Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
In the Netherlands, the city of the future is no longer a theoretical abstraction. Between the housing crisis, climate transition, and economic ambitions, the country has embarked on a true overhaul of its urban territories. From the major metropolises of the Randstad to innovative cities like Eindhoven or Groningen, a new generation of projects is transforming how we live, move, and produce in cities. The common thread is clear: densify without sacrificing green spaces, build massively while saving materials, and make urban neighborhoods laboratories for ecological and social transition.
A National Urgency: Housing, Adapting, Decarbonizing
The numbers alone explain the intensity of the projects underway. The Dutch government aims to build 900,000 new homes by 2030, with an annual target of 100,000 units. Current plans already list over one million planned homes, but the reality is stark: the current shortage is estimated at around 331,000 homes, and the market is under severe pressure, especially in the Randstad, the dense urban ring that encompasses Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht around the “Groene Hart.”
In the Amsterdam region, the standard requires that 80% of new constructions be affordable housing.
At the same time, the Netherlands has committed to a profound transformation of its economy. The country aims for a 100% circular economy by 2050, with a 50% reduction in the use of abiotic raw materials by 2030, and significant reductions in greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions. Yet the construction sector alone accounts for about half of all raw materials consumed, 40% of energy, and 50% of waste. It is therefore impossible to think about urban development without revolutionizing the way we build.
A large part of the Dutch territory lies below sea level, making it vulnerable to flooding, heavy rainfall, and heat waves. To address this, the country has implemented the Delta Programme and the National Climate Adaptation Strategy, with the goal of becoming a ‘climate‑ready and water‑resilient’ country by 2050. This context of adaptation shapes future urban projects.
Amsterdam: Densifying the Metropolis While Greening It
With a population expected to exceed one million inhabitants by 2030 and up to 25 million annual visitors expected, Amsterdam is the epicenter of the Dutch urban transformation. In 2021, the city adopted the “Comprehensive Vision Amsterdam 2050: A Human Metropolis,” which rests on five pillars: growth within strict limits, polycentrism, healthy mobility, “rigorous greening,” and co‑construction of the city with its residents.
Zuidasdok and Amsterdam Zuid: The Super Mobility Hub
The Zuidasdok project, south of the city, is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country’s history. It aims to transform the Zuidas business district into a complete piece of the city, betting on exceptional accessibility.
Concretely, the southern section of the A10 highway is being widened and largely buried in a tunnel, freeing up approximately 120,000 m² of surface space for the station, public spaces, and new urban programs. Amsterdam Zuid station, already the busiest in the country, is expected to eventually handle around 250,000 passengers per day. It is connected to the metro network (lines 50, 51, 52), trams, buses, national and international trains (HSL‑Zuid, Intercity Direct, Eurocity), making it a major transportation hub.
The work includes widening platforms, creating two pedestrian underpasses (Minerva and Britten), recentering metro platforms, and adding new tram and bus stops, bicycle parking, taxi drop‑off zones, and park‑and‑ride facilities. The goal is to make transfers easier and give this former highway corridor a more human urban face.
A table helps measure the scale of this structuring project:
| Element | Main Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Project type | Infrastructure + urban transformation |
| A10 highway | Widening + partial tunnel |
| Surface freed up | ~120,000 m² of surface space |
| Amsterdam Zuid station | Up to 250,000 passengers/day expected |
| New crossings | Widened Minerva Passage + new Britten Passage |
| Function | National hub for train–metro–tram–bus–bike |
The construction philosophy reflects the environmental ambitions: the municipality requires low‑noise foundation techniques (screw piles, pressed piles) to limit disturbance in this already dense neighborhood.
Zuidas: From Business District to Livable Neighborhood
Zuidas is not just reinventing its infrastructure. The neighborhood aims to shift from a “central business district” model to that of a complete neighborhood where people live, work, study, and enjoy leisure. By 2030, the goal is to have around 7,000 homes, compared to nearly 2,000 already built. The programming covers the full spectrum: studios, student housing, mid‑market rentals, social housing, free‑market apartments, and penthouses.
Several sub‑districts outline the contours of this compact city:
– Ravel will accommodate approximately 1,350 homes.
