The ambitions of the town of Zwolle will gain weight with this wide avenue (Zwolse Allee) running through it. My proposal, code name 'Allé Zwolle!', seeks to set a challenging agenda for Zwolle for the coming decades. Applying an urban brand of acupuncture to the network, it will greatly improve the accessibility of much of the town. It draws the present centrally-sited 'peripheral' zone around the A28 through the town out of its isolation, transforming it into a multi-hued and many-faceted portion of Zwolle. It is one more piece in the town's repertoire and wired in at every level, from town to region.

Two observations were particularly influential when fleshing out this design brief. First there are the exceptional circumstances of the motorway slicing through the town, leaving a great empty expanse at its heart. This space can be put to better use. It will also engage to the maximum with the rural area, a fantastic quality now under heavy pressure from the various new urban developments. The second observation is that Zwolle is an average town. Many of its residential districts consist primarily of low-rise and seem to have much the same layout. Exclusive milieus, such as ultra-urban or ultra-rural, are all but absent. There is also the town's cachet to consider, namely its potential to grow into a strong regional centre.

The plan breaks down into four layers. Its traffic framework has been organized anew. The regional network has been streamlined and with the introduction of Zwolse Allee, a fully-fledged parallel system created on a par with the urban system. Unlike the A28, Zwolse Allee is an artery with many offshoots at the ground plane.

New residential environments are to lend Zwolle a greater diversity, with new urban habitats in the A28 zone on the one hand and landed property on the town's eastern flank on the other. 'Long Lines' are a defining element in Zwolle's urban structure. Taking up and strengthening these lines brings identity and continuity to the urban structure in the A28 zone. Many areas along the A28 will gain a new lease of life thanks to Zwolse Allee. At one point Zwolle will engage in direct regional interaction with the motorway. This node brings together Zwolle's Economic and Cultural Centre, the new football stadium, a light rail stop and a multi-storey car park fed directly into the motorway.

The Allé Zwolle masterplan presents a sturdy framework that shows the scope of Zwolle and the opportunities open to it. Next on the agenda is the clash of local interests. A formidable brief for the coming years, this Allé Zwolle.

Place of education: AvB Amsterdam
Specialization: urban design
Tutors: Els Bet, Pieter Onderwater & Richard Colombijn