Heerlen-North gets quality boost through new collaboration
Housing corporation Woonpunt, quarry owner Beaujean Onroerend Goed, project developer Prospect Residential Parcs (PRP) and Gemeente Heerlen signed a cooperation agreement on July 9 for the development and restructuring of Heerlen-Noord for the next 15 to 20 years. The approach is aimed at structurally improving the liveability and future-proofing of Heerlerheide, as part of Heerlen-Noord, and will provide a significant quality boost to the housing and living environment.
From one-sided to diverse
The area now has a one-sided housing supply with mainly social housing and a large proportion of outdated housing with poor energy performance. Through cooperation with parties, it is possible to add a higher housing segment to neighborhoods that now consist mainly of the social housing segment. The social housing units that are exchanged for a higher segment will be brought back at another location within the planning area (see Figure 1). It is a unique opportunity to mix without displacement and also add housing to the housing stock. In addition, the transformation offers the chance to add spatial quality, with, for example, improvement of the (green) structures and street profiles. Director Wim Hazeu: "Woonpunt will make the energetically and structurally poor homes more sustainable and improve them through new construction or renovation. All this will result in more diverse, stronger and future-proof neighborhoods." Themes such as energy transition, climate adaptation, mobility, urban planning, cultural history and architecture are an integral part of this task.
Over 800 new homes within 20 years
The area is roughly situated between Brunssummerheide, quarry area Euregioweg, Beersdalweg and Emmaweg. In this area, Woonpunt has property in several neighborhoods and Beaujean Real Estate owns the quarries. The municipality of Heerlen has properties adjacent to or in the vicinity of the areas the parties intend to develop.
The proposed housing program assumes an addition of approximately 800 housing units in the middle and upper housing segment. The number of social housing units will remain the same, but will be better distributed over the areas owned by the parties located in the planning area. Realization will take 15 to 20 years, as this is a major transformation. The possibilities for a good mix in the housing supply of the Versiliënbosch neighborhood and the Vrieheide quarry will be explored first.
Strengthening livability
Heerlen Alderman Marco Peters (Spatial Planning) explains, "The neighborhoods in the Heerlerheide district will receive an enormous boost as a result of this approach. On the one hand, we are thereby making neighborhoods and districts stronger by adding new housing segments, on the other hand we are also investing rigorously in livability by upgrading streets, greenery and the appearance of these neighborhoods. In this way, we are also ensuring that residents who are in need of a new home are much more likely to be able to stay in their own neighborhood, whereas now they often have to seek that home elsewhere. What's more, with this approach we are making beautiful areas like the Groeve Vrieheide accessible and thus making them much more a part of our neighborhoods so that people can enjoy them much more."
Alderman Casper Gelderblom (Housing) adds: "We are finally going to build on a large scale again in Heerlen! Not only are we creating a beautiful new residential neighborhood in the green, we are simultaneously connecting and strengthening the surrounding neighborhoods. This way we are not only building houses, but also more cohesion, livability and future prospects for the entire city. The space our city has is our strength and with exactly that strength we will now work towards a stronger, greener and more connected Heerlen."