Green light for Healthy Ageing Campus area vision

On Wednesday, February 18, the Groningen City Council formally adopted the area vision for the Healthy Ageing Campus. This is an important milestone, as this area vision provides a framework for the further development of the campus and its connection with the surrounding area.

At the end of last year, the University of Groningen, the UMCG and the municipality of Groningen presented an ambitious and future-proof plan for the further development of the Healthy Ageing Campus. Joint ambitions have been translated into coherent spatial and programmatic frameworks for current and future developments. In other words: how much space is there for which functions on the campus and what is the most suitable location for them?

The renovated campus:

• offers space for knowledge, innovation, and collaboration by encouraging disciplines and people to meet each other;
• is connected to the city and is therefore a natural part of life in Groningen;
• is a healthy and sustainable environment, with a focus on greenery, exercise, well-being, and a living environment that supports health.
• is lively and accessible: a place where living, working, research, studying, and care come together.

Next steps

The area vision is not only a blueprint for the future, but also a concrete next step in the further development of the current campus. Construction and renovation work is continuously underway on the UMCG and University of Groningen campuses. This means that the possibilities and limitations of each project must be determined on a case-by-case basis. The adoption of this area vision paves the way for follow-up decisions, including applying for demolition and building permits and further developing projects within the area.

A number of projects that are on the agenda for the coming years include:

• the construction of the Central Laboratory for Diagnostics and Research (CLDR): a new laboratory building on the site of the old UCP building. The new laboratory building will bring together various laboratories in one location to facilitate better collaboration. The relocation of the laboratories from the Central Medical Complex is also necessary for the renovation and new construction of various departments within the hospital;
• renovating existing UMCG and RUG buildings and making them future-proof, with a focus on sustainability, flexibility, and connection to the heat and cold storage system;
• making the campus greener and more accessible by creating space for new meeting places and better connections to the surrounding public space;
• creating space for campus-related activities where collaboration between the UMCG, the University of Groningen, and the business community can be intensified.

Municipality investigates future of DOT

Initially, the area vision for the Healthy Ageing Campus concerned the area between Petrus Campersingel and Oostersingel, from Hanzeplein to Oosterhamrikkanaal. In the area vision that has now been adopted, the Bodenterrein has been separated, because the municipality is investigating the costs of possibly retaining DOT. More information about this will be available later this year.

Read more about the area vision here.