LEIDSCHE RIJN

UTRECHT, 1994

In their VINEX-report, the Dutch government has described sites and conditions for the building of an additional 800'000 houses in Holland before 2015. The central government and the City of Utrecht have a policy of compact cities. VINEX extensions have to be firmly linked to attached to the existing urban tissue. Noise pollution legislation forbids the erection of dwellings within 600 meters of major highways. These voids are 'filled' with industry and/or sports fields. Housing areas become isolated and introvert. Compact cities are governmental policy but are impossible to make due to legislation. Maxwan did not accept the form dictated by the legislative gridlock of VINEX and decided to sort out the underlying technical and organizational problems in order to build a town based on opportunities instead of on obligations. With 30'000 houses (80'000 people) Leidsche Rijn is one of the largest urban schemes in Dutch history. One of the main topics of the scheme is the reconstruction of highway A2, that will be 'hidden' in a hollow dike, crossing the new town, without dissecting.