VVD Amsterdam: Turn ‘Zuidas’ into an international icon

“The Amsterdam ‘Zuidas’ should be an international icon”, City Council candidate Frank van Dalen (VVD) made this statement last Monday during a visit to the ‘Zuidas’. The area should be used as a means to end the city's inferiority complex from which it has suffered for years. The ‘Zuidas’ in the vision of Van Dalen is a combination of working, living and entertainment.

The area on the south side of the city should be a place where international companies, expatriates and internationally oriented inhabitants of Amsterdam feel at home. During a visit to the ‘Zuidas’ Van Dalen called for an international icon. According to the VVD Amsterdam, Amsterdam is still too often seen as ‘a village on the Amstel’. City Council member Fjodor Molenaar (GroenLinks) suggested during last Friday's UvA-pride debate that Amsterdam is and always will remain merely a European country town.

"We need to get away from these ideas”, said Van Dalen. "In order to create a lively area we need to mix living, work and entertainment. A large modern club should open its doors and there must be room for art in public spaces which is also projected on the beautiful architecture. The street names should be more international. A Shanghai Boulevard or a Sydney Avenue makes it instantly clear what the South-Axis is all about: ambition, progress and Amsterdam as an attractive international center for business, tourism and residence."

The VVD structurally wants a thousand student properties. For international visitors, high end hotels and short stay apartments offer a solution while adequate housing-and amenities for expats –both in the higher and the middle segment- are needed as well. "It would be good if check-in desks for Schiphol are installed at the Zuid/WTC station, complete with a luggage check-in and screens where the arrivals and departures of aircrafts at Schiphol are shown”, Van Dalen adds.

Many projects at the ‘Zuidas’ are postponed. "This is unacceptable; to developers who do have ground positions for development but are not taking action, we say: start building or sell your position. In our opinion this certainly applies to the housing corporations. There are plenty of international players who are willing to shape the ‘Zuidas’.