PHOTOS
Click on a picture to launch the image gallery (7 Photos)

CHALLENGE
The neighbourhood Schumanstede is a part of the Goese Polder, the residential district built in the 1960s and 1970s according to the popular trends in this time. Changes in the society and changing opinions about the composition and structure of districts led in the end of the 1990s to a threatening impoverishment of the district. The main reasons for this were: unilateral housing (and thus homogenous population composition), disorderly urban structure and unclear structure of traffic and greenery. In 1997 the Masterplan Goese Polder was introduced and it formed the basis for gradual redevelopment of the whole district.

AIM OF THE PROJECT
In the end of the 1990s there appeared the wish to avoid impoverishment of districts. This was to be achieved by meeting the changing needs and wishes of the present and future inhabitants. The redevelopment and modernisation of the Goese Polder and especially of Schumanstede was to enhance the liveability, attractiveness and sphere and to help fighting social problems. Both the houses and their surroundings were to be modernised. The whole process was developed with co-operation of the inhabitants, the municipality of Goes and the housing corporation.

DESCRIPTION
The starting points of the Masterplan Goese Polder can be divided into public space, housing and facilities. As far as public space is concerned the central issues were safety, more greenery, better recognisability and accessibility of the streets in the district. In the domain of housing one aimed at wider offer of dwellings, more balanced proportion of dwellings for rent and for sale and at more dwellings for seniors. Also the facilities were to be improved and become the central point of the district. This was achieved by modernising De Spinne shopping centre.
A lot of things changed in the district after the starting points were formulated. One place after another was in the centre of attention, the structure was set in order, the dwellings were modernised, some buildings were pulled down and new ones were put up. The whole structure of greenery and water got rearranged, the shopping centre was modernised and a spacious school was built.
Schumanstede is one of the neighbourhoods which underwent a metamorphosis. 10 dwellings out of 169 were removed from the housing supply and the other 159 were modernised both inside and outside. It was necessary to pull some buildings down to open up the area and to improve the urban and greenery structure. Thanks to the thematic renovation and moving a part of sheds from the front side to the backside of the houses the streets became more recognizable. After the renovation the names of the streets were changed and the double numbering of houses were replaced with single numbers. The decision to sell some of the dwellings rather than to rent them made the composition of the inhabitants more varied.

Actor / Lead Management / Cooperation
RWS and Goes Municipality

EXPERIENCE
The Masterplan has been almost completely implemented but how to keep the modernised Goese Polder attractive? The municipality of Goes has started the liveability project: ‘Opportunities for the Goese Polder’. It includes the basic steps of how to improve the situation of the inhabitants of the district and how to eliminate the wrongful situations and undesired conduct.