dazflint

Thanks, Korver. Sucram,17, this city is made in Cities:Skylines.

As promised this journal entry will look at Oosterpolder and the Central Business District. The shot above gives a good overview of the whole Oosterpolder ('Eastern land-reclamation'). What was originally a spit of land reaching into the shallow sea, has been expanded over the centuries using a system of dams, canals and land drainage. Taken together this is the 'polder' system of land reclamation. In the case of Pieterdam's Oosterpolder, this has allowed several square kilometers of prime real-estate to be reclaimed from the sea. This land has not gone to waste; as you can see, the part closest to the city has become a densely-developed Central Business District. Here you can see some of Pieterdam's largest employers. To the front left is the Zentraal Zikenhuis, the Central Hospital. To the right is the De Wolf department store - one of the older buildings in the area, which managed to survive the major warehouse fire that cleared the area at the turn of the 20th century. Behind these are the Servicing Services and Digirealms buildings - just two of the corporations which make their home in Pieterdam. The Science Centre is another major employer. It provides office and laboratory space, as a commercial spin-off of the University of Pieterdam. The University's main campus is located about a kilometer away, on the Oosterpolder side of the Oudekade: : Another notable landmark is the picturesque Oosterpolderpark, famous for its lake and open-air arboretum: A view from the lakeside: The Oosterpolder closest to Oudekade and the city centre is some of the most expensive in the city. Besides shopping centers and offices, the area contains a large number of hotels to cater for Pieterdam's significant tourist economy. Below you can make out two of the more famous hotels in the area; the Hilton (by far the largest hotel in the city, with nearly 1.000 beds), and the Prism, an independent hotel popular with LGBT visitors; indeed, the area around it has become something of a 'gay village' with many cafe-bars, late clubs and boutique stores catering for this community. Just to the right of the Prism you can see the West Holland Civichuis, seat of the provincial government. And over the other side of the water you can just make out the Stadhuis, the City Hall which administrates Pieterdam itself. Together the Civichuis and Stadhuis host the political life of West Holland. By now we've been here all day, and soon the sun will be setting - but life in the Oosterpolder continues After Dark! When the sun goes down, the lights come on! The Vermeerplein (above) is a good example of Pieterdam's night-life - bustling with open-air restaurants and market stalls, it also hosts the Rondo Drome Cinema, a real gem of 1920's Modernist architecture: When the restaurants and theaters close, some of us go to our beds - but others continue partying the whole night through! Far from the city center, near the furthest edges of the Oosterpolder, is the Tramwegstraat, also known its English name 'Tramway Street', which is the definitive center of Pieterdam's alternative and late-night club scenes: Refuse trucks going to work, whilst exhausted revelers wait for a tram back to the city center and Old Town... As the sun comes up, the music continues at the legendary 5 AM Club. Up-and-down the Tramwegstraat abandoned buildings are squatted by youth groups (above), whilst other buildings cater for the seedier side of life (below): Pieterdam lacks a polished, touristic 'red light district' like the one found in Amsterdam; instead brothels operate out of several low-rent premises along the Tramwegstraat. This area nearby has the lowest land value in all the Oosterpolder, and for that reason it has become home to various low-rise 'out-of-town' retail outlets - as well as the Zoo Palast multi-screen cinema: A large parcel of land adjacent to the cinema is currently being developed into Pieterdam's first true 'shopping mall' - the city council hope that this will help to regenerate the area around the Tramwegstraat, although some local residents are resistant to this idea and vow to maintain the distinctive character of the area - for better or worse! This whole area borders the actual dam, from which Pieterdam takes its name. The original dam dates back centuries, but it has been extensively improved down the years. Where the river meets the sea, the resulting polder-land has been developed into a series of quiet suburbs: Traffic bypasses these suburbs completely as it heads towards the bridges and overpasses that line the riverside: Next time, let's take a look at where all that traffic is heading: towards the heavy industrial areas of the Docklands, over on the far side of the river from the city. That's all for this journal! Dank je wel...

