Study for New Villages

The development of new villages – an idea proposed by the Innovatienetwerk Groene Ruimte en Agrocluster (‘Innovation Network for Green Space and the Agriculture Cluster’) – responds to the growing demand for houses in the countryside, while avoiding encroachment on existing cores. This issue was tackled from a social perspective in two essays. What developments are emerging in the countryside and are there pioneering social initiatives among them? Who wants to live in new villages and what amenities do the future residents desire? How does one facilitate social cohesion using design? Using historical and contemporary examples, the essays provide points of departure for the development of a social structure for new villages.