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 will permanently improve the livability and future-proofing of Heerlerheide, as part of Heerlen-Noord. It is going to give a major quality improvement 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The area now has a one-sided housing supply with mainly social housing and a large proportion of outdated housing with poor energy performance.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 this collaboration we can add a higher housing segment to neighborhoods with mainly social housing. We exchange the social rental housing for a higher segment. We are bringing them back to another location within the planning area (see Figure 1). It is a unique opportunity to mix without displacing and also add housing to the housing stock. The transformation also offers the chance to add spatial quality, with for example improving (green) structures and street profiles.
Director Wim Hazeu:
"Woonpunt is going to make energetically and structurally poor housing more sustainable and improve it through new construction or renovation. The result will be more diverse, stronger and future-proof neighborhoods." Themes such as energy transition, climate adaptation, mobility, urban planning, cultural history and architecture are part of this task.
Over 800 new homes within 20 years
The area lies 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 near the areas the parties want to develop.
The housing program assumes about 800 additional homes in the middle and upper housing segment. The number of social housing units will remain the same, but we will better distribute the property areas in the planning area. Realization will take 15 to 20 years, as it is a major transformation. We first explore the possibilities for a good mix in the housing supply of the Versiliënbosch neighborhood and the Vrieheide quarry.
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 can much more often stay in their own neighborhood. Now they often have to seek that housing elsewhere. What's more, with this approach we are making beautiful areas such as the Groeve Vrieheide accessible. And thus making them much more a part of our neighborhoods so that people can enjoy them 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."