Nijverdal aan de Regge

Nijverdal is situated beside a river called “the Regge”. The textile industry, which was once the basis from which Nijverdal grew, has moved to an industrial estate outside the village. This offers opportunities to open up the closed and introverted Ten Cate site, to give it a new function, and thereby to bring about more coherence with the rest of Nijverdal.

The aim of the plan is to redevelop part of the industrial heritage, to connect the centre of Nijverdal with the river, to cleanse the polluted ground, to create a more resilient hydraulic system, to develop new natural features and an ecological connecting zone, and to create a special residential, work and amenities area and a distinctive public space along the river.

The project area has two unique qualities that can be used as identifiers for the future development of the area: the Regge and the historical heritage of Ten Cate. The Ten Cate site is strongly connected with the history of Nijverdal. The most valuable building will therefore be retained and given a new purpose. This plan will reorientate Nijverdal towards the river. The sphere of influence of the Regge will be enlarged as much as possible by creating a high water channel and side channels beside the main channel. This is the only location where the village can really make contact with the river. The project area must therefore be given significance for the whole Nijverdal community, and not just for the people who will be living there. In the future you will be able experience both sides of the Regge along its full length. Because the river can flood locally, the Regge will become more dynamic: for example, you will see the water level has risen when it has rained a lot overnight.

Given the uncertainty of the housing market, the plan has a flexible organisation and consists of relatively small units that can be developed independently of one another. The plan is based on the principle that the area always looks finished, even when it has only been half developed. This approach can enable Nijverdal on the Regge to escape the dangers that have often plagued larger area developments: the high interest burden and the difficulty of development in stages.