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Groningen in de jaren 1970 en 1980
De blijvende rol van ideologische principes in binnenstedelijke stadsontwikkeling
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: Tijdschrift voor Historische Geografie, Volume 9, Issue 4, Nov 2024, p. 264 - 284
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- 01 Nov 2024
Abstract
Groningen in the 1970s and 1980s. The enduring role of ideological principles in inner city development
This article describes how Groningen aimed to find a balance between preserving historic elements and embracing innovations for the historic inner city, with its partly medieval structure and monumental buildings. After the liberation in 1945, the inner city was partly in ruins. Urban development was planned and accelerated with a focus on large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation plans for traffic breakthroughs. In the 1970s, under influence of progressive politicians, a new approach was introduced, focusing on mixing functions and livability, with the Doelstellingennota (Objectives Memorandum) and the Verkeerscirculatieplan (Traffic Circulation Plan). Car access was restricted, while space was given back to pedestrians and cyclists, and the residential quality and livability of downtown was reintroduced and maintained. The 1980s introduced a more integrated urban planning and a stronger role for the market, focusing on the redevelopment of urban zones. Iconic projects such as the Groninger Museum and the H.N. Werkmanbrug emphasized the connection between architecture and urban planning. Contemporary plans build on these principles, paying attention to contemporary issues such as climate adaptation while preserving the human scale, so that Groningen continues to develop respectfully and innovatively.