ACE | Groei en de regio: Groeien langs oude en nieuwe structuren

One of the biggest bottlenecks in the Netherlands is already a reality: the Eindhoven Ring Road. Nowhere else does the business sector lose so many valuable hours to traffic congestion. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management’s solution: extra lanes on the N2 and A2 highways. Even with a full commitment to public transport, the region is still facing severe congestion, the Eindhovens Dagblad recently noted in an analysis. Last year, the so-called “Beethoven Deal” between the national government and the region already reserved funds to tackle the traffic problem: €374 million for highway infrastructure and €129 million for the ‘Brainportlijn,’ a rapid bus connection between Best and Veldhoven.

Investing in infrastructure has a long tradition, as Thom Aussems recently pointed out during the third session in the series Growth and the Region. In previous phases of rapid growth—driven by the expansion of Philips and the postwar population boom of the 1950s and 60s—the region also focused heavily on mobility improvements rather than compact urban expansion. For instance, in the 1930s, the progressive urban planner J.M. de Casseres was brought to Eindhoven to develop a regional plan based on mobility. After the war, Philips introduced VIPRE buses to transport employees to and from the factories. The sharp rise in car ownership also necessitated major breakthroughs in the existing urban fabric, although not without social resistance.

Recently, during the Korte Golf program at Natlab, Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem mentioned that one way to tackle the housing shortage is to expand the search radius for housing. Cities like Weert then come into view as attractive locations, thanks to their frequent train connections with Eindhoven. Thom Aussems is critical of this approach. He has argued in the media that Eindhoven should instead focus on densifying the existing urban area.

An interesting historical reference in this context is urban planner J.M. de Casseres, who was one of the first to design with the water-soil system in mind. In his expansion plan for Eindhoven, he located new residential neighborhoods on the higher, drier parts of the territory and kept the (still existing) green wedges free from development. He considered these wedges essential for recreational green space in a growing city. In his plans, he preferred compact village-like centers to preserve as much open space as possible. This raises the question of how the water-soil system could inform today’s regional growth challenges—and where current growth strategies may clash with that logic.

Together with Anne Seghers, we will explore these issues on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 16:00 to 18:00 in the Natlab Auditorium. The theme: “Growing Along Old and New Structures: Water and Soil as Guides.”
Introduction by Anne Seghers (Ruimtevolk, guest curator).

Tentative guests:
– Anton Bos (Advisor, BMC)
– Roy Thijssen (Strategic Advisor on Spatial Planning, Municipality of Weert)
– Marnix van der Kruis (Strategic Policy Advisor, Water Board De Dommel)

Moderated by Lisa Peters (de Dagverlichter).