Entrance to Zernike Campus gets green and attractive park

Between Zernikelaan and the new Feringa Building, a green and attractive campus park of about 10 hectares will be created. To this end, the University of Groningen (UG) has drawn up a programme of requirements in collaboration with the campus partners over the past period. The park will contribute to better mobility for cyclists and pedestrians, the preservation of the ecologically valuable Paddenbosje and offer pleasant places to stay for campus visitors. The transformation of the entrance area on the Zernike Campus Groningen will be realized in 2023 and 2024.

Simultaneously with the construction of the Feringa Building and the demolition of parts of the Nijenborgh 4 building, the outside environment will also be redeveloped. This roughly concerns the area between Zernikelaan, Crematoriumlaan, Energy Academy Europe and a wide water ditch on the east side of the campus. Including buildings, this is about 10 hectares.

Better mobility
The park fits with the rest of the green campus where cyclists and pedestrians are given plenty of space and cars are a guest. Especially at this entrance location, where some 20,000 cyclists enter the campus every day via the Selwerd route, it is important to create an orderly and safe situation. The final park design will therefore be well-suited to the surrounding traffic flows and will also ensure good accessibility of the Feringa Building: the entrance, the bicycle cellar, the logistics hub and the outdoor terrace.

Reinforcement of biodiversity
The current Paddenbosje merges to the new green park. This ecologically very valuable piece of urban nature will be preserved as a habitat for toads, bats and a buzzard, among others. Where possible, the development of biodiversity will be further enhanced. For example, it is possible to strengthen the wet soil structure by creating connections with nearby watercourses. Also, the transition between forest and park can be blended better. Grass, flower and herb fields, bushes and trees offer an ideal environment for insects, birds and passers-by.
In drawing up the basic principles, ecologists from the UG and the Municipality of Groningen provided options for stimulating the development of biodiversity in the area.

Space for recreation
The park must become a place where everyone likes to stay, for example for a break walk, a picnic or to study in the sun. In the immediate vicinity of buildings, zones are created where various activities are possible. In addition, the park is suitable for making innovations visible that are developed inside the buildings.

Planning
Over the past period, the campus parties and Antea Group have established a program of requirements for the area. In 2022, an attractive landscape design of the entire area will be worked out, after which the green campus park on the Zernike Campus Groningen can be implemented in 2023 and 2024, taking into account the progress of the construction of the Feringa Building.