Masterplan Centrumontwikkeling Eelde

Eelde, a characteristic village of about 7,000 residents situated in the Dutch municipality of Tynaarlo, has been considering the revitalization of its village center for more than two decades. Despite numerous proposals over the years, none proved viable for various reasons. Realizing that the village center needed rejuvenation, citizens regularly raised the issue with the collegium of Mayor and Aldermen of the Tynaarlo municipality. In response, the municipality engaged includi to develop a new Master Plan for the center. A plan that should include ideas for the infill of public space, such as the division of green space, parking and housing, along with retail and cultural-social functions, such as possibly a library and museum.

At includi, we specialize in the development of accessible public spaces that connect people; therefore we could not draw up this plan alone. Urban environments influence how we feel*. This means adequate attention must be paid to user research and citizen participation. We wanted to give all Eelde residents the chance to think along. Over 600 citizens of all age groups were intensively involved through various activities, including walk-in workshops for all residents, an online survey, conversations with stakeholders and interviews with “neighbors” (people living around the center). Besides that, we organized several focus group sessions. Next to the field research, our research team did extensive desk research on the history of Eelde and previous proposals.

The people of Eelde appeared to agree on one thing: their village deserves a more social center focused on staying and gathering. It should offer more green space and parking should take on a less central position. Once all interests had been identified, the complexity of the parking challenge laid out and the historical analysis conducted, it was time for the Design Workshop. This workshop was one of the highlights of the Master Plan development process, bringing together various ideas, perspectives and specific knowledge. This input was then transformed into a preliminary version of the spatial plan. To ensure inclusivity, we held subsequent walk-in workshops so stakeholders had the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal.

This joint effort resulted in the Master Plan Eelde Centrum, which has a new cultural facility, including a library, a green zone, creative solutions to the challenging parking dilemma and creative concepts for facades, restaurants and museums. It is a future-oriented vision, designed not only for the present but also with future generations in mind. It encompasses the collective vision of the residents of Eelde – a plan forged by and for the community!