Is New West the new Kreuzberg?

For several months buzzes around: in Nieuw-West happens. After years of crisis is now being built, renovated and redeveloped in the district. The inevitable breeding settled in recent years abandoned office buildings and if all goes well, there are over five thousand new young people in New West within four years, attracted by relatively cheap housing. The mix of old and new, should yield an atmosphere as in Berlin's Kreuzberg, or the New York Brooklyn.

Ronald Mauer, as managing director of New West in charge of urban development and housing, it certainly envisions. "Now the pressure at the center is ever increasing, it is only logical that they emigrated to New West. We have here still plenty of space and land prices are relatively low. "

On a large map full of enthusiasm, he points to where the biggest developments to come. "The coming years will most happen in the Ring Zone West. Officially the section between the A10 and the metro, but in practice that zone is already greater, Ring to Johan Huizingalaan and Sloterplas. Here come thousands of housing for students and young people. We hope they stick around after their studies. "

The development of this Ring Zone West, or Ring Railway Zone, faster than expected. "A few years ago we took into account a development horizon until 2040," says Annius Hoornstra, deputy director of regional development and transformation of the central city. "But because of the huge demand for housing there is more money to invest. Initially we wanted to restructure the Ring Zone West, the old infrastructure would remain largely intact. But that's a shame, because the area has a lot more potential. "

The railway zone was first seen primarily as a transition area between the center and the rest of New West, for several years, more and more emphasis on development of the region itself.Mauer: "A number of large squares is central: the Allebéplein is already almost finished, around the Delflandplein is the development going, and the area around the Lelylaan be built over the coming years. Additionally Osdorpplein will have a central function for all of New West, even more than now. And Jan Evertsenstraat will serve as a central axis go to the center, from palace to pee. "

No Venice, but Berlin
Mauer: "Amsterdam should not be a Venice, but Berlin. Less emphasis on the center and more aware of the spread city. New West has many similarities to suddenly become hip neighborhoods like Brooklyn and Kreuzberg: a mix of natives and new inflows. But New West actually has more features than Kreuzberg: we have more space and more green. "

The fundamentals seem to be there, agrees also social geographer Wouter van Gent, assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam. "The play between the ring and subway can be a highly urban environment as the housing market remains as tight as it is now. The area is close enough to downtown, but it is still not too expensive. Many of my students have lived there, that says something. But remember: Kreuzberg was a poor immigrant neighborhood, which has changed and verhipt. If the same thing happens in Nieuw-West, you may wonder what it means for the natives. Gentrification means a changing population and can eventually lead to displacement of poorer residents. That is almost inevitable, but the debate on that you have to perform. "

Who looks at the map, we see that the current and future hot-spots rather scattered across New West. The district was originally designed as a garden city, so the distances are greater than in the rest of the city. Who wants the Jan Eef to Radion, is that twenty minutes on the bike. "It is sometimes difficult," says Iwan Daniel, one of the initiators of the website Nice New West. He has lived since 2003 in the district.

Room for more
"It took me ten years, I also knew what New West has to offer. There is much to do, but the nice places are very far apart. I understand that people will not always know where they should be.An iconic landmark would also be nice. North has the Eye, something can still use New West.And entertainment area we naturally VIIa and Radion, but there is still room for so much more. "

Hotspots are, therefore, but to cultural infrastructure being available. "In the area of housing happens a lot, but I miss the nice hotels and restaurants, coffee shops and restaurants," says Emilie Kroner of nesting Lola Loud. "Things like Hotel Outside the Sloterplas and Coffeemania are very fine, but still few and far between."

The comparison with Kreuzberg in place? Daniel: "I understand him, but I do not think we should sell ourselves short. Why Kreuzberg, as we also strive for Kurfürstendamm? If we're going to renew, let's do it right and invest heavily. A little ambition can not hurt, even in terms of governance. "

(By: Hanna Axe) / Parool / © Floris Lok