– Verdi will add around 550, with its northern part featuring a 40% social rental, 40% mid‑market rental, 20% private sector split.
– Kenniskwartier, an innovation district, plans 2,700 homes and flagship projects like The Pulse of Amsterdam.
– Additionally, approximately 142 homes are planned near Tripolis, 240 along IJsbaanpad, and other developments (The Harmony, Duet) complete the offering.
The development of the Zuidas business district in Amsterdam places particular emphasis on the mid‑market housing segment, which is intended to account for nearly half of new construction. This approach illustrates the desire to reconcile international appeal—with the presence of over 700 companies like Google, AkzoNobel, ABN AMRO, and the European Medicines Agency—while maintaining genuine social diversity within the neighborhood.
An overview of the planned housing supply in Zuidas illustrates this rebalancing:
| Sub‑district / Project | Approximate Number of Homes | Profile of Offering |
|---|---|---|
| Ravel | ~1,350 | Mixed social–mid‑market–private |
| Verdi | ~550 | North: 40% social, 40% mid‑market, 20% private |
| Kenniskwartier | ~2,700 | Homes + offices + innovation facilities |
| Tripolis (surroundings) | ~142 | Compact residential |
| IJsbaanpad north | ~240 | Mixed residential |
| Kop Zuidas (CROSSOVER) | 120 (social) | Social rental integrated into a commercial building |
In Kop Zuidas, the CROSSOVER complex exemplifies this hybridization: 11,000 m² of offices, 80 secure parking spaces (some for sustainable car‑sharing), and 120 social rental homes delivered in 2023. Alongside it, the Newton project applies the famous 40‑40‑20 rule (40% social, 40% mid‑market, 20% private) adopted in 2017.
Other iconic operations complete this picture: The Valley (75,000 m² of homes, offices, shops, and a creative center, complex mineral facades, 196 apartments and 375 underground parking spaces), or The Pulse of Amsterdam, which combines 200 apartments—including 151 mid‑market rentals—36,000 m² of offices, a cinema, shops, and a “vertical urban forest,” aiming for BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certifications.
Housing, Circularity, and the “Complete City”
Beyond Zuidas, Amsterdam set a target in its Woningbouwplan 2018‑2025 of 52,500 new homes, including 17,500 social housing units, nearly 11,700 mid‑market rentals, and 10,500 affordable homes for students and young adults. But nearly 40% of planned homes are currently “on hold,” due to a combination of construction costs, grid constraints, and environmental regulations.
To meet its urban challenges, Amsterdam combines densification of its edges (Ringzone, Northern banks of the IJ, neighborhoods like Haven‑Stad and Schinkelkwartier) with an aggressive circular strategy. The “Amsterdam Circular Strategy 2020‑2025,” with a budget of 17.5 million euros for 2023‑2026, targets three value chains: food and organic waste, consumer goods, and the built environment. More than 200 projects are already underway, including material reuse in operations like Spaarndammerhart and the use of Cradle to Cradle products.
An example like Spaarndammerhart encapsulates these ambitions: 80 homes blending apartments, duplexes, townhouses, and homes around a courtyard, with a mix of 30% social, 20% mid‑market rental (€700 to €1,000 per month), 50% free market, all in an architectural language inspired by the Amsterdam School and with extensive use of reused materials.
At the same time, a vast program of parks, canal restoration (like the Catharijnesingel in Utrecht, which we will return to), and active mobility (goal: a fully walkable and bikeable city by 2050) contributes to what the 2035 then 2050 strategy calls the creation of “vital neighborhoods”: districts where between 35% and 65% of floor area is occupied by non‑residential functions (jobs, services, culture, sports).
Rotterdam: A Laboratory for Density, Wood, and Adaptation
Second city of the country, Rotterdam has over the years earned a reputation as the European capital of experimental urban planning. Ranked second in the Sustainable Cities Index 2024, the port metropolis combines major redevelopment projects, pioneering wooden buildings, and highly advanced climate adaptation strategies.
A Center in Full Transformation
Around Rotterdam Centraal, a vast transformation program—the Rotterdam Central District (RCD)—plans 4,000 new homes and nearly 100,000 m² of offices, complemented by shops, restaurants, and cultural venues. Several projects will begin construction between 2026 and 2027, following an initial wave launched at the end of 2024 with The Modernist (418 homes).
