From Cure to Care – Transitions in the healthy city of Utrecht

The results of IABR–Atelier Utrecht are documented in the publication From Cure to Care – Transitions in the healthy city of Utrecht. The publication comprises a number of promising scenarios that use densification as a catalyst to achieve a healthy city. Besides spatial opportunities, municipal authorities are given the opportunity to position themselves as choreographers of a ‘cooperative’ urban development, involving actors with different investment potentials and ambitions in neighborhood development.

The publication is available from IABR for € 12,50, postage and handling excluded. To order please click here →

Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. Atelier Master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels) and the research by design has been commissioned to Architecture Workroom Brussels, De Smet Vermeulen architects and MUST Urbanism.

MEETING SPACE OF THE HEALTY CITY, EXHIBITION IABR–2016–THE NEXT ECONOMY

^{Photo: Bob Goedewaagen}

The exhibition of IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City, that was part of the main exhibition of IABR–2016–THE NEXT ECONOMY, will travel to Utrecht. From 25 July until 7 October 2016 the installation will be on show in the main hall of the Stadskantoor, the city's new town hall.

Location: Stadkantoor Gemeente Utrecht, Stadsplateau 1, 3521 AZ Utrecht
Opening hours: 8 am – 5 pm (mon, wed, fri) and 8 am – 9 pm (tue, thu)
Admission: Free

More information on the website of the Municipality of Utrecht when the exhibition is open

Program
AORTA Center of Architecture Utrecht and the Municipality of Utrecht are currently developing a program of activities, that will run after the Summer and with the aim to further the results of Atelier Utrecht.

The film From Cure to Care documents the most important understandings of IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City.

The population of Utrecht is among the healthiest in the Netherlands. There are, however, marked differences inside the city. Utrecht is doing its best to address such persistent differences in health and life expectancy, but has to operate in a force field that is in full transition. The national government is delegating care tasks to municipalities. The consolidating health economy is passing into the hands of a few large parties that add little local value.

To examine how health and urban development issues can be coupled, the IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City investigated what innovative spatial development strategies can contribute to the creation of an inclusive, healthy city that prioritizes solidarity between different generations, cultures, and income groups. Atelier Utrecht focused on both spatial and programmatic transformations in the city as related to health and well-being, and on changes in the funding of health care. Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City provides insights that can also inspire other cities in the Netherlands and abroad.


Director: Roel van Tour
Animations: Studio Moan together with Lotte Z., KoxRamak and Marian Venemans
Produced by iabr/UP
© IABR, 2016

IABR–Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. The atelier master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels). The design research has been executed by the Belgian offices Architecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen Architects, and MUST Urbanism from Holland.

Building the Healthy City is one of three videos in which IABR–Atelier Utrecht has interviewed local stakeholders on the Healthy City.

In this video Klaas Schotanus (designer at HIK ontwerpers) and Heleen Engbers (division manager rehabilitation & Recovery at care hotel The Wartburg) talk about their experiences with healthy city making. Both are contributing: Klaas by offering his design skills to the neighborhood, so that local inhabitants can propose neighborhood improvements to the local government. And Heleen by offering short stay caretaking in her care hotel for elderly who have left the hospital but are not ready yet to go home.

Director: Roel van Tour
Produced by iabr/UP
© IABR, 2016

IABR–Atelier Utrecht
The population of Utrecht is among the healthiest in the Netherlands. There are, however, marked differences inside the city. Utrecht is doing its best to address such persistent differences in health and life expectancy, but has to operate in a force field that is in full transition. The national government is delegating care tasks to municipalities. The consolidating health economy is passing into the hands of a few large parties that add little local value. To examine how health and urban development issues can be coupled, the IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City investigated what innovative spatial development strategies can contribute to the creation of an inclusive, healthy city that prioritizes solidarity between different generations, cultures, and income groups. Atelier Utrecht focused on both spatial and programmatic transformations in the city as related to health and well-being, and on changes in the funding of health care. Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City provides insights that can also inspire other cities in the Netherlands and abroad.

IABR–Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. The atelier master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels). The design research has been executed by the Belgian offices Architecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen Architects, and MUST Urbanism from Holland.

New Coalitions for the Healthy City is one of three videos in which IABR–Atelier Utrecht has interviewed local stakeholders on the Healthy City.

