Houten: A People-First City

Design Principles:

• The Inversion Theory: Unlike conventional development that prioritizes car traffic first, Houten was designed by starting with green spaces and people-centered infrastructure, with car access added later.
• Ring Road System: A circular road surrounds the community, with cars entering neighbourhoods from this outer ring rather than cutting through the center.
• Central Spine: A pedestrian and cycling corridor connects the two train stations and provides access to schools, shops, and services.
• Strategic Car Access: Residents can drive to their homes, but the street network makes walking and cycling the fastest and most convenient options for internal trips.
• 15-Minute City: The town was designed so that all daily needs are within a 15-minute bike ride.

Key Features:

• Over 129 km of cycle paths
• Extensive green spaces integrated throughout the community
• Two train stations providing connections to Utrecht (just 10 minutes away)
• Clear separation of travel modes for safety
• Schools accessible via safe routes for children

Prior to its development, Houten was a small village of about 3,000 people. In the mid-1970s, it was designated by the Dutch government as a growth center to accommodate population expansion in the Utrecht region.

Urban planner Robert Dirks led the design team that created Houten's innovative plan in the late 1970s. The first construction phase (North Houten) began in the early 1980s, with the first homes completed in 1982-1983.

The southern expansion of Houten began in the 1990s, following the same design principles, with construction continuing into the 2000s. By 2018, Houten reached its target population of 50,000 residents.

What makes Houten remarkable is that it was built during the modern era when car-centric planning dominated most of the world. It proves that creating people-centered communities is entirely possible with the right vision and political will.

Houten's planning diagram showing the ring road and central spine