Zuidas
Encyclopedia
The Zuidas is a large, rapidly developing business district in the city of Amsterdam
in the Netherlands
. The Zuidas is also known as the 'Financial Mile'. It lies between the Amstel river
and the turnaround of the ringway
A10
. The greatest influences for the development of the Zuidas are La Défense
in Paris
and Canary Wharf
in London
. In size it can best be compared with the Noordruimte/Espace Nord
in Brussels
.
In the future the railway station, Amsterdam Zuid
, in the centre of this area will become the second main station of Amsterdam. It is expected to be 5th busiest passenger station in the Netherlands, with connections to Schiphol
, Rotterdam
, Antwerp, Brussels
, and Paris
by high speed rail, the Thalys
. It will also connect to the German
high speed network, the ICE
, via Utrecht
and Arnhem
.
The journey from the Zuidas to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol takes approximately 8 minutes. Future development could include an underground line directly to the airport. Another high-speed link has been proposed by a consortium of companies between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam Zuid and the city of Almere
.
The Zuidas already has good underground connections to other business areas with the Circle Line. After the completion of the North South line, the Zuidas will have an even better connection to the city centre. The city council is not only investigating expanding the underground network to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol but also upgrading the hybrid metro/light rail line that stops at Amsterdam Zuid.
Large multinationals such as ING Group
, ABN-Amro, and Akzo Nobel
already have their headquarters in this new area. The World Trade Center Amsterdam has recently been renovated and expanded.
A large infrastructural axis (the Ring-A10) might be tunnelled, transforming the entire area. This would add an estimated €2 billion to the cost of the plan.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Zuidas is also known as the 'Financial Mile'. It lies between the Amstel river
Amstel
The Amstel is a river in the Netherlands which runs through the city of Amsterdam. The river's name is derived from Aeme stelle, old Dutch for "area abounding with water"....
and the turnaround of the ringway
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
A10
A10 motorway (Netherlands)
The A10 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. This motorway is the ring road around the city of Amsterdam.The motorway has a length of 32 km...
. The greatest influences for the development of the Zuidas are La Défense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In size it can best be compared with the Noordruimte/Espace Nord
Northern Quarter (Brussels)
The Northern Quarter is the central business district of Brussels, Belgium. Similarly to the Zuidas in Amsterdam or La Défense in Paris, the Northern Quarter consists of a concentrated collection of high-rise buildings....
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
In the future the railway station, Amsterdam Zuid
Amsterdam Zuid WTC
Amsterdam Zuid is a railway station situated in the Zuidas area of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, formerly known as Amsterdam Zuid WTC...
, in the centre of this area will become the second main station of Amsterdam. It is expected to be 5th busiest passenger station in the Netherlands, with connections to Schiphol
Schiphol (railway station)
Schiphol railway station is a major passenger railway station in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It is located directly beneath the terminal complex of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and is operated by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. The station's six platforms are accessible via twelve escalators and three...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Antwerp, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by high speed rail, the Thalys
Thalys
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
. It will also connect to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
high speed network, the ICE
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
, via Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
and Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
.
The journey from the Zuidas to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol takes approximately 8 minutes. Future development could include an underground line directly to the airport. Another high-speed link has been proposed by a consortium of companies between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam Zuid and the city of Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
.
The Zuidas already has good underground connections to other business areas with the Circle Line. After the completion of the North South line, the Zuidas will have an even better connection to the city centre. The city council is not only investigating expanding the underground network to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol but also upgrading the hybrid metro/light rail line that stops at Amsterdam Zuid.
Large multinationals such as ING Group
ING Group
The ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
, ABN-Amro, and Akzo Nobel
Akzo Nobel
Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people. Sales in 2010 were EUR...
already have their headquarters in this new area. The World Trade Center Amsterdam has recently been renovated and expanded.
A large infrastructural axis (the Ring-A10) might be tunnelled, transforming the entire area. This would add an estimated €2 billion to the cost of the plan.