Location

Netherlands

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Client 

Rijkswaterstaat

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Period

2016-2017

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Team

Marco Broekman, Floris van der Zee, Chloé Charreton, Ginevra Melazzi

 

Assignment

Development of toolbox of healthy design interventions on infrastructural projects of Rijkswaterstaat

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Status

Finished

Commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), BURA (formerly known as marco.broekman) has conducted a design study on healthy design regarding RWS and RWS-related property. BURA (formerly known as marco.broekman) was asked to name the most important measures that can improve health and livability in areas connected to the national infrastructure. In order to give insight in these healthy measures, three development principles have been defined: 1) better the mirco-climate, 2) stimulate movement and 3) facilitate social encounter. A ‘menu card healthy design’ has been produced, which has been tested and illustrated on the basis of two specific cases: the the improvement of the bicycle network in the Wilhelminakanaalzone in Noord-Brabant and the health and livability potential at the A12 highway crossing with the Europalaan and Merwedekanaal in Utrecht. In these cases, links have been made between healthy design and other current assignments of RWS. The research provides tools for the implementation of healthy design and serves as a communication medium, both internally within the Rijkswaterstaat and external to its partners.

 

Rijkswaterstaat is looking for methods to integrate health into its policy, and enables designers to think with them. The project is a reflection of a mentality change within Rijkswaterstaat. More attention for a healthy setting of the physical environment is really needed. The health report made by BURA (formerly known as marco.broekman) can not be seen separately from other urgent tasks for Rijkswaterstaat, such as accessibility issues, urbanization and spatial health segregation. The implementation of the healthy measures will affect planning processes, project formulas and the spatial planning of the RWS area. The result was achieved through intensive workshops with stakeholders of Rijkswaterstaat and involved involved partners of the two case studies.