Spacious and green: these are words that describe Berg en Bos perfectly. The neighbourhood lies on the edge of the Veluwe forests. Around 2,000 people live there, mainly in owner-occupied homes, many of which are detached. The neighbourhood is known for three popular attractions: Paleis Het Loo, Apenheul and Julianatoren.
General statistics on the neighbourhood show that Berg en Bos scores higher than the Apeldoorn average in many areas. For example, in terms of income, living environment, well-being, health and lifestyle. All of these stand out in a positive light.
In fact, there are only two areas in which the neighbourhood scores below average. Firstly, the population is less diverse; the neighbourhood is mainly home to older residents. And secondly, energy consumption is much higher than the average for Apeldoorn.
If you ask the residents themselves how they experience the neighbourhood, the same picture emerges. Residents are generally very satisfied with living in Berg en Bos. They are attached to their homes and their neighbourhood. They almost never feel unsafe.
Relations with local residents are generally good. People feel a sense of belonging to the neighbourhood. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean they are very actively involved.
Apart from that, they experience relatively few nuisances. Their main sources of annoyance are traffic, litter and dog fouling.
Berg en Bos is therefore a neighbourhood that is in good shape. It is a charming neighbourhood with its own character. But there are also areas that require attention. For example, how do we ensure that older residents can continue to live here independently? And how do we reduce high energy consumption?
Together with the local community and various organisations, we have identified four themes. We will now be working on these.
Four areas will receive particular attention in the coming years. First and foremost, we are dedicating time to preserving the unique character of Berg en Bos. We are also working to create a welcoming community for all generations. Whilst there are all sorts of facilities in and around the neighbourhood, there aren’t very many specifically for older people. We’ll also ensure a good balance between housing and leisure. And we’ll help people make their homes more sustainable. This will enable us to reduce high energy consumption.
| Objective | Action / Point for attention | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Preserving the character of the neighbourhood | We are working to build greater support for preserving the neighbourhood’s character. For example, by sharing information. | Neighbourhood Association |
| Management of public spaces | We are drawing up a plan for the management of public spaces. | Municipal Partners |
| Working to foster a sense of community | We are looking into the need for more social contact, neighbourliness and social activities. | Neighbourhood Association |
| Balancing residential life and tourism | We determine how much scope there is for tourism, without this being at the expense of the neighbourhood’s quality of life. | Municipality |
| Less disruption from traffic and parking | We are looking for a long-term solution to the traffic and parking problem. | Local council, neighbourhood association & attractions |
| Less disruption from events | Realistic ‘venue profiles’ are to be introduced. These will set out what is and isn’t permitted at events (and on event sites). | Municipality |
| Objective | Action / Point for attention | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Preserving the character of the neighbourhood | We are investigating the challenges and opportunities for preserving and enhancing the character of the neighbourhood. | Local authority & partners |
| Better housing for older people | We are looking at what stands in the way of comfortable and independent living for older people. And we are thinking about what we can do about it. | Local authority & neighbourhood association |
| (Play) space for young people | If we notice that there is a greater need for play areas, we will take active steps to address this. | Local authority & neighbourhood association |
| Safe leisure travel | We are looking into whether pedestrians and cyclists can be given more space on Soerenseweg. | Local authority, partners & county council |
| Tackling the energy issue | Together with local residents, we are developing a strategy to tackle the energy issue in the neighbourhood. | Local council, neighbourhood association & residents |
Would you like more information about the vitality agenda?
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