New step in development of Humanities Campus: Urban development plan available for viewing
Leiden University has designed a new Urban Development Plan for the Humanities Campus. This plan incorporates participation from the immediate environment (neighbours and nearby residents). The plan will be available for viewing at the Leiden city council offices from 22 December for six weeks.
The University’s original plan for the Doelen side of the development had to be abandoned to make it possible to retain the houses belonging to the Sleutels. This meant that a new plan was needed. In this new plan there is a clear focus on the environment, sustainability, mobility and greenery. The current central education building (Lipsius) will be demolished and in its place there will be a new building alongside the canal, which for the time being has been given the name Lipsius South. There will also be room for a park, the green heart of the campus.
The Reuvens building will also be demolished and rebuilt as the central education building. The Doelen site will have very limited access for vehicles and a new footbridge will be constructed to link the areas on both sides of the canal. All the buildings will have an open appearance with lots of glass, and public functions on the ground floor.
Smaller campus
The University has given careful consideration to which facilities fit within a smaller campus. The Humanities Faculty will have less floor space in the new Humanities Campus plan. In addition, there will also be no housing and no conference centre on the site, as in the original plan. The new working environment will be laid out and used differently. The number of square metres for education remains the same in the new plan as in the original.
Leiden municipality participation
The draft urban development plan for the new Humanities Campus will be available for inspection at the municipality from 22 December to 1 February 2023. The municipal executive committee is expected to take a decision on the plan in March 2023, and the plan will then be submitted to the municipal council for adoption. A zoning procedure will also be started in 2023, and the visual quality plan will be available for inspection during the first quarter of 2023.
Humanities Campus
Leiden city centre will benefit from a significant quality stimulus thanks to the construction of the Humanities Campus with new, attractive, more fitting buildings for University staff and students, and with more greenery and a more vibrant atmosphere, both for residents and visitors to the city. Leiden University's new campus will also offer new opportunities for meeting and connecting with the residents of Leiden, including a city park and a link to the Singelpark route. The Faculty is intrinsically connected with the historic city centre and the University Library on the Witte Singel. Staff of the Faculty of Humanities, the institutes and knowledge partners are currently spread over several outdated buildings that have high maintenance costs. The accommodation no longer meets present-day standards and there are too few facilities for collaboration and interaction. There is a strong need for renovated accommodation and an accessible campus, with open and city-oriented buildings connected by well-designed public spaces.
For more information, visit universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities-campus.
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Impression new plan Humanities Campus. Visuals: KCAP -
Impression new plan Humanities Campus. Visuals: KCAP -
Impression new plan Humanities Campus. Visuals: KCAP -
Impression new plan Humanities Campus. Visuals: KCAP