In this video Jet van Zwieten (initiator at the Vechtclub XL) and Emilie Vlieger (location Marketer at Meer Merwede) talk about their experiences with healthy city making. Both are actively involved in developing the Merwede Canal Zone together with small scale local initiatives and large scale investors and developers.

Director: Roel van Tour
Produced by iabr/UP
© IABR, 2016

IABR–Atelier Utrecht
The population of Utrecht is among the healthiest in the Netherlands. There are, however, marked differences inside the city. Utrecht is doing its best to address such persistent differences in health and life expectancy, but has to operate in a force field that is in full transition. The national government is delegating care tasks to municipalities. The consolidating health economy is passing into the hands of a few large parties that add little local value. To examine how health and urban development issues can be coupled, the IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City investigated what innovative spatial development strategies can contribute to the creation of an inclusive, healthy city that prioritizes solidarity between different generations, cultures, and income groups. Atelier Utrecht focused on both spatial and programmatic transformations in the city as related to health and well-being, and on changes in the funding of health care. Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City provides insights that can also inspire other cities in the Netherlands and abroad.

IABR–Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. The atelier master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels). The design research has been executed by the Belgian offices Architecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen Architects, and MUST Urbanism from Holland.

Socially Responsible Investment Strategies for the Healthy City is one of three videos in which IABR–Atelier Utrecht has interviewed local stakeholders on the Healthy City.

In this video Magreet Melman (project manager at Care & Culture) and Gert Beffers (social broker at Wijk&Co) talk about their experiences with healthy city making. Both set up cultural projects to involve the participation of inhabitants in the development of projects on the neighborhood level, stimulating the interaction between different groups of people. When needed, they support local initiatives by presenting them to a larger audience and potential investors.


Director: Roel van Tour
Produced by iabr/UP
© IABR, 2016

IABR–Atelier Utrecht
The population of Utrecht is among the healthiest in the Netherlands. There are, however, marked differences inside the city. Utrecht is doing its best to address such persistent differences in health and life expectancy, but has to operate in a force field that is in full transition. The national government is delegating care tasks to municipalities. The consolidating health economy is passing into the hands of a few large parties that add little local value. To examine how health and urban development issues can be coupled, the IABR–Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City investigated what innovative spatial development strategies can contribute to the creation of an inclusive, healthy city that prioritizes solidarity between different generations, cultures, and income groups. Atelier Utrecht focused on both spatial and programmatic transformations in the city as related to health and well-being, and on changes in the funding of health care. Atelier Utrecht: The Healthy City provides insights that can also inspire other cities in the Netherlands and abroad.

IABR–Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. The atelier master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels). The design research has been executed by the Belgian offices Architecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen Architects, and MUST Urbanism from Holland.

^{Photo: Fred Ernst}

On May 18^th the Municipality of Utrecht and the IABR organized the conference “Utrecht: Transitions in the Healthy City” as part of the What’sNext program of the IABR–2016. Starting point were the outcomes of IABR–Atelier Utrecht: the Healthy City and the question how the municipality should continue with the results. The platform of the biennale was used to bring different parties together around the conclusions of the Atelier. The meeting was an important stepping stone within an ongoing trajectory: the Municipality of Utrecht will continue working with the results. The first next step is the exhibition of the results of Atelier Utrecht in the City Hall and a program of activities developed together with AORTA Center of Architecture Utrecht.

Plenary session
In the morning atelier master Joachim Declerck presented the main findings of the research by design of Atelier Utrecht. He stressed the importance of looking at health from the perspective of positive health as developed by Machteld Huber (Institute for Positive Health): ‘The ability to adapt and to self-manage, in the face of life’s social, physical and emotional challenges.' The most promising opportunities to develop Utrecht as healthy city can be found in making use of the transitions in the health care sector by forming new coalitions around a shared social agenda, in intensifying the cooperation with the existing health care centers in the city and region, and in the integration of social programs in urban development plans. The Municipality can only harvest these opportunities if it manages to strengthen the interaction between different policy sectors, embed them in the spatial domain and connect the many (local) stakeholders who work on to the healthy city Utrecht. This requires a pro-active government: the government as choreographer.

After the plenary session there were two workshops, focussing on further elaborating the results of Atelier Utrecht.

Workshop: Socially Responsible Investment Strategies for the Healthy City
The workshop Socially Responsible Investment Strategies for the Healthy City focused on the importance of creating social meeting spaces in the neighborhood Overvecht. The argument is that instead of of demolishing empty school buildings, the buildings could be used for local initiatives that contribute to social inclusivity in the neighborhood. The need for meeting spaces on the neighborhood level was also one of the conclusions of a research done by the district office Overvecht into job opportunities, health, safety and communities.

