Houten
Encyclopedia
Houten is a municipality in the Netherlands
, in the province of Utrecht
. The expected population in 2015 will be 50,000. The municipality consists of the following towns:
. In 2010, the town had 47.952 inhabitants. The built-up area was 5.08 km² in area, and contained 11,486 residences. The slightly larger statistical district of Houten had a population of about 39,100 in 2004.
A lot of elements in present-day Houten are reminders of its history. Prominent in the old centre 'Het Oude Dorp' are the Roman Catholic Church (1884) and the Protestant Church (1563). The first accounts of this church date from the ninth century, the oldest parts of the church are probably from the eleventh century. Another prominent building is the restaurant/cafe 'De Engel', already mentioned in the 16th century as a tavern.
Former access roads to the old centre are still recognisable by their names, such as the 'Odijkseweg' and 'Loerikseweg'. Houten had many orchards, but few have survived.
(opened in 1868, closed in 1935, re-opened on a different location in 1982 and restructured in 2010) and Houten Castellum
(opened in 2010). These stations are served by local commuter trains to Utrecht
(northbound) and Geldermalsen
(southbound, with subsequent connections to Tiel
and 's-Hertogenbosch
/Breda
). The railway has been doubled from two tracks to four, to accommodate for an extra stop at Castellum with a frequency of four trains per hour in each direction.
On October 29, 2008 Houten was chosen as "Bicycle-city 2008" of The Netherlands.
, and the N409 (single carriageway with bus lane) runs from Houten to Nieuwegein
. To the east and south, there are only local roads, not designed for through traffic. There have been plans for a connection to the A12 motorway
to the north (to facilitate for a better connection from the western parts of Houten) since 2002, but since this road needs to be built across land of the neighbouring municipality Bunnik
, these plans are blocked by NIMBY
lobby groups.
The only way to get from one district to another is via the ring road which circles around Houten, thus preventing through traffic in residential areas. Maximum speed on most of the ring road is 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
Distinctive qualities of Houten include the accessibility of the railway station, green and water zones throughout the whole city, numerous soccer and basketball fields, high standard of accommodation for different groups and the child-friendly bicycle paths. It is one of the safest cities in the Netherlands. Cyclists and cars are able to avoid each other: an extensive network of bicycle tracks connects the different districts of the town, while cars have to go to the city ring road before they can go to another part of the city.
- Pyramid-shaped apartment complex (Gebroeders Das)
- Total petrol station (Samyn and Partners)
- Fire department (Samyn and Partners)
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, in the province of Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
. The expected population in 2015 will be 50,000. The municipality consists of the following towns:
- Houten (pop. 38,062)
- 't Goy (pop. 606 in 2002)
- Schalkwijk (pop. 1,946)
- Tull en 't WaalTull en 't WaalTull en 't Waal is a small village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. Until 1962, it was a separate municipality, but now it is a part of the municipality of Houten. Originally, there were two villages: 't Waal, at the site of the present village; and Tull, more to the south.The statistical...
(pop. 665)
Houten (town)
The main town in the municipality is Houten, a commuter town about 9 km southeast of UtrechtUtrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
. In 2010, the town had 47.952 inhabitants. The built-up area was 5.08 km² in area, and contained 11,486 residences. The slightly larger statistical district of Houten had a population of about 39,100 in 2004.
History of Houten
Remains of a Roman villa have been found in the old centre of Houten, made visible in a street pattern. There used to be a Roman villa on that spot. This building was discovered in the fifties. In the Dark Ages Houten took shape as a rural centre. The area of the municipality of Houten was divided in the so-called 'gerechten' (districts). The names of these districts are still in use: Schonauwen, Wulven, Waijen, Heemstede.A lot of elements in present-day Houten are reminders of its history. Prominent in the old centre 'Het Oude Dorp' are the Roman Catholic Church (1884) and the Protestant Church (1563). The first accounts of this church date from the ninth century, the oldest parts of the church are probably from the eleventh century. Another prominent building is the restaurant/cafe 'De Engel', already mentioned in the 16th century as a tavern.
Former access roads to the old centre are still recognisable by their names, such as the 'Odijkseweg' and 'Loerikseweg'. Houten had many orchards, but few have survived.
The expanding city 1966-1993
Modern Houten started to take shape in the last decades of the 20th century (1966–1993). It was designated a 'Groeikern' - a centre of growth - to meet the needs of the growing city of Utrecht. In 1979 the construction of 10,000 dwellings started and the population grew from 4,000 to more than 30,000 in the nineties.Second designation as a centre of urban growth 1995-2007
Until 2012, some 7,000 new houses are being built in Houten-Zuid, following the same urban design principles as the existing Houten-Noord, but with some differences. The body of water to the east is large in comparison with water bodies in the old parts of Houten. The pentagonal green zone in Houten-Zuid embracing the centre is different from the greenzone in Houten-Noord, which runs through the whole city in a linear structure, with parks at either end. Another difference is that in some places cars share the road with bicycle paths.Rail
Houten has two railway stations, HoutenHouten railway station
Houten is a railway station located in Houten, The Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 November 1868 and is located on the Utrecht–Boxtel railway and the Houten - Houten Castellum tram line which closed on 14 December 2008. The services are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen...
