During the World Economic Forum in Davos, KPMG presented the report Blueprint for Livable Economies. In this report, Cartesius in Utrecht is highlighted as an exemplary project and an international showcase for liveable cities. This is a special recognition, positioning Cartesius as a world first in the field of healthy, inner-city urban development.
Cartesius is a Living Blue Zone: an urban neighbourhood where scientific insights from so-called Blue Zones have been translated into everyday living environments. In these regions around the world, people demonstrably live longer and healthier lives. In Cartesius, these insights are being applied for the first time within an urban context, right in the heart of the city.
A neighbourhood designed around healthy living
The development of Cartesius is based on one clear ambition: creating a healthy and future-proof living environment for people and nature alike. The neighbourhood encourages social interaction, physical activity and relaxation, with strong attention to nature, sustainable mobility and healthy food. The result is a living environment that is not only pleasant to live in, but also actively contributes to wellbeing and quality of life.
Measuring to improve
What sets Cartesius apart is that health and liveability are not only guiding principles in the design, but are also monitored and measured in practice. By gaining insight into what works, valuable knowledge is generated about how the design of a neighbourhood contributes to health, wellbeing and sustainability. These insights help to further improve Cartesius and at the same time provide input for future urban developments.
Collaboration as the foundation
Cartesius is a development of the Cartesius Development Consortium MRP and Ballast Nedam Development, in collaboration with the Municipality of Utrecht and NS Stations. The urban and landscape design was created by Mecanoo. The architecture is by EVA Architects (Okinawa and the Cartesius car park), Paul de Ruiter Architects (Nicoya and Loma Linda) and de Architekten Cie (Baunei). Project management is carried out in collaboration with Drees & Sommer Netherlands. The construction of phase 2 is being delivered by Heddes Bouw & Ontwikkeling (the CAB, Okinawa and the car park) and Ballast Nedam West (Nicoya). The next phases of Cartesius are currently in development.
With this international recognition in the KPMG report, Cartesius reinforces its role as a forward-looking example of how urban development can contribute to healthy people, strong communities and a sustainable future.