{"id":33646,"date":"2026-01-18T23:27:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T23:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/is-the-netherlands-on-the-verge-of-10-new-cities-spanning-continents\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T23:27:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T23:27:14","slug":"is-the-netherlands-on-the-verge-of-10-new-cities-spanning-continents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/is-the-netherlands-on-the-verge-of-10-new-cities-spanning-continents\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Netherlands on the verge of 10 new cities spanning continents?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

“Start by lighting a candle every morning.”<\/b><\/p>\n

With this recommendation, moderators on social media platforms advised those seeking rental housing in the Netherlands to pray. The pressure on the country’s real estate market is immense, with the housing shortage estimated at approximately 400,000 units.<\/p>\n

This was the primary issue in the recent Dutch general elections, and the D66 party, which won government awareness, advocated for the creation of “10 new cities.”<\/p>\n

The Crisis and Its Consequences<\/p>\n

In light of these difficult conditions, the demand for bold measures has increased. Remember that squatting in properties has been a criminal offense for over a decade; however, with estimates indicating nearly 90,000 vacant housing units, “illegal occupation”\u2014known in Dutch as kraken\u2014has resurfaced in rural Dutch areas. Thousands of people are living illegally year-round in tourism and leisure towns.<\/p>\n

Government Interventions<\/p>\n

Local authorities are seeking to manage this situation by adopting measures to attempt to change the current dynamics. The Municipality of Amsterdam is looking to tighten existing measures against secondary residences and homes left vacant by their owners. Last year, it also took other measures aimed at stopping the sharp overheating of the market and restricting the exploitation of tenants, as laws regarding residential fees were tightened. However, this has prompted landlords to abandon renting out their properties and instead list them on the market for sale.<\/p>\n

Obstacles and Future Challenges<\/p>\n

Questions remain regarding the government’s ability to implement plans to build thousands of housing units\u2014including the new cities\u2014due to an obstacle that many might not have expected: electricity. The Netherlands claims to have sufficient power, but it lacks the necessary infrastructure to transport it to the planned areas. The Netherlands is known for innovation\u2014especially in water management. Could floating residential buildings be one of the solutions?<\/p>\n

United News Network \u2013 UNN Arabic<\/p>\n

An independent media platform providing reliable news and objective analysis, seeking to promote peace and cultural dialogue worldwide, to convey the truth and build bridges of understanding between peoples.<\/p>\n

For more news, you can visit our homepage:<\/p>\n

Home<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n