Rotterdam, Gouda named Best City Centers in Netherlands

For the next two years Rotterdam can pride itself in having the best big city center in the Netherlands. Gouda gets the same honor in the category for having the best medium sized city center in the Netherlands. Platform Binnenstadmanagement, Platform City Center Management in English, announced the winners on Wednesday in The Hague. The election for the best city center is organized every two years. The jury looks at how cities develop in the fields of future, proofing, living environment, facilities supply and in combating vacancy. There are two categories in the elections - big city center, a city center with more than 325 stores, and medium city centers, with between 200 and 325 stores. Rotterdam won the title of best big city center in the finals against Dordrecht. According to the organization, Rotterdam can attribute this prize mainly to the development in the city over the past years. "Rotterdam's vision runs like a thread through the city, making it rise above its own ambitions", the jury said. Gouda won the title of best medium city center in the finals against Roermond, mainly due to the diverse positive developments the city underwent in recent years, especially in the fields of culture and leisure. "Gouda has a solid center management with much enthusiasm. Activities are fully aligned to strengthen the Gouda city center", according to the jury. The previous winners were The Hague in the big category and Venlo in the medium category.