The first entry in our Pieterdam city journal introduced you to the area around the Oudekade, the Old Quays. We finished with a visit to the imposing Sintpieterskathedraal (below). But there's much more to the historic Old Town! Like many Dutch cities, Pieterdam is built on a series of islands, some artificial and some man-made, divided by a series of canals. This network of tree-lined canals makes up the picturesque Old Town (Oude Stad). The picture below shows the whole of the Oude Stad, stretching back from the quayside we visited last time. Notice the City Hall, Cathedral and famous Pieterbrugge all in the foreground: As you can see, the Oude Stad occupies several square kilometers. It is framed by the river Vos to the South (the left of the picture), the Oudekade or Old Quays to the East (the foreground in this picture), and to the North the wide Centraalgracht (Central Canal, to the right in the picture), which even today forms an important thoroughfare for water-buses. You can see one here in the foreground! The Old Town is split across several islands, each with their own unique character. First of all let's visit the Stad Zentrum, the proper Town Center. This is the area immediately behind the Oudekade, the district where we find City Hall, the Cathederal and the rest... The Stad Zentrum is characterised by a blend of traditional Dutch architecture, and more contemporary buildings including high-rise housing and office buildings. Traditional canal-side properties are much sought-after, so for the most part the more contemporary developments are restricted to the interior of the two islands which make up the Oude Stad Zentrum. Here is a row of classic Dutch town-houses, which line the side of the Centraalgracht (Central Canal): You can also get a feel for the typical Dutch weather, which is mild and wet the whole year round! As well as hosting the City Hall and Cathedral, the Oude Stad Zentrum houses a museum of International importance: the West Hollandmuseum. Similar to the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the West Hollandmuseum was built by the same architect (Pierre Cuypers) in 1889. The intricate Neo-renaissance architectural details are truly stunning, and can only be truly appreciated up close: The West Hollandmuseum is a credit to the city, attracting thousands of tourists every year and serving as a thriving cultural hub day and night: Moving on from the Oude Stad Zentrum, we come to the 'other half' of Old Pieterdam: The Haartje, or 'little heart' - so called for the tiny but historically important Kerk van het Heilige Hart, the Church of the Sacred Heart... If the grand Sintpieterskathedraal (Saint Peter's Cathedral) is the centre of Catholic life in the city, the Kerk van het Heilige Hart - affectionately known simply as the Haartje - is the centre of Pieterdam's Protestant life. The church lends its name to the canal which it sits beside, and in turn, to the two islands (Nordhaartje and Zuidhaartje) on the North and South sides of the canal. These two islands have a slightly different character. The Zuidhaartje is famous for its enclosed, leafy courtyards and green spaces, with private and communal gardens sitting amongst the grid-like city blocks: Meanwhile the Nordhaartje is more modern and densely built, lacking these informal green spaces. Partly this is a result of post-war planning decisions, which involved building a large highway - the Haartjeweg - straight through the middle of the Nordhaartje: The image above nicely illustrates the difference between the quiet, leafy Zuidhaartje (to the left) and the modern, more densely populated Nordhaartje. Yet both districts 'thin out' as they approach the edge of the wide Pieterdamgraacht, which separates the far end of the city from the surrounding countryside: Now we've taken in the Oude Stad Zentrum, and the two sides of the Haartje, there's just one more part of the Old Town to visit - yet it's a bit of a contradiction, because very little of it dates back more than fifty years or so. This is Rivieroever, the Riverside: This long-shot gives a good sense of the Rivieroever and why it wasn't developed until recently. It is geographically isolated to the South-West of the city and as its name suggests, it lines the riverside. Without intensive water management, this area is liable to flooding. You can see to the top of the image, blocks of traditional canal-side buildings which were built along the Flaamsegracht (Flemish Canal) in the 18th-19th centuries. These are on higher ground; the rest of the area was not developed until after World War Two. And yet it was always inevitable that the Rivieroever would be developed some day - the Haartjeweg cuts right through it linking the rest of the Old Town with the docklands and the mainline railway station, both of which sit far from the city on the South side of the river. The image above highlights the kind of low-cost, low-rise housing which has spread across the Rivieroever since the second half of the 20th century. You can also make out the Vosweg, a link-road completed only in the 1990's which connect the Haartjeweg bridge with the city's Central Business District, allowing traffic to bypass the busy Old Town. Though most housing in Riveieroever is low-rise and often self-built, there are some high-rise developments on the riverfront proper, which significantly raise the population density of the district. At the same time as the Vosweg bypass was being contemplated, it was also decided to bring an extension of the tramline B to connect the district directly to the Central Business District. With all this talk of the Central Business District, our next journal installment will take us to that area of the city, and the surrounding Oosterpolder. To sign off with, here is an aerial shot of the whole Oude Stad Zentrum which we have visited today. To the right is the Oudekade Old Quays, where we began; the middle and top-middle islands are the Stad Zentrum, the Town Center proper; to the top left is the Nordhaartje with the Haartjeweg running down through it, and the Zuidhaartje below that, on the mid-left. Stretching across the very bottom of the picture is the Rivieroever, with its widely-spaced modern housing in sharp contrast to the other island districts. And all that dense development on the far right of the image, beyond the Oudekade - that is the Central Business District, which we shall visit next time. Dank je Wel!

