Zoetermeer welcomes 130,000th resident
Zoetermeer has welcomed its 130,000th resident. A special milestone that symbolizes the growth the city has experienced in recent decades.
Mayor Michel Bezuijen visited Silvana and her children Cejé, Zoey, Yvana and Destin in the Meerzicht district. As a warm welcome, the mayor presented the family with a certificate, a bouquet of flowers and the booklet 'The 100 things you as a Zoetermeerder should know about your city', full of well-known and lesser-known facts about Zoetermeer.
Silvana is happy with her new home: "Before we moved here, I used to walk in the Westerpark. Imagine living here, so beautiful in the green, I thought then. And now we live here!"
"Zoetermeer is now a large city, but still has a warm, almost village atmosphere. Our neighborhoods and districts each have their own character and the people here look out for each other," says mayor Bezuijen, "I am therefore convinced that Silvana and her children will quickly feel at home in their new place of residence."
New Town Zoetermeer
In the 1960s, Zoetermeer was designated as a growth centre to absorb the housing pressure in The Hague. Since then, the city has rapidly developed into one of the most famous New Towns in the Netherlands. What once started as a modest butter village has grown into a modern city with more than 130,000 inhabitants.
Striking green
Zoetermeer combines the advantages of a large city - with facilities, accessibility and employment - with the village feeling that many residents experience as unique. The city is also remarkably green: parks such as the Westerpark, the Buytenpark and the Balijbos offer space for relaxation in the middle of the city.
Challenges
At the same time, this rapid growth also brings challenges. Many neighborhoods from the 70s and 80s are due for renewal and in some neighborhoods facilities no longer meet the needs of residents. Zoetermeer is working together with 6 other growth centers in the New Town Alliance to tackle these challenges and has recently also appealed to the government.
Mayor Bezuijen: "We are proud of what Zoetermeer has become, a city with ambition and a warm heart. By continuing to invest in neighborhoods, facilities and connections, we ensure that our city remains liveable and attractive in the future. With the future plans that are now in place, Zoetermeer can grow into a city with 150,000 inhabitants."
