EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE MASTER PLAN
A master plan is being prepared for the IJsselsprong area redevelopment programme, covering the ‘central district’ to the west of the river IJssel near Zutphen in the Netherlands. The policy documents and plans produced by the local and regional authorities call for the sustainable development of this area. This aim must be reflected by the master plan. Experts from the SEEN Sustainable Cities knowledge cluster suggested ways in which sustainability can be embedded in the plan development process.
The task of producing the master plan is to be tendered out to a specialist external urban planning consultancy. Before this can happen, the Programme of Requirements (PoR) must be established and Bureau Nieuwe Gracht is currently making the necessary preparations. To ensure that sustainable area development is adequately embedded in the master plan from the outset, Witteveen+Bos joined its SEEN partners in organizing a workshop for all stakeholders.
Sustainability assessment
The workshop was attended by staff and officials from the Province of Gelderland, the Brummen and Zutphen local authorities, a project developer, representatives of Bureau Nieuwe Gracht and experts from the SEEN Sustainable Cities knowledge cluster. This cluster formulates design principles for urban development and infrastructural plans, and has developed a ‘sustainability assessment’ which can be used to evaluate spatial development policy, initiatives and plans. The sustainability assessment formed the focus of the workshop.
Experience and inspiration
The workshop resulted in thirteen key conclusions which have been incorporated into the Programme of Requirements under five headings. This ensures that the objectives of the master plan will take sustainability fully into account. The input of the SEEN experts was described as ‘inspiring’. They helped to set out the ways in which sustainability should be sought within the area development programme. The urban planning consultancies will therefore have the information they need to tender for the master plan development process, and the selected consultancy will be able to address all sustainability requirements. The SEEN approach and the practical experience of members from Denmark, Sweden and France offer an additional guarantee that sustainability can indeed be firmly embedded in the plan development process.
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