Houten
Coordinates: 52°02′N 5°10′E / 52.03, 5.17
Country	Netherlands
Province	Utrecht
Area (2006)
- Total	58. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Utrecht ( ˈyːtrɛxt is the smallest province of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 98 km² (22. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 8 sq mi)
- Land	55. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 71 km² (21. 5 sq mi)
- Water	3. 27 km² (1. 3 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
- Total	45,610
- Density	819/km² (2,121. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 2/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline. Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website: www.houten.nl

Houten (pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Utrecht ( ˈyːtrɛxt is the smallest province of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country The expected population in 2015 will be 50,000 (already reached in 2007). The municipality consists of the following towns:

- Houten (pop. 38,062)

- 't Goy (pop. 't Goy ( is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Houten, and lies about 5 km southeast of Houten 606 in 2002)

- Schalkwijk (pop. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Schalkwijk is a small village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. 1,946)

- Tull en 't Waal (pop. Tull en 't Waal ( is a small village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. 665)

Houten (town)

The main town in the municipality is Houten, a commuter town about 9 km southeast of Utrecht. Utrecht ( city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. In 2007, the town had 45,610 inhabitants. The built-up area was 5. 08 km² in area, and contained 11,486 residences. ^[1] The slightly larger statistical district of Houten had a population of about 39,100 in 2004. ^[2]

The village (dark green) and the statistical district (light green) in the municipality of Houten.

History of Houten

Remains of a Roman villa have been found in the old centre of Houten, made visible in a street pattern. There used to be a Roman villa on that spot. This building was discovered in the fifties. In the Dark Ages Houten took shape as a rural centre. The area of the municipality of Houten was divided in the so-called 'gerechten' (districts). The names of these districts are still in use: Schonauwen, Wulven, Waijen, Heemstede.

A lot of elements in present-day Houten are reminders of its history. Prominent in the old centre 'Het Oude Dorp' are the Roman Catholic Church (1884) and the Protestant Church (1563). The first accounts of this church date from the ninth century, the oldest parts of the church are probably from the eleventh century. Another prominent building is the restaurant/cafe 'De Engel', already mentioned in the 16th century as a tavern. ^[3]

Former access roads to the old centre are still recognisable by their names, such as the 'Odijkseweg' and 'Loerikseweg'. Houten had many orchards, but few have survived.

Modern Houten, after WWII

The expanding city 1966-1993

Modern Houten started to take shape in the last decades of the 20th century (1966-1993). It was designated a 'Groeikern' - a centre of growth - to meet the needs of the growing city of Utrecht. In 1979 the construction of 10,000 dwellings started and the population grew from 4,000 to more than 30,000 in the nineties.

Second designation as a centre of urban growth 1995-2007

Until 2008, some 7,000 new houses are being built in Houten-Zuid, following the same urban design principles as the existing Houten-Noord, but with some differences. The body of water to the east is large in comparison with water bodies in the old parts of Houten. The pentagonal green zone in Houten-Zuid embracing the centre is different from the greenzone in Houten-Noord, which runs through the whole city in a linear structure, with parks at either end. Another difference is that in some places cars share the road with bicycle paths.

Transportation

Old train station

Train

Houten is well connected to other cities, especially by train. Twice or four times an hour trains leave for Utrecht and 's Hertogenbosch/Tiel. The railway will be doubled, from two tracks to four. In the mean time a local train runs between Houten and Houten-Castellum station in Houten-Zuid.

Bus

Busses travel to regional destinations.

Bike

Houten is well adapted to the high number of cyclists. A large network of bike paths make it convenient to cycle to various destinations and within the town the bike is the most popular mean of transportation.

Car

It is relatively easy to get on the highway, although more convenient from north-western parts of the city than from the south-east.

Urban planning and architecture

Sustainable urban design

Houten is internationally known for its urban design. Because of the city structure, people are stimulated to travel by bike and train.

Distinctive qualities of Houten include the accessibility of the railway station, green and water zones throughout the whole city, numerous soccer and basketball fields, high standard of accommodation for different groups and the child-friendly bicycle paths. It is one of the safest cities in the Netherlands. Cyclists and cars are able to avoid each other: an extensive network of bicycle tracks connects the different districts of the town, while cars have to go to the city ring road before they can go to another part of the city.

Remarkable buildings in Houten

- Aluminiumcentre (Micha de Haas)
- Pyramid-shaped apartment complex (Gebroeders Das)
- Total petrol station (Samyn and Partners)
- Fire department (Samyn and Partners)

Famous people from Houten

• Sanderius Idenatus Bakker, a saint who lived in Houten in the Middle Ages.
• Chriet Titulaer (Hout-Blerick, Venlo, 9 mei 1943) is a Dutch televisionhost and a writer of popular scientific material.

References

1. ^ Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Bevolkingskernen in Nederland 2001 [1]. Statistics are for the continuous built-up area.
2. ^ Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Gemeente Op Maat 2004: Houten [2].
3. ^ Houten te voet of the fiets, publication by the municipality of Houten (2001)

• Other statistics are taken from the SDU Staatscourant

External links

• Official website
• Unofficial website about Houten