Today’s Solutions: December 05, 2025

The Netherlands is well-known for being the ultimate biking country, and, today, pedestrianized city centers are also the norm in many of the country’s urban areas.

Still, in the country’s major cities, vehicles still tend to dictate the design of most public spaces. In an effort to change that, Dutch architecture firm Marco Broekman has revealed plans for a new neighborhood where cars are shared amongst households in Utrecht – the country’s fourth-largest city.

Named Merwede, the 12,000-person neighborhood will feature 6,000 residential units, as well as public spaces, courtyards, and rooftops with a focus on pedestrians and cyclists, and with public transportation that connects to all parts of the Netherlands. A fleet of shared cars and bicycles will be available to everyone living there. Instead of one (or multiple) cars per household, filling the streets with congestion and parking spaces, Merwede will have one car for every three households.

This design for Merwede will transform what is currently a business park full of offices into a complete neighborhood. Each building block will have a courtyard garden and a new park will provide a walking area along the canal.

As part of the plan’s sustainability efforts, rooftops on the buildings will be dressed with greenery, accompanied by solar panels. Also, water from the nearby canal will be used in “the largest underground heat and storage facility in the Netherlands” to heat and cool the district.

The firm says it will be “almost energy-neutral,” and specialists are researching how the district can become circular as well. While more than this one neighborhood needs to adapt to the challenging trend of a fast-urbanizing world, the innovative design builds a comprehensive roadmap for other urban areas around the world to follow.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Europe’s low-carbon future: Denmark’s North Sea oil field is now a carb...

Once a symbol of fossil fuel extraction, the remote Nini oil field in the North Sea is preparing for a new role: storing millions ...

Read More

Grace Richardson makes history as first openly gay Miss England: ‘I’ve achiev...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When Grace Richardson took the stage at the Miss England final in Wolverhampton, she wasn’t just chasing a ...

Read More

World’s first hydrogen-powered cargo vessel to set sail in Paris this year

In a world's first, a commercial hydrogen-powered cargo vessel will make its maiden voyage later this year. Developed by French shipowner Compagnie Fluvial Transport ...

Read More

A guide to self-kindness: transforming negative self-talk into positive affir...

As we go through the motions of daily life, it's tempting to listen to our inner critic's constant commentary. Negative self-talk, or the constant ...

Read More