Rotterdam

Latest

No verified news in recent months. We are watching the city’s official sources.

City briefs are drafted with AI from official sources; every fact is checked against the source text before an editor approves it.

Projects we track

6 projects · 6 under way

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Hofplein: from traffic junction to green square

  Since April 2025 the busy Hofplein junction in the city centre has been rebuilt in phases as a green square centred on pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, with five traffic lanes cut to two, more trees and an underground rainwater store. Halfway through, traffic has fallen from about 44,000 to under 18,000 cars a day; work runs until the end of 2027.

  Mobility

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Nelson Mandela Park in the Maashaven

  A new park the size of ten football pitches for Rotterdam-Zuid, with hills, lawns, large trees, sports space and a tidal zone of brackish water, built by filling in part of the Maashaven with reused sand. Filling began in 2026 and is expected to take about two years; the city government and council decide on the final design in 2026.

  Climate and energy

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Housing First 010 (Wonen Eerst 010)

  Grown out of a pilot for homeless young people, the approach gives people their own home first, with a network of support workers and a budget to clear financial blockages; 250 people have been housed so far and the city aims to make 850 homes a year available to homeless residents from 2028, scaling up over three years.

  Inclusion

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

  After three months of talks to make the project affordable, the city awarded the renovation of the museum, designed by Mecanoo, to Dura Vermeer, J.P. van Eesteren and Koninklijke Kuijpers in October 2026; it restores the listed buildings and adds a new main entrance and better links to the Museumpark, and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030.

  Culture

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Renovation of the Central Library

  The interior of the Central Library on the Hoogstraat has been stripped, with reusable materials passed on, and the contractor is now demolishing the facade down to the concrete frame; a temporary library runs on the Librijesteeg until the renewed building reopens in 2029.

  Culture

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Zero-emission zone for vans and lorries

  Inside the ring road, commercial vans and lorries must eventually be electric or run on hydrogen, to improve air quality and accessibility; from 1 January 2027 vans of emission class 5 may no longer enter, and from 2030 no van or lorry with a combustion engine is allowed. Firms can get free advice through Logistiek010.

  Mobility

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

EU programmes and networks

• Eurocities Eurocities Member city ›
• EU Cities Mission EU Mission: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 Mission City ›
• Urban Innovative Actions Urban Innovative Actions: BRIDGE Lead city of BRIDGE, a project matching young people's education choices in South Rotterdam to labour market needs, with €4.99 million from the ERDF ›

From the archive

• City profile · May 2024 Rotterdam,Netherlands - Urban Renewal and Community Transformation