Area developers play an important role in young people’s living environment
The way in which the living environment is spatially designed plays an important role in facilitating and promoting a conscious lifestyle. Ballast Nedam Development and JOGG therefore see promoting a healthy lifestyle at a young age and creating a healthy living environment that facilitates this as a shared social responsibility. The focus is on more physical activity, outdoor living and exercise, a green environment and healthy food choices. Last but not least, exercise connects people, creating pleasant neighbourhoods where people know and help one another. The partnership focuses on developing knowledge and will also be put into practice through the local implementation of challenging forms of physical activity in public spaces.
Healthy Urbanisation Berckelbosch Eindhoven
The first collaboration between JOGG and Ballast Nedam Development will soon take place in Berckelbosch Eindhoven. The two organisations are working closely together on area development. In the Berckelbosch neighbourhood, a spacious and green urban design will create an environment that encourages physical activity among children and young people. By specifically designing the neighbourhood for safe walking and cycling and creating additional opportunities for sports and play, among other things, the neighbourhood will become more child-friendly, while the available space will also be used for multiple purposes.
Onno Dwars, director of Ballast Nedam Development: “Our partnership with JOGG fits perfectly with our vision of healthy urbanisation. In addition to Berckelbosch in Eindhoven, we are also applying the principles of healthy urbanisation at the Groene Loper in Maastricht, where we are currently developing a neighbourhood on the site where the A2 motorway used to run through the city. Together with MRP Development, we are also developing the Cartesiusdriehoek in Utrecht, a green neighbourhood where health and well-being are central. We are working towards a healthy living environment through which we can extend life expectancy by five years through area development. We are involving the scientific community so that we can measure the impact we make.”
Marjon Bachra, director of JOGG: “This partnership connects the spatial domain with the social and healthcare domains, enabling construction companies and developers to make a structural contribution at the local level. For JOGG, it is important to work with area developers in order to further increase knowledge about healthy living environments. In concrete projects, they make spatial decisions and are the first to experience which interventions do and do not work. This makes it an excellent example of public-private cooperation.”