Ministry of VROM
New agenda for the Randstad area
The Dutch National Spatial Strategy of 2006 designates six national urban networks. Randstad Holland (the western part of The Netherlands) is the biggest one of those. The objective in the National Spatial Strategy for this area is to strengthen its international competitive position. Following adoption of the Strategy, a start has been made with the implementation programmes. Three of the four programmes relate to all or parts of the Randstad and take a targeted and integrated approach to the implementation of several major projects. To make an early start with tackling a number of urgent problems (including accessibility and the quality of living and working environments), the Balkenende IV Government will draw up an urgent action programme for the Randstad. For the longer term the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment will lead the development of a strategy and vision for the Randstad (Randstad Strategic Agenda 2040).
Some experts claim that national investments have been biased towards problemes in the Randstad. They assert that many promising developments are found outside the Randstad, in the south and east of the Netherlands, and argue for a vision on the spatial economic development of a much wider area. Such a vision would permit more focused spatial investments and more effective exploitation of economic opportunities. The aim should be to coordinate development of the area between Cologne, Brussels and Amsterdam (the Eurodelta). Such a transnational development framework, they think, will help to build a flourishing future for the Netherlands within the global economy.
