Biddinghuizen, Netherlands, Europe
 
 
Year1961latitude: 52° 27'
longitude: 5° 42'
Period
Initiator(s)
Planning organizationWieringermeer Directorate
Nationality initiator(s)Netherlands
Designer(s) / Architect(s)R. Hajema
Design organization
Inhabitants6,000 (2005)
Target population
Town websitehttp://www.dronten.nl
Town related links
Literature- Duin, R.H.A. van and G. de Kaste; The pocket guide to the Zuyder Zee project; 1990
- Wal, Coen van der; In Praise of Common Sense. Planning the Ordinary. A Physical Planning History of the New Towns in the IJsselmeerpolders; 1997
- Wal, Coen van der; Villages in the IJsselmeerpolders. From Slootdorp to Zeewolde; 1986

type of New Town: > scale of autonomy
New-Town-in-Town
Satellite
New Town
Company Town
 > client
Private Corporation
Public Corporation
 > policy
Capital
Decentralization
Industrialization
Resettlement
Economic
 

Biddinghuizen, ca. 1967
source: Nieuw Land Erfgoedcentrum, Lelystad

source: Nieuw Land


Biddinghuizen is a town in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It is located in the Eastern Flevoland polder. Biddinghuizen is part of the municipality of Dronten, and lies about 13 km north of Harderwijk. Apart from Biddinghuizen, the municipality of Dronten consists of a town with the same name and a second village, Swifterbant.
After the Second World War it was assumed that in the new Eastern Flevoland polder urban centres of various shapes and sizes would have to be built. The construction of a town with a population ranging between 5,000 and 15,000 was deemed necessary. This town, Dronten, would have a service function for the surrounding agricultural area. There would also be room for light industry. Early plans assumed that the central town of the municipality of Dronten would be surrounded by ten smaller villages. However, in a later stage of the planning process the number of villages was reduced to two, i.e. Biddinghuizen and Swifterbant. Biddinghuizen was sited in the southeast of Eastern Flevoland as the rural support of the area between the new town of Dronten and Harderwijk on the old land.
The plan for Biddinghuizen was drawn up by R. Hajema. A final version of the plan was produced in the summer of 1961. The first inhabitants arrived in October 1963. On January 1972, Dronten became a municipality.
Even though Biddinghuizen was originally designed as a rural support centre, it has gained some importance as a site for recreation and leisure. The Walibi World amusement park is located near Biddinghuizen. The village is also the home of the Lowlands Festival, a major rock music festival held annually in August. Outside the village many camping sites can be found. Biddinghuizen borders on the Veluwemeer. This lake, as well as the other lakes that surround the Flevoland polders, offer ample opportunity for water recreation.
In 2005, Biddinghuizen had 6,000 inhabitants.



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