Pieterdam is open for business! Welcome to our beautiful city, the Jewel on the river Vos. A modern city with ancient roots, Pieterdam is the provincial capital of West Holland, and today has a population in excess of 100.000, with many more living the surrounding countryside. As this is your first visit, we thought that you would benefit from a quick overview of the city, taking in some of the main sights... What better place to start than the historic center of the city, the Oudekade (Old Quays)... The Oudekade was once the commercial heart of the city, allowing goods to be traded with other city-states within the Hansa (or Hanseatic) League. The quaysides were lined with warehouses and workshops. Unfortunately many of these were lost in a major fire of 1903 - although this made way for the delightful Oudekadepark, now popular with locals and tourists alike: Over on the opposite side of the Oudekade basin stands our impressive City Hall, framed by imposing formal gardens (the Gemeentehuisplein). The City Hall is flanked by the iconic clock tower (inspired by the famous Astronomical Clock in Prague - left), and the Pieterdam Royal Opera House (right). The large square is also a major transport interchange, being served by all three of the city's tramlines... This image from the city archives (below) shows the tangle of lines as they were in the 1980's, with one line passing within meters of the priceless Gemeentehuis Fountain! One might ask what the city planners where smoking when they authorized that layout in the late 1960's? The large Brutalist concrete building (to the right) has also since been demolished to make way for a row of cafes and restaurants built in a classic European style. These are much more in keeping with the historic character of the area. Happily, the gridlock seen in the archive image is also a thing of the past! Moving North from here, still in the Oudekade or Old Quays district, we encounter another icon of the Pieterdam skyline: Saint Peter's Cathedral (Sintpieterskathedraal) is the city's namesake and its spiritual heart. The current building is a masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture, dating from the 1860's. It replaces the earlier Catholic Sintpieterskirk which stood close to the site from at least the early 1500's. As you can see, the Cathedral is surrounded by a bustling street-market. To the South side is the Kathedraalplein, an open space which now serves as the city's second major tram interchange... The Kathedraalplein is usually bustling with tourists eager to eat and drink on the cobbled terraces, but here (above) it is pictured early on a Sunday morning. Whilst many tourists are still asleep in their rooms, the Faithful are already on their way to the traditional Sunday service... Before we leave this first entry, no visit to the Oudekade and the Kathedraalplein is complete, without taking in the Pietersbrugge - perhaps the most famous and well-beloved of all Pieterdam's traditional swing-bridges: Standing proudly between the Kathedraalplein and the Gemeentehuisplein as it does, Pietersbrugge is one of the most important bridges in the historic Old Town. Whilst it once opened regularly to allow passage of tall ships from around the world, today the canal is home only to houseboats and the bridge is rarely raised - lucky since it now carries trams on their way towards City Hall! This classic image completes our tour of the Oudekade district, the historic heart of Pieterdam. Next time, let's take a look further afield and visit some other interesting parts of the Old Town... Dank je wel!

Hey - sorry for the very late reply - I've been so busy getting into Cities:Skylines, I've neglected Simtroplis and SC4 for the last few weeks! ;)   The container housing is available on STEX, look up 'container housing' and 'container city' - there's about half a dozen lots by two different modders.    I do love container buildings, and though I didn't create these lots for Nieuwezee, I have already created some modded lots for Cities:Skylines, including a shipping container beach-side cafe. At the moment these use in-game props, but in future I expect to get into modelling my own buildings. If you're curious to see these, check out my new Sandy Beach city-journal! :)

So, I saw this picture (below) in der Nieuwezee Nieuws, and it inspired me to write about public transport in our town. Don't worry, nobody was badly hurt - and the buses here usually run without crashing into bus-shelters! So, you know that Nieuwezee always had the one old tram-line, running from the Old Town to the Peninsula... then extended to the Harbour in the 60's/70's. And when they built the Oosterpolder, a second tram-line was extended to cover that district. The second line saw brand-new trams introduced to the city. Here's a crowd of spectators trying to board Tram 2 at the Oosterpolderplein on the first day of service: Our new trams are much more comfortable and spacious than the old ones from the 1960's. I'm not sure I like the new red-and-blue colour scheme, though. I think it's supposed to represent the colours of the Dutch flag, or something... There's no denying it though, they're better than our old yellow trams. They were noisy, and draughty... :/ So that's Nieuwezee's trams. Well, we also have a number of bus lines! Some of these are old, traditional routes that have stayed the same since the early 20th century. But the latest routes, have only been added since the Oosterpolder development and the construction of the Biotech Campus across the river: Here's the new campus, and you can see four types of Nieuwezee public transport in one shot. At the top of the image, a Regiorunner 'Verm' double-decker train is heading towards the station in the Old Town. Near the centre, you can see one of the University's yellow mini-buses parked outside the Student Union building... The campus provides its own private 'on demand' transport for students and staff. To the left, you can see a tram approaching the Campus tram stop, which links to Tram Line 1 via a short spur (approx. 750m). And to the top right, you can see a 'bendy bus' pulling away from the stop at Westerhuizen Rotonde. A tree-lined walkway links the bus-stop to the campus. If you're curious, here's a route map which shows how everything hangs together in Nieuwezee: And if that wasn't exciting enough (!), look at this: It's one of our brand-new bi-articulated trolley-buses! The council have been electrifying the bus routes between the Old Town and Oosterpolder, now routes 10 and 11 are (mostly!) run by trolley-buses. They're almost like trams without the tracks. "So why are there tram-tracks in this picture?" you may ask! Well, this is the corner of the Poldergracht where the no.11 bus turns across Tram-line 1. See it on the map? All-in-all I'd say that public transport runs very well in Nieuwezee; with all these modern trams and buses it's better than it ever was, and we have excellent connection to nearby cities like Amsterdam and Hoorn. But now the authorities want to take things 'to the next level'. Oosterpolder has brought new wealth to Nieuwezee, and the Bio-tech Campus is encouraging expansion towards the South-west of town. As a result, the regional government is seriously considering changing our town's status into a City, and real money may be thrown at stages 4-5 of our Strategic Development Plan. This would mean bringing High Speed Rail to the city, and zoning for even more development in future. So, it looks like Nieuwezee's adventures in public transport are only beginning!

Thank you for sharing your journal. Onjuku is a really beautiful place!   I hope that the people are safe from volcanic eruption!!

