With this comprehensive transformation we are offering Kabeldistrict a new future. We are going to re-energise the area so that it can fulfil its potential. It is going to become a high-tech, mixed urban area and a home for entrepreneurs and residents. What we are aiming for is to create a place which exudes innovation. Where working, living, learning and making come together perfectly and where the human dimension dominates and represents solidarity, sustainability and social and cultural diversity. By developing Kabeldistrict, we are making a contribution to the ambition of the municipality of Delft to develop from a city of knowledge to a high-tech capital.

The former Dutch Cable Factory [Nederlandsche Kabelfabriek] has been the focal point of the neighbourhood since time immemorial. The most characteristic buildings in the 65,000 m² complex are going to be assigned a central position in the neighbourhood in the future as well. They are going to be transformed into an idiosyncratic commercial space in the form of a high-tech campus for knowledge-intensive and creative start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs. It will become a place where the ideas conceived at the nearby Technical University (TU) can be turned into a reality. The district will therefore be a bustling commercial centre in the future as well, with the chimney as an ode to the past.

All manner of developments will be taking place in the area during the coming five to ten years. Developments to make the location more attractive which, in turn, will have a positive effect on the social value of the area. This will also give us an opportunity to investigate the needs and wishes of the various target groups as we go along and make the potential of the area something tangible. With this approach, we can transform Kabeldistrict step-by-step into a hugely attractive area. The aim of the placemaking is to integrate Kabeldistrict into the rest of the city and increase its attractiveness and vibrancy. Specifically, this means that space is going to be created for students, start-ups, hospitality and culture and that steps will be taken to make the area greener.

Education and innovation

KD Campus is a place where students at the TU Delft can work on innovative projects, such as the development of various prototypes of hydrogen cars, solar powered cars and boats which will then take part in international competitions. Kabeldistrict is also going to be the location of The Why Factory. This is an international think tank in the field of, among others, architecture, civil engineering and geosciences under the leadership of professor Winy Maas, who gave his name to Studio Winy Maas. This studio is also going to be located in the area. KD Lab was set up especially for start-ups. It is located in one of the factory buildings and offers space to innovative start-ups. It is a place where entrepreneurs can develop their ideas, put them into practice and inspire each other. It has everything it takes to become a knowledge and tech hub which is bursting with energy.

Hospitality, culture and sport

To make the area more lively and more attractive, various hospitality initiatives are going to be developed. Kabeldistrict is currently the home of the city brewery called ‘De Koperen Kat’. The range of hospitality outlets is going to be supplemented with a café, Poing-Arcade, Boulangerie Michel and a hospitality pavilion. Plans are also going to be devised, together with various cultural partners, for the development of activities in the field of culture, such as an open-air theatre. The sports facilities are also going to be expanded and Kabeldistrict will soon have a paddle tennis court and a basketball hall to complement the existing bouldering gym.

Greener character

Kabeldistrict is going to become a traffic calmed area where cyclists and pedestrians get all the space they need and where there will also be room for a bee-friendly garden and a vegetable garden for children. Trees and bushes are also going to be planted and water features constructed. These are all measures which will emphasise Kabeldistrict’s green character and make the area more attractive.