Within this perimeter, the city combines railway landscape reconstruction, vertical densification, and calming of public spaces. Buildings like Weenapoint phase 3 (50,000 m² designed by MVRDV, mixing offices, 200 to 300 homes, a transparent retail podium, and a covered square) or future projects like RISE, Lumière, or Tree House are meant to embody a new skyline, more mixed and greener.
Further west, a spectacular linear park, Hofbogenpark, is taking shape on the roof of an old railway line. Stretching nearly two kilometers, it will offer a ribbon of nature, playgrounds, and sports tracks, while fulfilling an essential function for biodiversity, urban cooling, and stormwater management. It is a typical example of the shift of Dutch cities toward ‘nature‑based solutions.’
Example of nature‑based solutions in the Netherlands
Hofplein, Codrico, De Sax: The High‑Density City
Rotterdam is also heavily investing in a series of strategic “urban pieces.” Around Hofplein square, €233 million are mobilized in a set of seven projects aimed at transforming this mineral traffic node into a friendly green square. Residents, consulted, raised the same priorities as the city council: more coolness, more space for pedestrians and cyclists, less for cars. Residential tower projects like RISE (about 1,300 mid‑market and social homes around the square) are added to boost residential density.
Urban redevelopment and residential development along the Maas, with major architectural projects.
Complex comprising 452 apartments, 33 townhouses, and the tallest residential tower in the Netherlands.
Project with over 900 homes accompanied by a fully automated parking facility.
Vast quayside redevelopment program with floating parks, homes, offices, and a future Maritime Center designed by Francine Houben (Mecanoo).
The Codrico project, on 1.8 hectares of a former industrial site in the Katendrecht district, particularly illustrates the Dutch tendency to push mixing and density very far. It plans approximately 1,500 homes—about half at a price level considered “affordable”—as well as 190,000 m² of offices, shops, restaurants, and cultural functions. The whole is organized around an architectural ensemble combining:
– a 220‑meter residential tower, designed by SHoP Architects (New York);
– a quayside building;
– a building adjoining the former factory (“Fonda”);
– and the complete rehabilitation of the historic Codrico factory, a listed monument, whose silos will be converted into homes.
Delva Landscape Architects & Urbanism handles the design of the parks and quays, with floating parks on either side of the basin. A pedestrian loop completes the ensemble thanks to a new bridge over the port, strengthening the pedestrian and cycling network along the Maas.
A Pioneering City for Climate Adaptation
While Rotterdam builds high and dense, it never forgets that it is, above all, a vulnerable port city. Since 2008, the Rotterdam Climate Proof program, supplemented in 2013 by a climate adaptation strategy, sets a course: to be a “climate proof by 2025” city. Concretely, this translates into a mix of major infrastructure (the Maeslantkering storm surge barrier, dikes, dunes) and micro‑urban developments: green roofs (over 185,000 m² added in 2014 alone), underground parking garages capable of storing 10,000 m³ of water like at Museumpark, and “blue‑green corridors” that absorb and channel rainwater.
Neighborhoods located “outside the dikes,” where around 40,000 people live, receive particular attention. Innovative solutions are being tested there: floating buildings and offices in Rijnhaven, floating parks made from recycled plastics, pilot 100% “climate‑proof” neighborhoods like Zomerhofkwartier. The “Omgevingsvisie” strategy, which replaced the Stadsvisie 2030 in 2024, embeds these approaches in a broader horizon: a 49% reduction in emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050, with intensive use of tools like the interactive Climate Atlas and the adaptation barometer.
Utrecht: Making the Station the Heart of a Dense and Green City
In Utrecht, the fastest‑growing city in the country, the transformation focuses on and around the country’s main railway station. The vast CU2030 program, listed among the national “New Key Projects,” embodies this desire to make railway hubs catalysts for the sustainable city.
CU2030: Remeshing, Rebuilding, Renaturing
The redevelopment project for the central station and its surroundings covers approximately 90 hectares and mobilizes around €3 billion in investment across 27 sub‑projects. The goal is ambitious: to make up for decades of deferred maintenance, accommodate the rapid growth in passenger numbers (the station must handle nearly 100 million passengers per year), reconnect the two sides of the railway line that historically split the city, and restore canals that were filled in during the 1970s.
