Catharijnesingel Utrecht channel

This biennial prize is awarded to the most successful European transformation in the urban public realm. The verdict on the restoration of the historic city canal in Utrecht was: “The International Jury considers the reconstruction of the canal, together with the recovery of a linear park running along its banks, a model intervention for the survival of our cities in the new Climate Era. ”

Catharijnesingel is the final piece of the restoration of the Utrecht city ring canal. This has undone the controversial transformation of more than 50 years ago into a city highway, after the local population had voted in favor of the proposal for recompletion in a referendum in 2002.

Commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht, OKRA landscape architects drew up the design as part of the renovation of the station area. In addition to the return of the water, it was also decided to extend the 19th-century city park around the historic city center up to Hoog Catharijne, the busiest shopping mall in the Netherlands. For the design, the office created a strategy for the historic city center in which the canal serves as the basis for making it climate adaptive. Important ambitions were also increasing social and ecological inclusiveness and boosting the mobility transition. It is the second time that a Dutch project has won the prize. Because the 2020 edition could not take place, there were more than 300 international entries, of which the jury had already selected 5 finalists.