Past, present, future

The Zoetermeer of then and now

The vision Binnenstad does not just fall from the sky. This is about the future developments of Zoetermeer. If you do that, it is always good to also look back into the past. You can then see how a city is constantly developing. Below is an overview of Zoetermeer then and now.

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Is Zoetermeer a young municipality? That is true and not true. True, when it comes to the current size of the city. Not true, when it comes to the place in the history books and the existence of a municipality called Zoetermeer. Zoetermeer is a city that is explicitly concerned with the present and the future. A culture that stems from the gigantic construction tasks that the city has faced in recent decades. And that is still happening, as can be seen in the youngest district Oosterheem.

An eye for the past

That does not mean that Zoetermeer has no eye for the past. Before 1100 there was already a fishing village of Zoetermeer. In the 1960s until now, the butter village grew from then to the current city. That history is too fascinating to forget.

Urban life from the Middle Ages

In the Dorpsstraat lies the origin of urban life in Zoetermeer. People lived here as early as the 13th century, as excavations show. The Dorpsstraat lay halfway along the main route from The Hague to Gouda, and here the road crossed the shipping route between Leiden and Delft. Since then, the street has developed into an important traffic junction, which has been good for the economy for centuries. The Dorpsstraat became a popular place to stay overnight between the big cities, which is why there were several inns. There were also small trading and industrial companies. This ensured that the Dorpsstraat a lively meeting place, which eventually became the facility centre for Zoetermeer's first district in the 1950s: Het Dorp.

The first years as a growth centre

After the Second World War, there was a great shortage of housing nationwide due to all the destruction. Zoetermeer was therefore asked by the government to make a structural plan for a city with 100,000 inhabitants; the beginning of the growth of the village of Zoetermeer into a complete city.

In 1962 Zoetermeer officially received the status of growth centre and started expanding quickly and systematically. Dorpsstraat quickly proved to be too small to continue functioning as a facility centre. That is why a temporary emergency shopping centre was built on the site of the current Soeterweijde.

The new city centre: planning

In the 1970s, Zoetermeer had tens of thousands of inhabitants and plans were made to build a new city centre. The objective of the municipality was: 'to realise a city centre as a meeting place for the residents and as a highlight of urban life'.

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Citizens were invited to think along with the plans, among other things, by a call with sound trucks, and they appeared to want a human, liveable and pleasant city centre. That is why the city council opted for a city centre with the structure of a historical city centre: narrow streets with sheltered squares and a mix of shops, homes, businesses and recreational facilities.

The plan was partly innovative: it worked with different levels. Cyclists, pedestrians and shoppers could walk through the city centre at ground level. There was space for cars, parking spaces and the Zoetermeer city line (now the RandstadRail) at a level below and at the edges of the centre. Shoppers now walk over (parked) cars and the RandstadRail.

Position Dorpsstraat

When plans were made for the new centre, there was extensive discussion about whether the Dorpsstraat would have to be part of this. Some plans even proposed to renovate the historic buildings of the Dorpsstraat to demolish. Ultimately it was decided to Dorpsstraat not to be part of the new centre, but to function as a neighbourhood centre for the village. By subsequently enlarging the Dobbeplas, the distance between the Dorpsstraat and the new city center is enlarged.

Economic headwind

In 1978, the first pile for the new centre was driven into the ground. The start was brisk. But there was a national economic crisis, which made the developers of the city centre want to fall back on a previously tested and safe concept: a covered shopping centre like Hoog-Catharijne in Utrecht. Nevertheless, the municipality stuck to the plan of a historical city centre with shops in the open air and housing above. The Stadshart was ultimately built largely according to that plan.

The economic crisis did lead to cutbacks. For example, the architecture has been kept sober. There are also no shops on the ground floor of the buildings on the Markt. And the height of the spaces on the ground floor has been lowered, making it impossible to include shops here later.

1980s and 1990s: City Center and Residential Heart

The construction of the new city centre progressed steadily. In addition to the shopping area with the houses above it, new residential areas were also created, such as the Greek neighbourhood. The Stadshartpassage, the only covered part of the city centre, opened its doors in 1990. In the course of the 1990s, the construction of the Stadstheater, the cinema, various residential towers and a shopping arcade along the Waranda followed. All these developments of the centre were called the Stadshart Zoetermeer.

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In the second half of the 1990s, the Woonhart was built in the center on the Europaweg This is where retail trade focused on the theme of 'living' was established, such as furniture, bed and kitchen stores, with apartments above.

Upgrade Dorpsstraat

Meanwhile, things were going increasingly worse for the Dorpsstraat , because it was now 'only' a community centre for the village. Entrepreneurs went bankrupt and there was an increasing vacancy rate. That is why the municipality and entrepreneurs came up with a development vision for the village at the end of the nineties. Dorpsstraat The historical setting offered good opportunities for cultural facilities, specialty shops and catering establishments. For example, the Dorpsstraat once again a function for the entire city and it was distinctive compared to the modern city centre.

New projects

The construction of the city centre has never stood still. A few years ago, Spazio was realised on the west side of the city centre; a modern extension with shops, apartments and offices. The 'UFO' in which a gym is located became the eye-catcher of the project.

There are also plans in the making for the near future. The Cadenza project will make living and shopping possible on the east side of the Stadshart.

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Other society

Nowadays, there is more and more talk of a so-called 'network society'. Everyone moves much more easily and is no longer tied to one specific place. This makes Zoetermeerders not only to their own city centre, but also to that of The Hague, or to centres such as Leidsenhage (Leidschendam), Alexandrium (Rotterdam) or De Boogaard (Rijswijk).

Leisure needs are also changing. Consumers now feel free to go shopping for an entire morning or afternoon. Go to a terrace for a drink or lunch is also included, whereas shopping used to be useful and terraces were for vacations.

City centres must continue to respond to these kinds of changes. Only then will they remain an interesting place to visit, to live or to run a business.

Continue objective

In the past, the goals for the city centre were not only a lively meeting place, but also a human, liveable and pleasant city centre. The task formulated in the City Vision 2030 to further develop the centre into an attractive, vibrant and safe city centre fits in well with this.