After taking a train ride a third of the way across Holland eastward, a few stations past Utrecht Centraal, we arrived in a small 50,000 person 'suburb' known as Houten. Houten exhibits the features of a 'complete community' , with around 5,000-10,000 of the working age population commuting and about the other half remain in Houten as working age adults- mixed age community. The neighborhood provides the very amenities Americans and Canadians might expect for their family-friendly suburb, with higher density housing and more mixed-use commercial development. In addition, within a ten-minute train ride (or 5 miles), one can conveniently reach the center of Utrecht.
Urban Form
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| Cauliflower Model of Neighborhood Design |
Unlike the American suburb bounded by the superblock, Houten consists of a cauliflower neighborhood design and represents the ideal example for self-containment. Car traffic circles around the neighborhood, while a bike path forms an access route directly through the neighborhood north to south, perpendicular to the train route which runs west to east. The main train station forms a higher density, commercial development. The bike path that intersects this center transitions into medium density residential areas, around 40 dwelling units/ acre, well above the 'sustainable community' density targets outlined in Canada (around 33 du/acre). Smaller walking paths and sidewalks form a complex grid pattern within the circle. According to a City Lab article on the neighborhood, non-car travel dominates with approximately 66% of commuting being made multi-modally by car, bike, or transit. No wonder it seemed as though more cars were parked than driven! In fact, the park ones looked like they had barely ever been driven.
Unlike the American model of suburban development, in which commercial trip development and cul de sacs block connectivity, Houten sets an example by enabling permeability and connectivity through small archways in commercial midrise buildings, narrow pedestrian walkways, tunnels, and stairwells/ramps. Architecturally and landscape design wise, these also form interesting blocks and paths. For cyclists and pedestrians, that means there is rarely a dull moment while out and about in this neighborhood.
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| Along the main bike route access road, car traffic is occassionally prohibited |
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| Stairwells are equipped with cycle ramps to enable cyclists' mobility |
Green and Stormwater Management Features
Landscape architects, behold: Houten's streets and sidewalks are the creme de la creme for managing stormwater in the most natural methods possible. Most sidewalks contain permeable pavements, through crevices, so that rainwater can seep through the cracks, removing most pollutants. In addition, natural infiltration prevents fish kill, as stormwater does not move rapidly and at high temperatures through the conventional storm drainage system. It also ensures the rainwater ends up in groundwater systems. Many streets lack curbs. Rain-gardens border them. This way, water that does not infiltrate through the pavement cracks can feed into the nearby vegetation. Rather than using asphalt as the primary pavement material, grass and gravel are popular materials, enabling better infiltration.
The neighborhood, while more compact than the American suburb, is well-endowed in green open space. Unlike many of the suburban parks in North America, many of the children and parents in this neighborhood actually frequent the various patches of open space. In addition, the open space is more than just a bland field of grass. It contains a small basketball court, a sand pit for soccer games, and a miniature playground. On all sides, it is surrounded by multi-family row housing. Eyes on the street clearly enable its surveillance.
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| The residential streets are bordered by abundant green space. |
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| permeable pavements and curb-less streets enable best infiltration practices |
Housing Types, Architectural Features, and Transit
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| A labeled mixed use building containing 'workspaces", "lounge and food" , housing and a bank. |
Closer to the train station, commercial development consists of mixed-use midrise housing of around four or five stories. Some buildings consisted of labeled multiple uses, such as a restaurant, shops, and housing. Multi-functionality has evolved as an important trend in Dutch planning practice in response to land scarcity in the Randstad area, an agglomeration of four cities (Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht).
Throughout the rest of the neighborhood, more row and duplex housing, in addition to a few semi-detached homes, creates residential neighborhood density. The residential neighborhoods are connected to the city not only by bike but also by bus. The bus station is equipped with a good electronic signage post, resembling the higher-tech transit system improvements at Maple Ridge, BC, a newer community in Metro Vancouver.
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| Bike routes are demarcated through color-coding |
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| Electronic Schedule Display at a Houten bus stop |
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| Signage exists at every major intersection to provide orientation |
Although our group of Canadian civil engineering and planning students appreciated the efforts of Houten, we all wondered if these ideas could be transferred to North American communities. Given the rarity of such a neighborhood in North America, a neighborhood with these Dutch design elements would appeal to many people, especially families. This, in turn, would hike up the housing prices. In a place as unaffordable as Vancouver, how can such communities be designed or existing suburbs retrofitted so as to remain inclusive? When bringing these ideas over to our continent, we should keep affordability in mind.
Read more on the Houten case study and sustainable suburban communities here
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