Things have really taken off in Oosterpolder since last time we visited! Two years have passed, and the main avenues are lined with shops, offices and apartment buildings. Here's a couple of aerial shots, to give a sense of how much has changed: BEFORE AFTER Now there's much more to the Central Business District, which you can see to the top of the second image; that's the area around the Oosterpolderplein (where the tram 2 terminates). You can also see that the central portion of the Oosterpolder has been nicely filled-in, as small lots and parcels of land are developed to create medium-wealth, medium-density residential streets. Here's a closer look at those residential areas: Clustered around the Nieuwe Polderlaan, this area is called Meerdijk. Before the Oosterpolder was even developed, it was the southernmost point of the Peninsula where private land-owners could build their own homes or create small-scale residential projects. It was the edge of town, far-away and forgotten. Now that the Polder has been drained and developed - with a tram running right through it - things have changed. Land-value has increased, though there are people who still feel that Meerdijk is 'the wrong side of the tracks' - too far from both the Old Town, and from the centre of Oosterpolder. But despite that, Meerdijk now houses Nieuwezee's largest primary school; it has shops, cafes, everything you'd expect of a thriving community. It's a place to raise your kids. An interesting feature of Meerdijk is the concentration of 'container housing' which today gives it much of its character: Before the Oosterolder was even developed, folk in Meerdijk were already throwing up 'temporary' housing units using old shipping containers which were converted into living-space, much as one can find in parts of London or Amsterdam. Since the area really 'took off', the trend for container housing has gotten a bit silly; you can't help but notice the two huge apartment blocks (one 8 storeys, the other 11) which tower of the rest of the community. Yes, these are built entirely (or almost entirely!) of recycled shipping containers. Since the towers were approved, many long-term Meerdijk residents have petitioned against any similar developments in future - from now on, Meerdijk will remain a low-density, low-rise community as it always had been. North of Meerdijk, beyond that huge low-rise apartment complex in the centre, is the commercial heart of Oosterpolder. This is the busy shopping street that is the Havenbrugweg. But this area is not just about shopping; it also houses Nieuwezee's state-of-the-art new Leisure Centre and swimming pool - and right next door, the town's first ever purpose-built Mosque: Nieuwezee's Muslim population numbers more than 1,000 and for several years the faithful have been searching for a site for a new Mosque, to supplement the makeshift places of worship that had sprung up in empty shops and private homes. The town council was willing to sell this patch of land just off the Havenbrugweg, on the proviso that the Muezin's Call to Prayer would not be electronically amplified during hours of darkness. This was to protect the interests of non-Muslim residents in the adjoining apartment complex. The town's Muslim community accepted those terms, and today the Es-Salam Mosque stands not just as a place of worship, but it also hosts drop-in sessions for elderly residents, children's play groups and a range of other community groups. With the stunning glass-roofed Leisure Centre and swimming pool right next door, this area is definitely the heart of civic life in Oosterpolder. So who knows what new facilities are being built just across the road, in that huge construction site?? Heading further along the Havenbrugweg, we come to Nieuwezee's brand-new 'Central Business District' (CBD). This is the commercial heart of the Oosterpolder: You can see the Oosterpolderplein (to the left of the photo) where the tram terminates. Here you can catch a film at the new art-house cinema, dine at any of a whole range of top-class restaurants, and visit the boutique 'sunken mall' at the centre of the square. Across the avenue is the Metropolitan Mall, which is a large, modern shopping centre. It's the first 'proper' mall in Nieuwezee. Behind it you can see a dense cluster of office buildings, this is the main CBD itself. At top centre, next to the roundabout is the Oostendtoren, the tallest building in the Oosterpolder and indeed in all of Nieuwezee. Like many buildings in the area, It's covered in state-of-the-art interactive advertising boards. After all, this is 2018 already! Here's a selection of some of the other more impressive buildings in the area (including a close-up of the mall)... To be honest, there's so much new office space in the Oosterpolder that much of it is sat empty! And at the same time, everybody is keen to promote the new Biotech Campus at the other side of town, which is also seeing an explosion of office-space. For this reason, the council has placed a moratorium on new commercial development in Oosterpolder - the remaining city-blocks will be zoned entirely residential. Speaking of residential, here's our last stop of the day: This is the Marina. It's by far the most exclusive residential development in all of Nieuwezee. Penthouse apartments cost in the millions of simoleons... Perhaps understandably. There's a 24hr concierge (of course!) including valet parking (in the underground lot); there are pools and fully-equipped gyms in each tower, and private roof-gardens; the views are astonishing, across the IJsselmeer you can even see Amsterdam glittering in the distance on a clear day. At the quayside you can rent a boat for a private leisure-ride... And of course, don't forget to visit that expensive Italian deli on the way! On the down side, it's not all fun and games at the Marina. The area is still under development (blame the Chinese financial crisis of 2017!) leaving an ugly construction site just beside the towers, which unfortunately has been left on hold for several years. Looks like the developer bit off more than they could chew... Like much of the new office space in Oosterpolder, some of the luxury apartments here are still sat vacant. They'll fill up in time, but for now the Marina is something of a 'white elephant.' Whatever is developed around here in future, we can expect it to be dense but affordable housing.

