Area agenda Gooteplein and Rik

Things are buzzing around Gooteplein! Schools, sports clubs and other organizations create a lively atmosphere. But there are also bottlenecks: traffic, nuisance and insecurity make it less pleasant for some people. Therefore, we are working on plans for the future, these plans are the area agenda adopted on January 30, 2025 and the yet to be delivered development strategy. This contains what we want to do with the buildings and outdoor space around the square in the coming years.

The area

The Map shows the project area. In the upper right of the area are the buildings of the three elementary schools at Gooteplein: the St. Leonardus School, the Branding and the Anchor. On the lower right is the Intergrale Kindcentrum with childcare in it, among other things, and below it is gymnasium de Reede. In the middle of the area is Sports and Culture House DukdalfBRES and Bravo, the Push Foundation's youth center. On the upper left is the new complex with rental apartments on the Rik and below it the KPN building adjacent to the Riksestraatje. Lower left in the area is the building of the table tennis association, SO De Watertoren and VSO Maarland and the building of the Streekarchief.

Why are we doing this?

We want to make Gooteplein a nice place where everyone feels comfortable. A place where children can go to school safely, where athletes can enjoy their hobbies, and where you can meet.

What are the area agenda and development strategy for plans?

An area agenda is a plan to make Gooteplein even finer in the future. We come up with ideas for the buildings and make sketches for the outdoor space. For this we use the reactions and information we have already received during previous discussions with users in the area such as: schools, residents, sports clubs and organizations in the neighborhood.

The area agenda is not a ready-made course that we implement tomorrow. Over the next few years, it will help us make the right choices for outdoor space and buildings. This is how we ensure that the area becomes a place where everyone feels comfortable.

The development strategy is an elaboration of the area agenda. In the development strategy, the municipality, together with its professional partners (for example, Stedin and DCMR), the professionals in the area (for example, schools and sports clubs) and local residents, makes choices for the outdoor space and the future buildings. This is incorporated into a preliminary design for the public space and for so-called "building envelopes," also known as rules and frameworks, for the buildings in the area.

Participating and thinking

In November 2025, the municipality will organize a theme day on site where you, as an interested party, can see and experience the plans of the development strategy. You are welcome to contribute ideas and ideas for both the design of the outdoor space and the buildings yet to be realized. Local residents will receive an invitation for this in the fall.

For the area agenda, the municipality collected opinions and experience at different times in 2024, we did this by:

  • Street Talks to be held;
  • Conduct a survey;
  • Host an information session.

Results from the environment

The areas of concern mostly mentioned during the interviews and in the survey were about traffic safety, accessibility and parking. But it was also about having attention for nuisance and crime in the area. However, it was clear that the diversity of facilities in the area is highly appreciated. Opportunities were also given to develop them further, for example by creating more sports and play facilities. The concerns and ideas have been incorporated into a plan for the Gooteplein and the Rik, called the Area Agenda Rickse Boomgaert. 

How to move forward?

The area agenda was adopted Jan. 30, 2025, by the City Council. In 2025 we will start making plans for the area. We will work this out in the development strategy mentioned above. We expect to have this development strategy ready in early 2026. 

The area agenda can be viewed at the bottom of this page.

Area agenda Rickse Boomgaert