Rotterdam in development

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 72 efa Ayali is a community policing expert for the national police force, and since May 2017 she has been working in the neighbourhood: “At the moment, the lines of sight towards the station are poor, which creates a feeling of insecurity. There are concrete columns everywhere, and there are a lot of dark places.” His fellow community policing expert, Bob van der Hee, adds: “I can imagine that there are people who don’t feel so good when they’re waiting for the bus on their own at night.” Sefa continues: “Tackling the infrastructure and making sure it matches the routes people take, making sure there’s more and brighter lighting – all of that contributes to a pleasanter and more secure environment. If only for that reason, the Hart van Zuid project is good for Zuidplein.” Developments of this scope do not always go off without a hitch. Maljaerd den Hollander, Area Manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam: “It’s important that we all keep listening to the residents and focus on their needs. Not just ‘during the renovation’, but also in the prospects for the end result. That doesn’t always happen on its own, so we are keeping each other on our toes during this process.” Maljaerd adds: “In the end, the idea is that residents will say: it’s great to live in Hart van Zuid.” RESILIENCE IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH THANKS TO THE HART VAN ZUID PROJECT, BUILDINGS ARE BEING REALISED IN THE ZUIDPLEIN AREA WHICH SERVE A LOCAL, AREA-BASED, REGIONAL OR EVEN INTERNATIONAL FUNCTION. THIS WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF SOCIETY, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF CREATING A RESILIENT AND FUTURE-PROOF DISTRICT THAT IS CLEAN, HEALTHY AND SAFE. from left to right: Stefa Ayali, Maljaerd den Hollander, Bob van der Hee (photo: Kajsa Strömberg)