Amsterdam plans 5,500 homes at former industrial park in Zuidoost
The municipality of Amsterdam unveiled detailed plans Wednesday to transform the Holterberg district in Zuidoost, near the Johan Cruijff Arena, into a mixed-use urban district with 5,500 to 8,000 homes and 240,000 square meters of business space.
For the first phase, plans have been finalized and funding secured for 2,500 homes. The project will also include shops, community centers, restaurants, schools, childcare facilities, and sports spaces.
A new park will connect Zuidoost with the Amstelscheg, and the area will host an AI campus, laboratories, and other innovation spaces. The district will also be designed as a green space, with pedestrian- and cycling-friendly streets, parking hubs, and centralized parking locations.
Alderman Steven van Weyenberg, responsible for Housing and Urban Development, described the project as “a long-term investment in a district that will not be completed until 2050. The Holterberg district shows how we in Amsterdam Zuidoost continue to build a complete and inclusive city. Here we combine thousands of homes with workplaces, education, green spaces, and room for businesses that keep the city running. It is an important investment in both housing and employment in Zuidoost.”
The first homes will primarily target students and young adults, who are expected to adapt more easily to a new neighborhood. Initial housing will consist of 40 percent social rent, 30 percent mid-range, and 30 percent private-sector homes. Later phases will focus on mid-range housing, ultimately resulting in a composition of 30 percent social, 40 percent mid-range, and 30 percent private-sector housing.
The municipality emphasized that the Holterberg district will remain partly a business area while gradually becoming a full-fledged urban district, similar to Bullewijk and Paasheuvelwijk in Amstel III, where residents already occupy the first towers.
From December 17, the draft investment plan will be open for public consultation for eight weeks. The municipality will hold an information session, after which the college must approve the plan of the mayor and aldermen and subsequently the municipal council.
