Location: Zoetermeer, NL
Year: 2017-ongoing
Gross Floor Area: 47.5 ha
Gross Area FSI: 1.4 ha
Net Plot FSI: 3.1 (average)
Program: Work, Public, Housing, Parking
Client: City of Zoetermeer

Great changes are coming to Zoetermeer. Once a proud symbol of a planned satellite city for living in modern world, Zoetermeer is now discovering it’s potential to grow into a vibrant and mature city. The repositioning of Zoetermeer from a ‘sleep city’ into an energetic urban destination starts with transforming the main entrance area of the city (Afrikaweg), now an extended ramp to the A12 highway, into a lively, sustainable and healthy urban quarter.

Happy Healthy Living Street design concept is a roadmap to create a thriving community in search of more sustainable forms of living. What makes this plan innovative is the development approach allows the linear development cycle to run parallel to the speed on which project development is occurring on the site.

The master plan is based on 6 spatial principles that function as building instructions to the current landowners and their project developers.

First, the new Afrikaweg is a high street profile and forms the basis for the development of the whole plan while connecting the station area to the commercial heart. The new Afrikaweg high street profile wil become an important route for cars, public transit, bikes and pedestrians. Buildings present themselves formally on this street while the ground floor is seen as a flexible but lively plinth for a diverse range of functions.