The new terminal by Benthem Crouwel Architecten unifies trains, trams, and buses. The project includes the renovation of the Hoog Catharijne shopping center, the conversion of the Jaarbeurs exhibition center into a mix of housing and offices, and a profound redesign of public space: creation of pedestrian squares, an elevated esplanade (the Forum), and the restoration of the historic Catharijnesingel canal for strolling, replacing a major road.
An Urbanism by Layers and “Scales”
The masterplan that emerged in the mid‑2000s, after a long process punctuated by a municipal referendum, is based on a simple system of streets, avenues, and squares, organized by three maps: the spatial mesh (public/private), the allocation of programs, and public space and circulation. It defines several project “scales” (S, M, L, XL) with rules on heights and volumes, while setting a clear political limit: 90 m maximum for the tallest buildings.
The CU2030 project stands out for its modular design, allowing independent projects to advance according to funding, resolution of legal disputes (notably on air quality and soil remediation), and agreements with major private partners such as NS‑Poort, Corio/Klépierre, Jaarbeurs, and Rabobank.
Iconic facilities punctuate this transformation: the TivoliVredenburg music complex on Vredenburgplein; the World Trade Center Utrecht; mixed‑use complexes like The Platform or Noordgebouw; gigantic bicycle parking garages under the esplanade; numerous residential projects in the Beurskwartier and Lombokplein sectors—around 3,600 homes, offices, culture, two parks. To the west, developments like Cartesiusdriehoek (2,850 homes around the former CAB building, a listed monument) or Tweede Daalsedijk (1,000 homes) help shift the majority of Utrecht’s residents to the west of the tracks, transforming what was once a railway margin into a metropolitan heart.
Eindhoven and the Brainport: The City as a Technology Laboratory
While the Randstad concentrates most of the major densification operations, another Dutch region embodies a different facet of urban transformation: Eindhoven and its “Brainport” region. This ecosystem of 21 municipalities, 800,000 inhabitants, and over 5,000 technology or IT companies accounts for 14% of national GDP, with a very strong industrial and design fabric (Philips, ASML, NXP, DAF, etc.).
Brainport Smart District and the “In Vivo” Smart City
In Helmond, the Brainport Smart District (BSD) is presented as the “smartest housing development in the world.” On 85 hectares, 1,500 homes are to form a laboratory neighborhood where citizen participation, mobility, energy, water management, safety, urban agriculture, and the circular economy are simultaneously experimented with. The ambition is to create a zero‑emission neighborhood, where fossil‑fuel cars are banned and walking, cycling, and mobility hubs on the periphery are prioritized for logistics and services.
A significant portion of the food is produced locally through a farm and urban gardens, aiming for near self‑sufficiency. Governance is designed to be gradually transferred to residents, with the foundation fading away as the district matures. This area participates in the European ReVeAL project, testing new forms of public space and mobility management.
In Eindhoven itself, former Philips industrial sites like Strijp‑S are being converted into hyper‑creative districts, where old factories become workshops, homes, offices, shops, and cultural venues. As part of the European Triangulum project, the district serves as a demonstrator for renewable energy solutions (biomass heating), digital tools (neighborhood ICT platform, smart parking and car‑sharing management, a connected lighting network acting as a sensor network), and co‑design approaches like SPACE‑S (homes designed with future residents) or CO‑OFFICE‑S (offices co‑created with small businesses).
The Eckart‑Vaartbroek district, composed mainly of social housing, is in turn a laboratory for energy renovation, using digital tools like WoonConnect to simulate potential savings and help residents choose their scenario. This is combined with the introduction of electric buses (Eindhoven already has the largest fleet in the country, with 43 buses) and shared local energy projects.
A Regional Engine for Urban Innovation
Beyond these experimental neighborhoods, the Brainport ecosystem continues to structure itself around major campuses—High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Automotive Campus in Helmond, Brainport Industries Campus (BIC)—which blend companies, research, and education. BIC 1, already operational on 100,000 m², will be complemented by BIC 2, twice as large (225,000 m²), with construction scheduled to start in 2025 to meet demand from industry and educational institutions.
