Rotterdam in development

7 R O T T E R D A M I N O N T W I K K E L I N G | 2 0 1 8 FOREWORD Yet again, a few years have passed since the last edition of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling (Rotterdam in Development) appeared. The world has not stood still since then – a lot has happened. Despite intense, bleak economic headwinds that have not passed the construction industry by unscathed, the city of Rotterdam has continued to build steadily, commissioning projects which, upon completion, have more than met their iconic expectations. Rotterdam Central Station, the Markthal and De Rotterdam were all built in almost the same timescale, with significant consequences for the city. Rotterdam began to be featured in international media as the place to be, topped all the right lists and attracted a steadily growing stream of tourists, who all wanted to see with their own eyes what was unfolding along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas. If an economic revival was going to appear anywhere, it was going to be in Rotterdam. Riding the wave of this international attention, the city also became more attractive to businesses and investors, who revealed their plans to raise the city to an even higher and more attractive level. Since then, the city has been buzzing and bubbling with new initiatives, residential building projects and redevelopments of existing buildings that had fallen into disuse; these initiatives are creating area developments on the most large- scale the city has ever seen. The time has come once more to pick up the thread of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling. There is so much to write about, so many plans to highlight and developments to draw attention to, that we would be missing an opportunity if we did not publish a magazine to give an idea of the initiatives going on in the city at this moment. So here, for you, is the new edition of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling. The magazine was compiled by people who are keen to follow the upcoming changes in Rotterdam, and who have focused their enthusiasm on the further improvement of the city that is so close to their hearts. Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling is a snapshot of plans currently being implemented, projects that are waiting to be realised and developments that are on the verge of becoming a reality. Together, they offer a unique glimpse into the future of the city of Rotterdam, how beautiful it can be, how attractive it will become. Maikel van Mierlo Layout Manager for Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling