Municipality and RUG Join Forces to Develop New Inner City Campus
Project aims to connect university more closely to the city and make the area greener and more accessible.
The University of Groningen (RUG) and the municipality of Groningen are working together on a major plan to turn the heart of the city into a modern and sustainable inner city campus. On March 24, 2025, RUG director Hans Biemans and aldermen Rik van Niejenhuis and Carine Bloemhoff signed an agreement to officially begin the collaboration.
The goal is to make the university more integrated with the city centre—both physically and socially. This means not only improving the university buildings themselves but also creating more green spaces, improving biodiversity, making the area more accessible, and encouraging sustainable travel. The university and the city also hope to encourage events and activities that bring students, staff, and local residents together.
Making a City Campus
The new campus area stretches from the Harmonie complex to the streets around Broerstraat. According to Carine Bloemhoff, education has always been a core part of the city’s identity. “The university has been in the heart of Groningen for centuries. Its central location helps students and staff connect with city life, and it also allows the city to benefit from the university's knowledge and facilities.”
RUG director Hans Biemans added that the project is a chance to update old university buildings for the future. “Our historical buildings are beautiful, but they need to be more flexible, modern, and sustainable. This new campus will help us open up more to the public and create a livelier, more connected environment.”
Strategic Master Plan
To make the vision a reality, a Strategic Master Plan will be developed. This plan will guide decisions on how spaces are designed, used, and improved. It will include ideas for greener streets, better access for pedestrians and cyclists, and more vibrant street-level areas with places to meet and relax.
A first version of the plan is expected by mid-2026, with a full version ready by early 2027. Over the next year and a half, the municipality and the university will work closely together—and local residents and other stakeholders will be invited to give input.
“We’re building a city centre campus that’s not only for students but for everyone,” said Rik van Niejenhuis. “More trees and plants make areas more attractive and healthier. Safer streets and better mobility help people get around more easily. It’s about creating a place where people want to be.”
From ‘de Harmonie’ to a New Beginning
One key part of the plan is the transformation of the Harmonie complex. Originally built as a cultural centre in 1856, the building was later used by the university’s faculties of Arts and Law. But as those faculties grew, they expanded into nearby buildings. In 2023, the Faculty of Law moved to the Röling building on Oude Boteringestraat, leaving room to upgrade and modernise the Harmonie complex.
Now, there’s an opportunity to make the old building more energy efficient and integrate it better into the urban landscape.
Beyond the City Centre
This collaboration builds on other shared projects between the university and the municipality, including work on the Zernike Campus and the Healthy Ageing Campus near UMCG. Together, these efforts aim to make Groningen not only a hub for education and research, but also a more liveable, sustainable, and connected city.