Greetings from Nieuwezee!   I'm really in awe of the beautiful, detailed landscapes you've created in each city journal. In some folks' journals, it's like the trees and rocks and all those features are just a backdrop for the architecture and the infrastructure. But in New Manshin, it feels like the landscape is just as important as all the other (very rich!) characters you weave through the story.   The swans' pond, the beach... Beautiful! :)   Sorry about the maid... :/

  Hey, Konstantin II - welcome to Nieuwezee!   Westerhuizen is Dutch for 'West(ern) Houses'.    -huizen is fairly common in Dutch place names - for example, Enkhuizen and Oosthuizen are real places in the same region as my fictional Nieuwezee.    And I just like the way it sounds... :)

As promised, Westerhuizen has received a whole host of improvements under the terms of the Strategic Development Funds. Historically, Westerhuizen was a small suburb on the 'wrong' side of the river from the historic town centre. There were (and still are) a handful of traditional Dutch cottages along the river banks, but most of the housing stock is late Nineteenth Century, dark brick terrace housing. These small, ugly homes have mostly fallen into a state of disrepair, and Westerhuizen is easily Nieuwezee's poorest, least-loved neighbourhood. Here's an aerial photo from last year: Now things are changing! Firstly, the town council has repaved the centre of Westerhuizen in attractive red brick. This complements the darker brick housing which dominates the area. The repaving has been enhanced with new tree planting, and pedestrian precincts have been added to close off some of the back-streets and prevent 'through traffic'. The result is a neighbourhood which is quieter and more pleasant for pedestrians. Here's a close-up: And that's not all. The main street has been developed with a new suite of civic buildings; a community college, primary school and a stunning new library: The new development is in the top right of the picture... Here's a closer view of the library, which (as you'll see!) is cleverly shaped like a set of open books. The design has been short-listed for several architectural prizes... Behind the library you can see the new Community College. It's a rather more modest building, yet still a boon for the people of Westerhuizen... and indeed for the whole of Nieuwezee. As well as hosting community space, the college provides adult education and evening courses for families and citizens on low incomes... In these two views you can see the whole 'civic suite' set amongst new plazas and walkways. At the back you see the Primary School. It's a compact modern building, with spaces only for the few dozen local kids of primary age... No longer do parents have to drive their kids half way across town to get to school! The other building of note is the old Leatherworks, which long since sat half-empty (except for a funeral parlour on its East side). The building has been redeveloped into a health centre, as part of the local improvement works. Again, folk in Westerhuizen can now access local services without having to cross the bridge to the Old Town. Here's a close view: The funeral parlour is closest to us here; entrance to the Health Centre is along the main road, beside the car park. That gives us a sense of the civic improvements which have been made to Westerhuizen. As a result, local housing demand has sky-rocketed. The council has laid out four new streets, all of which have been developed by private contractors to provide small, affordable housing units: These developments have added nearly 500 homes, more than 1,000 residents to Westerhuizen's population. Here's a ground-level photo taken from the small park, which you can see near the top of the last image: As you can see, the modern housing units are small but inviting and the developers are creating pleasant 'human scale' places to live. That's all there is to see in Westerhuizen for now; over the next few years we can expect to see low-rise apartment buildings finished close to the 'civic suite' (where construction has already begun). A group of local residents is also petitioning the council to give them use of a patch of riverside land, for a new Community Garden. You've probably noticed, Nieuwezee's council is quite liberal and I can't expect them to refuse this request... ;-) In closing, here's a long-shot of Westerhuizen in all its new-found glory.