(opened in 1868, closed in 1935, re-opened on a different location in 1982 and restructured in 2010) and Houten Castellum
Houten Castellum railway station
Houten Castellum is a railway station located in Houten, The Netherlands. The station was opened on 8 January 2001 and is located on the Utrecht–Boxtel railway and was on the Houten - Houten Castellum tram line which closed on the 14th December 2008. The services are operated by Nederlandse...
(opened in 2010). These stations are served by local commuter trains to Utrecht
Utrecht Centraal railway station
Utrecht Centraal is the central railway station for the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. It is the largest railway station in the Netherlands in terms of size, with fourteen platforms With Utrecht being located centrally in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal is also the largest station in terms...
(northbound) and Geldermalsen
Geldermalsen railway station
Geldermalsen is a railway station in the town of Geldermalsen, the Netherlands. The station opened in 1868, the station is a junction station, with an island platform so that changing was easy. To reach the platforms from the station building you have to use the tunnel or bridge.The current...
(southbound, with subsequent connections to Tiel
Tiel railway station
Tiel is a railway station located in Tiel, the Netherlands. The station opened on 1 November 1882 and is on the Elst–Dordrecht railway. The services are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Syntus....
and 's-Hertogenbosch
's-Hertogenbosch railway station
s-Hertogenbosch is a railway station located in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. The station and all services operating from it are run by Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the largest Dutch train operating company.-History:...
/Breda
Breda railway station
Breda is a railway station in Breda, the Netherlands. It is situated on the Breda–Rotterdam railway, the Roosendaal–Breda railway and the Breda–Eindhoven railway.-History:...
). The railway has been doubled from two tracks to four, to accommodate for an extra stop at Castellum with a frequency of four trains per hour in each direction.
Bike
Houten is well adapted to the high number of cyclists. A large network of bike paths make it convenient to cycle to various destinations and within the town the bike is the most popular mean of transportation.On October 29, 2008 Houten was chosen as "Bicycle-city 2008" of The Netherlands.
Car
To the west, Houten has its own exit from the A27 motorwayA27 motorway (Netherlands)
The A27 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. It is approximately 109 kilometers in length.The A27 is located in the Dutch provinces North Brabant, South Holland, Utrecht, North Holland, and Flevoland. It connects the city of Breda with the Almere...
, and the N409 (single carriageway with bus lane) runs from Houten to Nieuwegein
Nieuwegein
Nieuwegein is a municipality and city in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is bordered on the north by the city of Utrecht, the provincial capital...
. To the east and south, there are only local roads, not designed for through traffic. There have been plans for a connection to the A12 motorway
A12 motorway (Netherlands)
The A12 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. The road connects the city of The Hague, with the German border, near Zevenaar, and the German Autobahn BAB 3...
to the north (to facilitate for a better connection from the western parts of Houten) since 2002, but since this road needs to be built across land of the neighbouring municipality Bunnik
Bunnik
Bunnik is a municipality and a village in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The recorded history of the village dates back nearly 2000 years, when the Romans constructed a fort at Fectio with a harbour facing the river Rhine, which marked the border of the Roman Empire...
, these plans are blocked by NIMBY
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
lobby groups.
The only way to get from one district to another is via the ring road which circles around Houten, thus preventing through traffic in residential areas. Maximum speed on most of the ring road is 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
Sustainable urban design
Houten is internationally known for its urban design. Because of the city structure, people are encouraged to travel by bike and train.Distinctive qualities of Houten include the accessibility of the railway station, green and water zones throughout the whole city, numerous soccer and basketball fields, high standard of accommodation for different groups and the child-friendly bicycle paths. It is one of the safest cities in the Netherlands. Cyclists and cars are able to avoid each other: an extensive network of bicycle tracks connects the different districts of the town, while cars have to go to the city ring road before they can go to another part of the city.
Remarkable buildings in Houten
- Aluminiumcentre (Micha de Haas)- Pyramid-shaped apartment complex (Gebroeders Das)
- Total petrol station (Samyn and Partners)
- Fire department (Samyn and Partners)
Famous people from Houten
- Sanderius Idenatus Bakker, saint who lived in Houten in the Middle Ages
- Branimir (Johnny) ŠtulićBranimir ŠtulicBranimir "Johnny" Štulić is a Yugoslav singer, songwriter, poet and a leader of the popular former Yugoslav rock group Azra...
(born 1953), Yugoslav singer, songwriter, poet and a leader of the popular former Yugoslav rock group AzraAzraAzra was a rock band from Zagreb that was popular across Yugoslavia in the 1980s. Azra was formed in 1977 by its frontman Branimir "Johnny" Štulić. The other two members of the original line-up were Mišo Hrnjak and Boris Leiner . The band is named after a verse from "Der Asra" by Heinrich Heine... - Chriet TitulaerChriet TitulaerChriet Titulaer is a Dutch astronomer, former television presenter and popular science and technology writer. He lives in Houten, Utrecht province.-Biography:...
(born 1943), television presenter and a writer of popular scientific material