Haarlemmermeer and ARCADIS use MapTalk to find the best cycling routes

Building 20,000 Homes Changes More Than Just the Streetscape

No fewer than 20,000 new homes are being built in Haarlemmermeer. At the same time, the Hoofddorp station area is undergoing major redevelopment and Lincolnpark is being created. This new district will be sustainable and future-focused, with safe, well-designed cycling connections to both the lively town centre and the centrally located station.

The municipality is also actively improving connections between the town centre, the business district, surrounding nature areas and various recreational destinations through the development of a new, modern and comfortable cycling route.

Why Is Citizen Participation So Important for This Project?

Citizen participation ensures that residents’ opinions and ideas are included in the decision-making process. This not only creates broader public support but also leads to better decisions that reflect the community’s actual needs.

For Haarlemmermeer, collecting input from residents was essential to designing a cycling route that would be efficient, safe and attractive.

Identify potential routes connecting different areas of Hoofddorp.
Map risks, bottlenecks and obstacles.
Select the route with the strongest public preference.
Involve local residents in designing the chosen cycling route and the surrounding public space.

Haarlemmermeer

Haarlemmermeer: How Do We Reach These People?

Two public consultation evenings were organised for the project. The first focused on preliminary sketches of possible cycling routes, while the second addressed the further development of the selected route.

In practice, however, drop-in consultation events are often attended mainly by older residents and may not provide a representative picture of the wider community. Some people cannot attend because of physical limitations, do not feel comfortable expressing their views in this setting or simply have other priorities at the scheduled time.

For this reason, online participation platforms such as MapTalk are increasingly used for similar projects. MapTalk is an innovative online platform that helps municipalities and organisations communicate effectively with residents and involve them in spatial projects. It provides an interactive map on which users can draw, submit suggestions and respond directly to proposed plans.

In Haarlemmermeer, MapTalk was used to ask residents about their preferences and concerns regarding existing cycling and traffic routes. Through an easily accessible online map, residents could:

Choose the routes they would prefer to use and explain their reasons.
Identify hazards and bottlenecks that concerned them.
Suggest possible improvements.

This allowed people who could not attend the consultation evenings to contribute as well. Their feedback was immediately linked to specific locations and stored in a structured format.

To encourage online participation, a QR code can be included in newspaper announcements, a link can be added to press releases or geofencing and online advertising can be used to reach people within the relevant area.

101 Online Responses

The collaboration between Haarlemmermeer, ARCADIS and MapTalk proved highly successful, generating 101 online responses. The residents’ input helped planners understand which route was genuinely preferred.

Their feedback also helped identify bottlenecks such as dangerous junctions and unclear traffic situations. Because residents could explain their route choices and the locations they marked, ARCADIS and the municipality gained a better understanding of cyclists’ needs and expectations.

This resulted in a route design that was more closely aligned with everyday use and the experiences of local residents.

The results of the participation process were promising. The municipality was ultimately able to present a route plan with broad community support because it responded directly to residents’ input and feedback.

Local knowledge also contributed to improved road safety through adjusted routes and better infrastructure. Greater resident involvement therefore supports not only a more positive perception of municipal planning and decision-making but also greater efficiency and potential cost savings, as problems can be identified, addressed and prevented at an earlier stage.

When You Build 20,000 Homes, You Cannot Afford Noise in the Decision-Making Process

The combination of public consultation evenings and online participation used by the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer and ARCADIS demonstrates that citizen participation is more than a useful option. It makes a practical contribution to the success of urban and infrastructure projects.

Actively involving residents in decision-making significantly increases the likelihood of successful projects with broad public support.

Together, we can build a safer, stronger and more engaged community.

Discover how MapTalk can help you involve residents and stakeholders in your project.