The (G)a bridge too far project focuses on the connection or non-connection between the two sides of the railway zone in Utrecht. The project shows a vision to give a new meaning to mobility and residence in the city center of Utrecht. Track Landscapes focuses on the car and bicycle. The assignment was carried out in the context of the Young Innovators program of the Board of Government Advisors.

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Utrecht is bisected by a wide bundle of train tracks. This cuts Utrecht Central in two, because it cannot be crossed for a kilometer in the middle of the city. The adjacent areas turn their backs on the track on both sides, unknown places of little significance arise. A missed potential in a rapidly growing city. We investigated how new connections over, under or around the track can contribute to greater connection between the two sides of the city and a stronger meaning of the spaces around the track.

An important starting point for the design solutions is an unconventional view of barriers. The opposite also applies to every barrier: anyone who moves parallel to it will not be broken anywhere. The design raises the question of whether the track is the barrier, or whether all the heavy car infrastructure that clogs the existing underpasses and dominates the zones parallel to the track. However, this requires a different design of the total traffic system of Utrecht. A system with spikes from the ring, ending in extensive parking garages, puts an end to car traffic in Central Utrecht and focuses on the natural structures of Utrecht. This will create numerous opportunities to create connections for cyclists and pedestrians that go hand in hand with new forms and functions along the track.

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