The Green & Smart Mobility Programme Office mobilizes over 120 million euros in public‑private investments.
Other Cities, Same Battle: Density, Mix, and Nature
While Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven dominate the spotlight, other Dutch cities are also rolling out significant urban projects, often on a smaller scale but with similar logic.
In Hoofddorp, the Hyde Park district plans 3,800 apartments and studios in a pedestrian‑friendly environment, just minutes from the center, park, and station. The homes, ranging from 50 to 160 m², start at €355,000, in architecture signed by Winy Maas, with a strong presence of greenery.
Square meters of innovative production spaces integrated into the Kabeldistrict redevelopment project in Delft.
In Leiden, the LEAD project aligns three towers from 65 to 115 m with 580 homes, a quarter of them social housing, while Utrecht is multiplying mixed‑use operations like Wonderwoods, two planted towers combining offices, 167 owner‑occupied apartments, 252 rentals, 50,000 plants, 360 trees, and nearly 10,000 shrubs and flowers. The whole is expected to produce about 41 tons of oxygen and absorb 5.4 tons of CO₂ per year, illustrating the strong trend of making buildings themselves into micro‑ecosystems.
Amount in millions of euros invested by Groningen in the energy renovation of eight social housing towers.
Building More… With Less
One central question remains: are these ambitions compatible with the current state of the sector? The picture is mixed. On one hand, building permits for new homes jumped 23% in May 2024 compared to the previous year, and forecasts project average annual growth of 2.5% for the sector between 2025 and 2028. On the other hand, 2023 saw a contraction in construction, a decline in permits over the first seven months of 2024, a 36.8% increase in bankruptcies in the building industry, and a shortage of skilled labor affecting nearly one‑fifth of companies.
The regulatory framework is tightening with the extension of rent control (Wet betaalbare huur), stronger environmental requirements (MPG, EU taxonomy), and the obligation to be ‘Paris Proof’ by 2050. In this context, approximately 40% of new housing projects are stalled, partly due to the requirement for two‑thirds affordable housing.
To try to unblock the situation, the state is leveraging several levers: targeted subsidies (€7,000 per affordable home via the Realisation Incentive), announced easing of certain constraints (such as dropping the systematic requirement for bat and bird shelters in every new construction), simplification of permit procedures, and political agreements with major players—developers, investors, housing associations, local authorities—around a “pact” in favor of 100,000 homes per year and a minimum share of 30% social housing in new programs.
In the Netherlands, the transition toward a circular economy in construction is supported by platforms like Madaster (digital material registers), networks such as BouwCirculair and the Dutch Green Building Council with its BREEAM certification, as well as digital tools (BIM, NMD database) and ‘material passports.’ A concrete experiment, conducted by Rijkswaterstaat, allowed the construction of a viaduct assembled solely from reused components, illustrating the commitment of major public clients.
An Overall Strategy: Densify, Green, Connect
Individually, each of the projects mentioned—Zuidasdok, Hofbogenpark, CU2030, Brainport Smart District, Wonderwoods, Hyde Park, Codrico—could be seen as an ambitious but isolated operation. Put together, they actually outline a coherent national strategy.
This strategy rests on a few structuring principles:
Fundamental principles for developing resilient, inclusive, and environmentally respectful cities.
Densify existing fabrics, structure growth around stations and major public transit corridors, and create multiple strong urban centers rather than a single ‘city‑center.’
Combine homes, offices, shops, facilities, and green spaces in major projects, aiming for a high proportion of social and mid‑market housing.
Limit parking, reduce car space, develop public transit networks, and encourage active mobility (bicycle parking, pedestrian bridges).
Integrate water management, heat, biodiversity, and air quality into every project, from linear parks to green roofs and floating neighborhoods.
Optimize material use, extend building lifespan through renovation, and promote reuse and bio‑based materials (wooden towers).
In a country where density, climate vulnerability, and land pressure are among the highest in Europe, these upcoming urban development projects in the Netherlands are not just responses to local emergencies. They constitute, for many cities around the world, a valuable laboratory of what a compact, inclusive, and deeply ecological urbanization could be.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
