Amsterdam allowed to keep tourist shops out of city center, Council of State rules

Amsterdam is allowed to keep tourist shops out of the city center by not allowing new souvenir shops and other stores aimed at tourists to replace closing ones, the Council of State ruled on Wednesday. The Netherlands’ highest administrative body approved most of the city’s new zoning plan, which aims to diversify the retail offering, Parool reports.

The owners of buildings on Leidsestraat, Kalverstraat, Gravenstraat, Molensteeg, and Oudezijds Achterburgwal challenged the municipality’s new zoning plan at the Council of State. According to them, the city “limits the use of their properties” by not allowing certain types of stores and businesses to open there.

The Council of State ruled against most of the property owners’ objections. The owners of two buildings on Molensteeg and Oudezijds Achterburgwal can continue to rent their spaces out to arcades, the Council said.

With its fight against tourist shops, Amsterdam wants to prevent a monoculture in the city center. By diversifying the offer by only opening stores aimed at a wider audience, like bookstores, clothing stores, gyms, or hair salons, the city center will also become more attractive for locals, the city believes.