Peace and quiet and bustle in Van Tuyllpark

In the future, the Van Tuyllpark in Zoetermeer will be a park where nature, rest, sports and bustle go hand in hand. The park on the east side of the city will be car-free and parking spaces will be moved to the edge of the park. A green route for cyclists and pedestrians will provide a good connection between the park and downtown. This is contained in the draft environmental program for the Van Tuyllpark area and the Northern business parks that the college adopted on July 8. 

Nature, sports and events

The Van Tuyll Park will be a city park focused on nature and active exercise. Here you can walk, skate, run, cycle and play sports. It is a meeting point for young and old. The Van Tuyllpark will also have a large green space for events. When there are no events, the recreational meadow can be used for e.g. barbecues and sports. The Silverdome parking lot will cease to be an event site and can be laid out as a park. 

The sports functions in the park come together on one sports field around the Parkoduct near the Australiëweg. In the park is the nature reserve Plas van Poot. Here you experience tranquility. The emphasis here is on preserving the flora and fauna. There will be a walking trail around the lake and a connection across the lake to the Dutch Innovation Park.

Car-free park with bike boardwalk

The heart of Van Tuyll Park will be car-free so that cyclists and walkers will have plenty of space. The park now has many parking lots. The first step to make the park greener and more unified is the construction of an elongated new parking lot parallel to Australiëweg. Visitors to the park will be encouraged to come by RandstadRail or by bicycle. There will be a safe and well-lit bicycle route connecting Van Tuyllpark to the Stadshart via Van der Hagenstraat. In the park, the route takes the form of a wide promenade that is also for running, skating and walking and for groups walking to the heart of the park during events.

Business parks

The environment program is for the longer term. Alderman Jan Iedema is proud of the program, which also deals with the three business parks. "The appeal of the plan lies mainly in its versatility, which fits in well with the environment," he indicates. "Together with the entrepreneurs and property owners, we aim to refurbish the outdated parts of the sites, make them more sustainable and make them climate-adaptive." It is being investigated whether housing can also be added at Hoornerhage while retaining the businesses currently there.

Participation and follow-up

The new plans for the Van Tuyll Park and the Northern business parks were made after an extensive participation process with sports associations, entrepreneurs, residents and city council. Their wishes have been included as much as possible in the drafting of the environmental program. After the summer break another participation meeting will take place where stakeholders and interested parties will be informed about the environment program.

At the end of August, the draft environmental program will be published through the Environment Desk and views may be submitted. Any views may lead to adjustments. The college adopts the environmental program, after approval by the city council.