Planning documents

By 2012, Utrecht Science Park already boasted approximately 1.1 million m2 of floor area. The development potential of the area has been set out in a number of planning documents, of which the Uithof Zoning Plan (published in 2010) is the most important. The zoning plan is a planning document and legal assessment framework which determines the uses permitted in the various spaces and the applicable conditions. The zoning plan (zoning maps, explanatory notes and criteria) is available through the government site ruimtelijkeplannen.nl.

In addition to the zoning plan, other planning documents have been drawn up which provide more details on the design and use of Utrecht Science Park. These documents are used by Utrecht University, the owner of Utrecht Science Park, as a guide to its own investment plans and are provided as contract documents to third parties who wish to set up in Utrecht Science Park (on a leasehold basis). Additional documents relating to the area as a whole include:

Urban Development Vision

The University's executive board approved the Urban Development Vision for the central and eastern parts of Utrecht Science Park (USP) . The design, which was created by Barcode Architects, presents an integrated vision of buildings and outdoor areas to be rolled out over the next 10 years, providing more space for people to gather and work together in and around buildings, bringing more life to the large and small squares between the buildings and creating a greater balance between green space and built space, pedestrians and fast-moving traffic. This vision anchors a framework for these changes – the exact details still have to be worked out. Images incorporated in the vision are impressions of a possible elaboration. They are visualisations for inspiration. Changes will be implemented step by step, with contributions from all types of users.

Flora and fauna legislation 

For many construction plans within Utrecht Science Park, restrictions apply due to flora and fauna legislation. In order to avoid having to carry out an inventory for each new plan afresh, Corporate Real Estate & Campus has had an ecological map drawn up in 2012. In 2015 the map got an update. 

Biodiversity

Sustainability is an important spearhead for Utrecht University. As part of this, the university wants to strengthen and increase biodiversity on the campus of Utrecht Science Park. In order to be able to do this, insight is needed into the existing biodiversity, the developments and the possibilities to contribute to this in a positive sense. All this information is bundled in the:

At the level of individual plots or parcels of land, more detail is available in the form of visual quality plans. These documents contain detailed rules about which type of development is permissible in specific areas of Utrecht Science Park. They specify aspects such as connections with public rights of way (roads and paths) and the way in which buildings fit into their surroundings. The notion underlying these documents is that the quality of the campus is more than simply the sum of its parts.

The following visual quality plans are available, but not all online:

*All documents are in Dutch.