Boivin’s book contains critical notes about the changes in the 1960s and 1970s. “Features that have emerged over long periods of time are erased too quickly and too easily or replaced by monotonous structures. The new does not fit in sufficiently with the existing.”
The city of Assen developed over the centuries along the canals that ran through the area. That gave a certain shape to the city center. The construction of the Koopmansplein meant a break with that development, as is also stated in Boivin’s book.
What lessons can we learn from the past? “People are children of their time. In the 1970s they did what belonged to that time, and we are now doing what suits the time. I wouldn’t really say learning lessons, at most you can analyze what happened then,” says Boivin.
In Welink’s plans, the Weiersstraat, located on the west side of the Koopmansplein, will be partly underground. This must happen near De Nieuwe Kolk. “That is one of the most important points for success,” says the entrepreneur. “Then Koopmansplein and De Nieuwe Kolk can be connected.”
Welink wants to design the resulting area as a park. “You can then move there without cars cutting things off.”
The plan has a hefty price tag, but that is of secondary importance, according to Welink. “You make this investment for fifty to a hundred years. Then the cost is important, but it’s about the vision. Which city do you want to be? If you have the same vision, you can figure it out together.”