The area of the municipality of Houten was divided in the so-called gerechten ("districts"), the names of which are still in use: Schonauwen, Wulven, Waijen, Heemstede.

By 2015, some 7,000 new houses had been built in Houten-Zuid, following the same urban design principles as in the existing northern part of Houten, with some differences.

Another difference is that in some places cars share the road with bicycle paths (this concept was later applied in the northern part as well).

These stations are served by local commuter trains to Utrecht (northbound) and Geldermalsen (southbound, with subsequent connections to Tiel and 's-Hertogenbosch/Breda).

The railway has been doubled from two tracks to four, to accommodate for an extra stop at Castellum with a frequency of four trains per hour in each direction.

Unlike other cities Houten is built around a system of car-free public space combined with the infrastructure for slow traffic.

[6] The same happened on 16 January 2018, when Houten was praised for its best all round cycling characteristics and again voted the best Fietsstad 2018 — the nations top BikeCity for 2018.

The city of Houten is known as, nationally and internationally, and in growing interest from home and abroad, as the worlds best practical example for bicycle friendliness.

A growing number of groups with politicians, developers, designers and students visit cycling city Houten for study purposes and inspiration.

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.