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<div><strong>For English, click on 'read more' and scroll past the photos.</strong>
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<div>Welkom bij ons boekproject “The Green Embraced”.
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<div>We zijn een boek aan het maken, over groene fietsstad Houten. In het Engels!
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<div>Het begon in 2022. Het begin was er met het boek “Het Groen Omarmd” van stedenbouwkundige Robert Derks, over hoe groene fietsstad Houten is gemaakt en het Houtens DNA. In 2013 schetste hij de ontwikkelingsgeschiedenis van Houten in zijn boek “Het Groen Omarmd”. Nu, 12 jaar later, is de tijd rijp om het boek in het Engels te gaan uitbrengen, vinden wij!
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<div>Het kleine fruitdorp Houten van een paar duizend inwoners werd in de jaren ‘70 aangewezen als groeikern, om bij te gaan dragen aan het oplossen van de landelijke woningnood. Sindsdien heeft Houten zich op geheel unieke wijze ontwikkeld, rondom een aaneengesloten netwerk van groene openbare ruimtes, met een geïntegreerd autovrij netwerk met fietspaden. Wereldwijd staat Houten nu bekend als ‘paradise for cyclists’. Houten is ook twee keer bekroond als Beste Fietsstad van Nederland, in 2008 en 2018. Honderden deskundigen, studenten, beleidsmakers, planners en ontwerpers komen van heinde en verre om Fietsstad Houten te bekijken en bestuderen.
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<div>Wereldwijd zien we veel aandacht voor stedenbouw en verkeer, in samenleving, politiek, wetenschap en media. Overal in de wereld worstelen steden met te veel auto’s en met de vreselijke gevolgen voor de leefbaarheid, de gezondheid, de verkeersveiligheid, en het milieu. Daardoor is een enorme transitie op gang gekomen om steden mens-, milieu- en klimaatvriendelijker te maken. Wij willen met dit boek bijdragen aan deze transitie.
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<div>Om de wereld te bereiken wordt het een Engels boek. Voor Nederland Fietsland en in het bijzonder Fietsstad Houten komt er een Nederlandse uitgave.
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<div>Het wordt een prettig leesbaar, toegankelijk boek, met mooi beeldmateriaal, waaronder originele schetsen en tekeningen van Derks. Een boek voor in de boekenkast en bibliotheek, maar ook mooi om cadeau te doen. Uitgeverij Blauwdruk gaat het boek uitgeven en het ligt vanaf juni in de winkel (planning, €30 richtprijs).
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<div>Wil jij het verhaal van Groene Fietsstad Houten helpen vertellen, en de transitie ondersteunen? Geweldig! Dat kan uiteraard door dit bericht te delen. Maar we zijn ook een crowdfunding gestart. Ben je ook trots op Groene Fietsstad Houten? Geef Houten dan een 10 door 10€ bij te dragen via crowdfundingpageadres.
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<div>Voor het maken van het boek kunnen we ook al rekenen op enkele bedrijven die het project sponsoren. Heeft uw bedrijf misschien ook interesse om te sponsoren en in het boek te worden opgenomen als sponsor? Gelieve dan contact op te nemen met...
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<div><a href="https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/</a></a>
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<div>Houten, greenery and slow-traffic
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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/79039881_1750164550317276_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>The Omarmd in English team: Robert (reading), Harry (laughing), Kylie (notating) and André (behind the camera)
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<div>André and Houten's Wooden Bough Bike (Bough Bikes are one of our sponsors too!)
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<div>Want to understand more of what the fuss is all about? Feel free to join John Simmerman of Active Towns, Dr Billy Fields, professor of political science at Texas State University and Kylie on this hot summer's day in 2024.
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<div><a href="https://youtu.be/GVgp2LZ8PNk?si=ZQnRwgDCO5T7W_Gj" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Houten: a resident-led bike tour with Active Towns</a>
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<div>Or perhaps you'd like to ride around with Not Just Bikes...which is always a joy! 
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<div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=472s&amp;v=r-TuGAHR78w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-TuGAHR78w&amp;t=472s" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-TuGAHR78w&amp;t=472s</a></a>
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<div><strong>And now in English.</strong>
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<div>Welcome to our book project, ‘The Green Embraced’.
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<div>We are a small team working to update and translate the history of modern Houten, a Dutch town that's been living the high life for more than 50 years!
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<div>All over the world, people are realising just how much of their public space has been given to fast polluting vehicles. Their bodies and minds know exactly what that means for personal and collective quality of life, health, safety and the environment.
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<div>We’re doing this project because we’re absolutely convinced that Houten, as an example, and Het Groen Omarmd as a ‘how to’, can help change that.
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<div>To explain:
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<div>In the 1970s, The Old Village of Houten, just under Utrecht in the centre of the Netherlands, was designated an area of growth in response to the post-war housing crisis. With daring and insight, the village didn’t just follow in the footsteps of other modern concrete car loving cities. Instead, they designed their expansion around a unique structure: a network of integrated green public spaces and a car-free system of cycle paths.
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<div>Just to be sure you got that, because you probably don’t believe it: a network of integrated green public spaces and a car-free system of cycle paths.
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<div>Car free green space for everyone!!
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<div>As far as we know, Houten is the only town in the world designed with a ‘slow-traffic’ network for feet, pedal power and public transport as its primary way of getting around.
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<div>Not surprisingly the town has a reputation as a 'paradise for cyclists' and has twice won the title of Best Cycling City in the Netherlands (2008 and 2018). Every year, hundreds of experts, students, policy makers, planners and designers come from far and near to study and experience Houten from the saddle of a bike.
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<div>By simply dethroning the car, Houten is quiet, green and socially rich.
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<div>And still today, that feels revolutionary!
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<div>Robert Derks, the designer of this inversion of power in public space, originally published his record of modern Houten in 2013. Twelve years later we are convinced that this book must be made available in English.
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<div>So, we're working hard.
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<div>The new edition, published in separate Dutch and English versions, benefits from a revised text, new drone photos and updated images. It also features contributions from international urban planning and mobility specialists as well as the most important voices of all: those who live here.
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<div>But of course, a project like this needs funding!
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<div>If you would like to help get this book out into the world, into classrooms, offices or even onto your own coffee table, we would be extremely thankful.
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<div>Financial contributions can be made via this Go Fund Me page or you can contact Harry Harsema at Blauwdruk publishers with the possibility of negotiating sponsorship through, for example, a financial commitment to purchase pre-publication or perhaps in exchange for acknowledgment in the book.
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<div><a href="https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.uitgeverijblauwdruk.nl/</a></a>
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<div>From the team at Omarmd in English,
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<div>Thank You!!
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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/79039881_1750847749955514_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
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Cycling City Houten says Hello World!

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Cycling City Houten says Hello World!

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