Rotterdam’s Central District is the gateway to the city
and home to a diverse array of startups, scale-ups, international
companies and multinationals. The area buzzes
with a constant stream of people coming and going. Rotterdam
Central railway station, with its high-speed train
connection to major airports, is the Central District’s
iconic landmark. Rotterdam Central District is the main
business location in downtown Rotterdam. Since 2009,
the city collaborates with investors, developers and tenants
in a public-private partnership (the RCD Association)
to shape the future of this important district. It is one
of the city’s economic engines. The economic crisis gave
birth to a growing community of innovative companies,
mostly startups and scale-ups living side by side, with
high-end corporates such as Shell, Unilever, Robeco and
Coolblue. Both suits and jeans can be seen sharing a drink
at Biergarten. We believe that a focus on further developing
the district as an innovation district is key to adding
value to the city. This belief is strengthened by the
success of Cambridge Innovation Center in the district
(the first ever non-US based CIC location), the increasing
number of startups and successful scale-ups, and the
presence of a strong knowledge base (top universities
and institutions of higher education). The presence of
cultural institutions and a vibrant city life make the area
interesting for internationally-oriented professionals to
settle. Therefore, what is vital to the city of Rotterdam
is more housing, a greater mix of functions, and additional
cultural programs to enhance informal and formal
encounters. The challenge the city faces is in recognising
the long-term added value for Rotterdam of developing
an innovation district, instead of going for the quick wins
of short-term real estate development. A combination of
these two strategies has a lot to offer. Ultimately, the
agenda of the new city government will significantly impact
the decisions to be made for this promising part of
Rotterdam
(...)
This article is published in STRICT magazine. You can read the full story online: https://rotterdam-centraldistrict.nl/strict/