Workshop Socially Responsible Investment Strategies for the Healthy City

^{Photo: Fred Ernst}

The participants of the workshop underlined the importance of meeting spaces and stressed the importance of activating these meeting spaces by developing program in close collaboration with stakeholders from the neighborhood. Inhabitants and local stakeholders can be challenged to collectively think about a program to make these places profitable. An additional challenge is to connect socially responsible investors to the process of financing these types of local and small scale spaces and initiatives. The Municipality of Utrecht will further develop the proposal made by Atelier Utrecht on how to use the empty schools buildings in the neighborhood Overvecht for neighborhood program and local initiatives.

Workshop: Care in the Next Economy
The workshop Care in the Next Economy was centered around the changes in the health care sector and the subsequent changing offer of care services. Many of these new care services already work with the concept of ‘positive health’: people are stimulated to self-manage and new types of care are explored which not only focus on the individual, but also strengthen his/her (local) network. Wheteher these services will be able to further develop depends on new financing models and the rethinking of existing structures. The examples in Utrecht of Axion Continu and Saltro and the Bartholomeus Hospital provide a rich base to further explore new financial models for the proposals made by Atelier Utrecht.

Workshop Care in the Next Economy

^{Photo: Fred Ernst}

Local follow up of IABR–Atelier Utrecht
The Municipality of Utrecht will further develop the outcomes of Atelier Utrecht locally. To stimulate the local debate the results of Atelier Utrecht are exhibited in the City Hall of Utrecht from 25 July until 7 October 2016. Together with AORTA Center of Architecture Utrecht a program of activities is developed. For more information pleas click here.

Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht.

The atelier master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels).
The Belgian offices Achitecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen architects, and MUST urbanism from Holland have been commissioned to do the design research and to develop pilot projects. AORTA Center of Architecture is an active partner.

The IABR initiates and produces the Project Ateliers as a lead partner for the Regional and Local Design Dialogue Program, within the framework of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment’s Action Agenda for Architecture and Spatial Design 2013–2016.

In a series of Urban Meetings, The Healthy City, the IABR–Project Atelier Utrecht will share and discus the issues and the (preliminary) results of the research by design conducted in the Atelier with local stakeholders and experts.

The main research question of the IABR–Project Atelier Utrecht is: “Which innovative spatial strategies can contribute to the development of Utrecht as an inclusive, healthy city - strategies where solidarity between different generations, cultures and income groups play a central role and which can inspire the rest of the Netherlands and abroad?”
The collaborative development of new knowledge and understandings, and the exploration of new alliances is an integral part of the work of the Atelier, while the public meetings, in which the issues will be further explored, are part of that process.

The Healthy City meetings are organized by the IABR, the Municipality of Utrecht and AORTA Center of Architecture Utrecht and happen between September 2015 and January 2016.

PROGRAM

#1 Monday, September 7, 2015: The Healthy City: Man
With Machteld Huber (doctor and researcher at the Louis Bolk Institute)

#2 Monday, October 26, 2015: The Healthy City: The Next Economy
With Maarten Hajer (Chief Curator IABR–2016, Director-general of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Amsterdam)

#3 Monday, November 30, 2015: The Healthy City: Partnerships

#4 Monday, January 25, 2016: The Healthy City

All Urban Meetings in Utrecht will be moderated by Joachim Declerck (Atelier Master Project Atelier Utrecht, Founding Partner Architecture Workroom Brussels).

Time: 19u00 doors open, program starts at 19u30 until 21u30
Location: City Hall Utrecht, Korte Minrebroederstraat 2, Utrecht
Language: Dutch
Entrance: Free

Sign up at aorta@aorta.nu and mention "Utrecht" and the date of the Urban Meeting you want to attend.
please note that AORTA will share your contact details with IABR.

We strongly recommend to make a reservation due to limited space

Check our website regularly for program updates.

Project Atelier Utrecht is a collaboration of the IABR and the Municipality of Utrecht. The Atelier Master is Joachim Declerck (Architecture Workroom Brussels). The Belgian offices Architecture Workroom Brussels and De Smet Vermeulen, and MUST from Holland have been commissioned to do the design research and to develop pilot projects. AORTA Center of Architecture Utrecht is involved as a partner.