Author profile picture

The municipality of Eindhoven has appointed Winy Maas as Supervisor of the inner city. Maas will advise on all urban plans for the in the city center and coherence between these integrated future plans that will centre on architecture, urbanism and public space. With this appointment, it is intended that Eindhoven takes the next step in becoming a high-quality international city with pleasant areas and an allure.

Over the last few years, the high tech campus, Strijp-S, and the Technical University of Eindhoven were developed into attractive areas to live, work and learn. These major developments just like the old Philips factory grounds Strijp-S in comparison contributed to the major economic growth of the area whilst leaving the city center behind.

For the citizens of Eindhoven, the city center it is not prominent in spite of its renowned visibility as an international high-tech hub. The Municipality of Eindhoven has ambitions for transforming the center into one that is able to compete with other attractive global city centers with its own distinct identity. A way to achieve this vision is to densify the city with high rise, transformations and creating greener public spaces thus making it more pleasant for people who live there and visitors alike.

The supervisory role assigned to Winy Maas is to enable a cohesive future urban plan and developing projects that will lead to this. The challenge here is to involve everyone in the city at every stage of the process as the city center belongs to all. The process will begin during the Dutch Design Week.

Wilbert Seuren, Spatial Planning and Finance counselor says: “We are proud that Winy Maas, with his international experience, is willing to fulfill this role of Supervisor. We think that he is the right person to develop ideas how to make our city center as attractive and functional as possible”.

Winy Maas, on the other hand, sees his role as an attractive challenge: “The center of Eindhoven seems to belong to no one, and while Eindhoven has a very strong profile when it comes to high tech and design. In other cities, the city center usually determines the identity of it. I want to investigate how we can bring this back in Eindhoven as well. There is space!”

“The center of Eindhoven seems to belong to no one, and while Eindhoven has a very strong profile when it comes to high tech and design.”Winny Maas, Supervisor inner city of Eindhoven

Next to supervisor for the inner city, Maas is also connected to the development of the new quarter Nieuw Bergen. The city preferred the design by MVRDV above all others. Maas was also recently appointed as the ambassador for Dutch Design Week 2017.