Mobility transformation of Haarlem Europaweg

Haarlem aspires to be an attractive, healthy and easily accessible city. To achieve this vision, the municipality prioritizes sustainable modes of transportation and is undertaking a mobility transition. The aim is to transform Europaweg, situated on the southern side of the historic city centre, into a vibrant and climate-adaptive green city street. slider With its wide sidewalks, abundant greenery, and cycle paths, Europaweg offers cyclists and pedestrians an attractive and pleasant route to the heart of the city. Emphasizing the importance of the sidewalks, a 9-meter zone has been incorporated into the design, serving as an identity carrier for the city street and enhancing the overall urban experience. The current layout of the Europaweg is characterized by its harsh environment, lacking in grandeur. The opportunity to improve the quality of the space lies in reimagining the mobility challenge and reducing the dominance of cars in the area. The design allocates less space for cars, allowing increased greenery, water retention, and ecological enhancement. The necessity of each paved area is carefully considered, minimizing unnecessary pavement while preserving valuable existing trees that serve as the foundation of the landscape design. This approach ensures the quick integration of green elements in the street, providing significant ecological benefits for local wildlife.    The greenery has been meticulously selected to withstand extreme weather conditions. Not all trees that occur in the Netherlands are resistant to climate change, therefore, strategically planting European native assortments that can thrive here is part of the design, ensuring a long-term sustainability and robustness. The Europaweg is an integral part of the Haarlem Nature Network (HNN). Guidelines apply to the planting range within this zone. The aim is to incorporate approximately 80% native tree species within the HNN to support the local fauna. Additionally, valuable existing trees are included and form the basis for the landscape design. In response to extreme weathers, such as peak rainfall, extreme droughts, and high temperatures, additional space for water storage is included into the design. This is achieved by the implementation of adding water storage systems beneath the permeable paving. The transformation of Europaweg not only advances Haarlem's sustainable mobility transition but also significantly enhances the overall quality of life in the area, with the addition of more homes and green spaces. Soon, Europaweg will become a vibrant urban space with increased interaction, activity, accommodation, social encounters and surveillance. The new profile prioritizes space for trees, water storage and ecology over traffic, creating a future-proof and ecologically valuable green structure.