, play-areas, recycling facilities/ shops, Bed and Breakfasts
Art Route	Have a special "Art Route" through the District. permanent and temporary exhibitions outside and on walls plus the possibility of visiting "Artists in their Studios" or "Buying Art" - opportunities for youth to work with artists - an Art Centre - could become economic activity - art courses for all age groups
"Car" district	Overvecht should remain a place in which cars can move freely - as distinct from the traffic control necessary in other high density developments - traffic drives too fast along some roads and some are congested - improve the links to Overvecht North - the new District Traffic Plan has too many slow roads
"Liveability"	Make everywhere more liveable to increase social cohesion - increasing use of Parks makes them safer - more catering facilities - cafes, restaurants but not too near homes because of noise - be positive about keeping the District clean of litter - find a means of monitoring it - the present level of litter in parts of the site detracts from liveability - blowing litter could be caught in hedges as long as they are regularly cleaned, empty yellow bins more often
Key Issues - sub menu - click to view responses Lack of diversity and variety Lack of "meeting places" Problems and opportunities of the Parkland,and the adjacent rural area Problems and opportunities: Greenspaces within housing areas Traffic issues Problems and opportunities: Parkway Roads, Parking Areas and Access Roads Lack of "Sense of Place" Problems of different age groups Special ideas and features Identifying possible local "work" projects
Traffic Issues
Safe walkways	Structure the walking routes - there should be a safe walk linking the Parks and major Greenspaces - with Bridges over the main roads and priority to pedestrians along the route - a crossing over de Vecht is needed - round walks are needed - use de Vecht and the Forts as focal points on one route - if such a walk passed the centre then walkers could pick up a picnic there - link activities along the main routes - connect station with shops - make into a promenade with shops - make lots of small meeting spaces along main walking routes some with interesting things to do/ experience - consider easily walkable bridge over Carneigiedreef - make all crossings old and children friendly
Safe cycleways	Layout a high quality cycle route with links to Business areas, the Centre and out into the surrounding town and rural area - have cycle parking facilities at the Overvecht Station and at major Bus -stops - need clear signing and easily recognised routeways fort he cyclists - smooth surfaces cycle route - coloured for easy identification - need good cycle route from Station to Business areas - this should be as straight as possible to allow for maximum speed - all road crossing points should be cycle and wheel chair friendly - for safety along the Carnaigiedreef the cycle way should have two "ways" - along this road the cars ignore cycle priority this has to change - cars must be slowed - a cycleway is needed along Brailledreef - the "green" light for cycles should give them priority for longer at all main road crossings - have a crossing over de Vecht in the area of the Park - connect station with shops
Vehicular traffic	Traffic noise is a problem in the housing adjacent to the main through roads - make all crossings old and children friendly - slow vehicles down if they move through the District - allow them to go fast round the edge of the District so as to change driver road use patterns - improve signage - reduce Carnegie, Einstein and Zamenhof-dreef to 1 lane width to make cars move at very low speed through the District - Overvecht should be a slow traffic zone and safe for non car users - Hanoidreef has a vehicle rat-run problem - Karlmarxdreef and Albert Schweitzer dreef have become part of the city ring-road system - traffic in the District needs reorganising accordingly - redesign Einsteindreef - make it more for people and remove the barriers to north south movement - traffic jams on the roads leading to the District slow down access - more slow roads needed too many are over dimensioned and encourage speeding - consider easily walkable bridge over Carneigiedreef - can Albert Schweitzerdreef be lowered so that walkers and cyclists can easily and safely bridge it - consider building over the road at high density to pay for lowering - traffic changes have not been well managed - often an improvement in one place causes a problem in another - Loevenhiutsedijk is not a logical entrance to Overvecht - needs rethinking - Overvecht is cut off from the main town
Public Transport	Needs improving - buses - lots more bus-stops/ picking up points - bus system needs to be designed to meet user needs not bus company needs - add a " Round" Bus System through the Wijk (District) - facilitate park and ride as well as parking cycles at Station
Housing issues
Housing	Overvecht is dense enough - it does not need more people but the whole District needs restructuring to work better for its inhabitants - particularly the outdoor spaces - could gradually add more low rise housing as high rise removed - the 10 storey flats feel threatening - the outside environment is increasingly alienating - a lot of older people are in ground floor flats and the view out the window is often dismal - consider making Overvecht an example of "residential living in the Future - NB has to be made work if Compact City idea is to be achieved - give people more gardens - add penthouses to blocks of flats - roof gardens - knock some flats together to make bigger and more diverse living units - more mixed development - more houses along de Vecht and near sport fields - any more closure of balconies needs careful consideration - consider using the building walls for art - housing should be in sustainable buildings in sustainable greenspace