Rotterdam

Latest

1. Mobility · 2 NOV 2026

   Rotterdam lets fast cyclists use the road on Middellandstraat until March 2027

   Rotterdam has started a trial on the 1st and 2nd Middellandstraat in Delfshaven that lets cycle path users riding faster than 20 km/h choose the carriageway instead, running until the end of March 2027 on a street already limited to 30 km/h.

   Facts and source

   • Until the end of March 2027, cyclists riding faster than 20 km/h may choose to use either the cycle path or the carriageway.
   • The Middelland-Nieuwe Westen district council requested the trial.
   • The speed limit on the 1st and 2nd Middellandstraat had already been lowered to 30 km/h.

   Source: Rotterdam city hall, “Proef Middellandstraat: snelle fietsers op de rijbaan”

   Read with context →

2. Climate and energy · 30 OCT 2026

   Rotterdam opens charging hub for 24 electric refuse lorries at once

   Rotterdam opened a charging square at Kleinpolderplein on 30 October where 24 electric refuse lorries can charge at once. The project went ahead because the city had requested a heavier grid connection years earlier, before grid congestion created waiting lists.

   Facts and source

   • The new charging square can charge 24 refuse lorries at the same time.
   • This year the city bought 32 new electric Volvo refuse lorries, most of which are already in service.
   • The required grid capacity was already available, so construction could go ahead despite grid congestion.

   Source: Rotterdam city hall, “Laadplein voor 24 elektrische vuilniswagens”

   Read with context →

3. Mobility · 16 OCT 2026

   Rotterdam limits free public transport to low-income pensioners from 2027

   Rotterdam will end free public transport for all state pension recipients on 1 January 2027 and replace it, possibly from 1 March 2027, with free travel for about 20,000 pensioners earning up to 110% of the social minimum.

   Facts and source

   • The current scheme giving free public transport to all Rotterdam state pension (AOW) recipients ends on 1 January 2027.
   • Under the new scheme, Rotterdam residents of pension age with an income up to 110% of the statutory social minimum can keep travelling free, roughly 20,000 people.
   • The new scheme may start on 1 March 2027, with a temporary arrangement still being sought for the gap.

   Source: Rotterdam city hall, “Gratis ov voor Rotterdamse AOW'ers verandert”

   Read with context →

4. Culture · 15 OCT 2026

   Rotterdam awards Boijmans Van Beuningen renovation contract, reopening expected late 2030

   Rotterdam has awarded the renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen to Dura Vermeer, J.P. van Eesteren and Koninklijke Kuijpers after three months of talks on higher costs; work starts at the end of October and reopening is expected at the end of 2030.

   Facts and source

   • The municipality awarded the renovation to the construction consortium Dura Vermeer and J.P. van Eesteren and to installer Koninklijke Kuijpers.
   • Work begins at the end of October and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030.
   • After costs came in higher, the city held three months of talks with Mecanoo, the contractors and the museum to make the project affordable.

   Source: Rotterdam city hall, “Groen licht voor renovatie Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen”

   Read with context →

5. Inclusion · 7 OCT 2026

   Rotterdam opens winter shelter for homeless people every day, not only in frost

   Rotterdam will keep its winter shelter for homeless people in Overschie open every day from 1 November to 1 April, with 220 places and longer hours from 16.00 to 11.00, instead of opening only near freezing.

   Facts and source

   • From 1 November to 1 April, the shelter in Overschie will take in 220 people.
   • Until now, the winter shelter opened only when the perceived temperature approached freezing.
   • Opening hours are extended to 16.00 until 11.00, compared with 18.00 to 09.00 in previous winters.

   Source: Rotterdam city hall, “Winteropvang voor dakloze mensen deze winter elke dag open”

   Read with context →

City briefs are drafted with AI from official sources; every fact is matched automatically against the source text before publication, without an editor approving it first.

Projects we track

6 projects · 6 under way

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Hofplein: from traffic junction to green square

  Since April 2025 the busy Hofplein junction in the city centre has been rebuilt in phases as a green square centred on pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, with five traffic lanes cut to two, more trees and an underground rainwater store. Halfway through, traffic has fallen from about 44,000 to under 18,000 cars a day; work runs until the end of 2027.

  Mobility

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Nelson Mandela Park in the Maashaven

  A new park the size of ten football pitches for Rotterdam-Zuid, with hills, lawns, large trees, sports space and a tidal zone of brackish water, built by filling in part of the Maashaven with reused sand. Filling began in 2026 and is expected to take about two years; the city government and council decide on the final design in 2026.

  Climate and energy

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Housing First 010 (Wonen Eerst 010)

  Grown out of a pilot for homeless young people, the approach gives people their own home first, with a network of support workers and a budget to clear financial blockages; 250 people have been housed so far and the city aims to make 850 homes a year available to homeless residents from 2028, scaling up over three years.

  Inclusion

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

  After three months of talks to make the project affordable, the city awarded the renovation of the museum, designed by Mecanoo, to Dura Vermeer, J.P. van Eesteren and Koninklijke Kuijpers in October 2026; it restores the listed buildings and adds a new main entrance and better links to the Museumpark, and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030.

  Culture

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Renovation of the Central Library

  The interior of the Central Library on the Hoogstraat has been stripped, with reusable materials passed on, and the contractor is now demolishing the facade down to the concrete frame; a temporary library runs on the Librijesteeg until the renewed building reopens in 2029.

  Culture

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

• 1. Planned
  2. Funded
  3. Under way
  4. Completed

  Zero-emission zone for vans and lorries

  Inside the ring road, commercial vans and lorries must eventually be electric or run on hydrogen, to improve air quality and accessibility; from 1 January 2027 vans of emission class 5 may no longer enter, and from 2030 no van or lorry with a combustion engine is allowed. Firms can get free advice through Logistiek010.

  Mobility

  Status checked 23 October 2026 · Source

EU programmes and networks

• Eurocities Eurocities Member city ›
• EU Cities Mission EU Mission: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 Mission City ›
• Urban Innovative Actions Urban Innovative Actions: BRIDGE Lead city of BRIDGE, a project matching young people's education choices in South Rotterdam to labour market needs, with €4.99 million from the ERDF ›

From the archive

• City profile · May 2024 Rotterdam,Netherlands - Urban Renewal and Community Transformation