  Oh - thank you for the tip about the yellow-pause-thing-remover! I'm downloading it immediately... :)

Here's the newly-completed Poldermeer lake and country park: This gives a sense of how the Poldermeer really marks the edge of Oosterpolder - the main East-West boulevard the Havenbrugweg runs barley 150m from the lake edge! The concept for Poldermeer was to create a 'linear' country park which as well as being a recreational space, would create a 'green wall' between the densely-developed Oosterpolder, and open farmland immediately to the North. There will be no 'urban sprawl', with the country park creating a clearly defined border between Town and Country. The Poldermeer itself is nearly 1km long, but only 50-150m in width. It is surrounded by several kilometres of cycle-paths and woodland trails. In the image you can see, the public beach and also the city-owned Sailing School. This is already teaching watercraft skills to poor and disadvantaged youth of Nieuwezee and the surrounding area. From this angle (looking South) you can see that the Sailing Club, is built right next to the new Oosterpolderplein which will be the heart of the Oosterpolder Central Business District. You can also see how the Poldermeer lake is connected to a new canal, the Poldersluis. This small canal runs several hundred metres to a new inland marina, which will feature the most luxurious penthouses in the whole of Nieuwezee. However, this development will not be completed until towards the end of the decade. As yet, the marina is little more than a construction site: There are only a few apartment blocks completed to the East of the site. Eventually, the marina area will house thousands of people throughout a suite of luxury high-rise developments. That's all there is for now! Next time, let's look to the other side of town, the old Westerhuizen district which is to enjoy 'urban regeneration' at the same time as these glittering new districts spring up in the East of Nieuwezee.

If you've read my earlier posts, you'll know that the Oosterpolder is a patch of land that's been reclaimed from the inland sea which sits in the heart of the Netherlands. Work to reclaim the land began in the 1990's, but it's only just reached the stage where heavy infrastructure can be placed. Oosterpolder sits just to the East of the old town of Nieuwezee, which has been awarded special funds to develop itself into 'a city for the 21st century...' Since the announcement of these funds in the New Year, workers have been laying roads, tram-tracks and utilities across the Polder... As you can see, the first private commercial development has also begun, with buildings springing up along the two main boulevards through the new district -- the Havenbrugweg at the top of the picture runs directly to the old Harbour Bridge, and the Nieuwe Polderlaan at the bottom of the picture links the old suburbs of Nieuwezee Peninsula, to the future Central Business District which will be the 'jewel in the crown' of the Oosterpolder. The Oosterpolder development also involves laying around 1.5km of tram track, from a junction at the Central Hospital on the Peninsula, across the Polder and terminating at a new public square (the Oosterpolderplein) in the heart of the Oosterpolder CBD. An artist's impression of the planned Oosterpolderplein public square. Mixed hard and soft landscaping will give a sense of space and movement to this 24hr heart of the Oosterpolder. The new Tram Line 2 will terminate here just beside a 'sunken mall' featuring boutique shops and eateries. The whole square is surrounded by high-quality office, leisure and entertainment facilities... The heavy infrastructure works are still ongoing, but these should be completed by the end of the year. By that time, the first commercial and residential developments will be occupied and the Central Business District will begin to take shape. In the next entry, I'll show you around the Poldermeer lake and country-park. As you'll see, it's just a stone's throw from the planned Oosterpolderplein...

Thank you! Keep watching, you'll see there's a lot to come for Nieuwezee... :)