Amsterdam residents vote against plans for green spaces in referendum; Turnout 37.5%

According to Amsterdam alderman Reinier van Dantzig, preliminary results show that a majority of voters in the capital spoke out against the municipality’s plans for green spaces. The turnout for the advisory referendum on the Main Green Structure was 37.5 percent.

“It looks like the initiators of the referendum have received the majority of votes,” Van Dantzig, the alderman for Housing and Urban Development, reported on X. The final results of the referendum will be announced on June 14.

According to the Amsterdam government, the new policy, the Main Green Structure, ensures the protection and strengthening of greenery in the city. A group of Amsterdam residents disagreed and arranged a referendum. They called the plans too flexible, saying they actually provide less protection for green spaces.

Van Dantzig congratulated the initiators in his message and added: “How we proceed now is up to the municipal council.” The results of the referendum are not binding, which means that the municipal council can decide whether they will change anything in the green plans. The city council will make a decision within four weeks.

It was the first citywide referendum in Amsterdam since 2002. Since then, the rules for referendums have been relaxed. The 20 percent turnout threshold was scrapped, and fewer signatures are required to request a vote.