Reevedelta

As part of the Reevedelta project, work is ongoing to create a sustainable delta landscape with space for at least 3,200 homes and amenities. Karres and Brands has collaborated with the Municipality of Kampen and Consortium De Dijken to produce an area vision policy for the holistic development of this delta area, located south of the city of Kampen. This vision aims to ensure harmony between the city, nature, and community.

The area vision is based on a holistic perspective that brings together the city and nature under three design principles: ‘a sustainable landscape’, ‘a collective and connected structure’, and ‘the strength of Kampen’. In this sense, Reevedelta is much more than a home-building project: it is focused on living in harmony with water and nature. Reevedelta is connected to the current parts of the city and surrounding landscape by a strong, collective structure of new and existing routes and locations. With a wide and varied range of homes and unique housing styles, it also aims to foster close-knit communities and collectivity.

Turning the delta landscape into an experience
The area vision takes land and water as a radical starting point for development. The conditions created by the subsoil determine how the area is developed and give the landscape and new residential areas their identity and character. A robust, green framework will continue to be created, focusing on nature-inclusive construction, climate adaptation, and biodiversity. The delta is safe to live in and offers an in-depth experience at every level. The ultimate aim is to create an energy-neutral area.

Collective and connected structure
Reevedelta is connected to the existing parts of the city of Kampen and surrounding landscape by a strong, collective structure of new and existing routes and locations. The plan is primarily structured around the strength of Kampen’s cultural and historical heritage, which includes the Zwartendijk and Venedijk dykes, and aims to preserve them. These landmarks, along with the old terps, roads along brooks, the old arm of the IJssel river, and relics, influence the character of each of the city’s neighbourhoods. In an effort to enrich Kampen with a broad range of living environments, the project will also establish slow-traffic routes that connect the Reevediep waterway, the village of Reeve, and the existing city, and create new places for people to gather and meet. Kampen Zuid railway station will continue to develop as a mobility hub, with a new urban centre of gravity joining Kampen city centre.

The Reevediep waterway will form the landscape for a new, varied, and verdant city waterfront. The city will have various waterfronts. One example of this is the Venekwartier neighbourhood, which will feature a new cityscape along the dyke as an advanced post of the Stationskwartier neighbourhood. This area can accommodate a wide variety of housing as well as amenities, sports and cultural facilities, and a city beach. This urban silhouette along the dykes gives the city of Kampen a modern look and feel.

The strength of Kampen
The city has several neighbourhoods, the size and scale of which are key distinguishing features. Reevedelta is building on this foundation by creating neighbourhoods with a recognizable character, providing the framework for a dynamic, local community to grow. For a neighbourhood to be liveable and dynamic, it requires an environment in which people feel at home, look out for each other, and support each other. Connectedness and resident engagement are therefore essential to the vitality and resilience of neighbourhoods. Residents have control over their own environment, feel a sense of ownership, and continue to develop Reevedelta as a community. This sometimes applies in a literal sense, for example by organizing tree-planting days or by looking after their own courtyards.