Catharijnesingel

In the late 1970s, the historic moat in Utrecht called the Catharijnesingel was transformed into the Catharijnebaan, a twelve-lane urban expressway dominated by asphalt and concrete. To accommodate private vehicles, large sections of the approximately five-kilometer-long outer city moat—dating back to the 12th century—were filled in. Since Utrecht was granted city rights in 1122, this canal had played a central role in the city’s urban, economic, and social development. Its conversion into a traffic corridor marked a profound rupture in the urban fabric, severing the historic city center from the emerging train station area.