Leutje Leidraad, Groningen

In the Schildersbuurt neigborhood, the area team of the municipality of Groningen, in collaboration with the Neighborhood Council and Schilderskwartieren (three associations, each representing a part of the neighborhood), selects a medium-sized initiative annally for funding. Recent projects include The HW Mesdagplein, Jozef Israëlsplein, Taco Mesdagplein, and Melkweg. These squares are considered collectively to ensure their functions complement each other. After adopting the Public Space Guidelines in December 2021, the area team, Neighborhood Council, Schilderskwartieren, and Felixx initiated a process to apply these guidelines to Schildersbuurt. A participatory process was set up, involving residents, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. ‘Experience walks’ were organized to explore themes like livability, experience, mobility, and programming, evaluating the public space. The Leutje Leidraad Schildersbuurt vision was created based on the Public Space Guidelines, resulting in four strategic framework maps highlighting opportunities and measures for the ten dimensions, grouped into themes: Mobility, Green-Blue, Social, and Experience. Design interventions were proposed to improve the area’s organization, with specific proposals for the squares. The principles for HW Mesdagplein were integrated into the design, implemented in early 2023.