Amsterdam-Zuid
Amsterdam-Zuid | |
|---|---|
_-_2024-11-25_-_1.jpg) The Museumplein and the Concertgebouw in 2024 | |
 Brandmark | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 52°20′47″N 4°51′31″E / 52.34639°N 4.85861°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Holland |
| Municipality | Amsterdam |
| Established | 1 May 2010 |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.41 km2 (6.72 sq mi) |
| Population (1 January 2026)[1] | |
• Total | 146,395 |
| • Density | 9,602/km2 (24,870/sq mi) |
| The population-density figure is for 2025.[1] | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Website | www |
Amsterdam-Zuid (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɑmstərdɑmˈzœyt]; "Amsterdam South"), usually called Zuid, is one of the seven boroughs (stadsdelen) of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The present borough was established on 1 May 2010 through the merger of the former boroughs of Oud-Zuid and Zuideramstel. It had 146,395 inhabitants on 1 January 2026.[1]
Geography and subdivisions
[edit]
Amsterdam-Zuid lies south and southwest of the Singelgracht. It borders Centrum and West to the north, Nieuw-West to the west, Oost and the municipality of Ouder-Amstel to the east, and the municipality of Amstelveen to the south. Its boundary broadly follows the northern edge of the Vondelpark, the Westlandgracht, the Amstel and the Kalfjeslaan. The borough also includes the Hoofddorppleinbuurt, west of the Schinkel, and a small northern part of the Amsterdamse Bos.
For area-based municipal administration, Zuid has been divided into three areas since 2022: Oud-Zuid; Buitenveldert, Zuidas; and De Pijp, Rivierenbuurt.[2] They include the following neighbourhoods and quarters:[3]
- Oud-Zuid: Apollobuurt, Hoofddorppleinbuurt, Museumkwartier, including Duivelseiland, Schinkelbuurt, Stadionbuurt, including Marathonbuurt and Olympisch Kwartier, and Willemspark;
- Buitenveldert, Zuidas: Prinses Irenebuurt, Zuidas, Buitenveldert-West and Buitenveldert-Oost. The last two make up most of the Buitenveldert garden suburb;
- De Pijp, Rivierenbuurt: De Pijp, including Oude Pijp, Nieuwe Pijp, Zuid-Pijp and Diamantbuurt, the Rivierenbuurt, and Landstrekenbuurt to its south.
This is an administrative division used by the municipality. Its names and boundaries do not always correspond exactly to historical neighbourhoods or to names used in everyday speech.
History
[edit]Urban expansion
[edit]Until the end of the 19th century, much of present-day Amsterdam-Zuid belonged to the municipality of Nieuwer-Amstel. By royal decree, Amsterdam annexed a large and already partly urbanised section of that municipality on 1 May 1896.[4] The first urban extensions south of the Singelgracht had already appeared in the final quarter of the 19th century. They included De Pijp, the Museum Quarter and the Willemspark neighbourhood. This area later became known as Oud-Zuid (Old South).
Architect and urban planner Hendrik Petrus Berlage submitted his first expansion plan for the area between the Amstel and Schinkel in 1904, but it was not implemented. His second design, dating from 1915, was adopted by the municipal council in October 1917 as Plan Zuid. It combined monumental avenues and squares with perimeter blocks, courtyards, green spaces and waterways. During its construction in the 1920s and 1930s, Amsterdam School architecture played a prominent role. Architects and sculptors worked together to integrate buildings and public art.[5] Developments from this period include the Nieuwe Pijp, Diamantbuurt, Rivierenbuurt, the area around Beethovenstraat and the Stadionbuurt. The collective name Nieuw-Zuid (New South) was also used for this expansion.
The area designed by Berlage was later designated the nationally protected townscape of Plan Zuid. Much of the older Oud-Zuid, including the northern part of De Pijp and the Museum Quarter, is a municipally protected townscape.[6]
Buitenveldert and Zuidas
[edit]
Amsterdam annexed the southern polder area in 1921. The 1935 General Extension Plan of Amsterdam designated it for the garden suburb of Buitenveldert. Preparation of the site began in 1955, the first stone was laid on 2 June 1958, and the first residents moved into their homes in 1959.[7] The post-war district was given an open, functionalist layout, with separated functions, abundant green space and a mixture of low-, medium- and high-rise buildings.
From the 1990s onwards, Zuidas developed around the A10 ring road and Amsterdam Zuid station. It grew into a mixed business district with offices, homes, educational institutions, courts and other facilities. Development and infrastructure in this part of the borough are also shaped by the Zuidasdok project. This includes enlargement of Amsterdam Zuid station, widening of the A10 South and placing more than one kilometre of the motorway in tunnels through the central part of Zuidas.[8]
Administrative development
[edit]When Amsterdam introduced its borough system in 1987 and 1990, the boroughs of De Pijp, Rivierenbuurt, Zuid and Buitenveldert were formed within the area of present-day Zuid. The Hoofddorppleinbuurt became part of the borough of Zuid in 1990. In 1998, De Pijp and Zuid merged to form Oud-Zuid. Buitenveldert and Rivierenbuurt became part of Zuideramstel, which also included Beatrixpark, Prinses Irenebuurt, Zuidas and the area around IJsbaanpad. Oud-Zuid and Zuideramstel merged on 1 May 2010 to form the present borough of Amsterdam-Zuid.
Population and housing
[edit]The population of Zuid rose from 133,808 in 2010 to 149,000 in 2024, before falling to 146,395 on 1 January 2026.[1] The municipal population forecast expects the number of residents to remain relatively stable in the medium term. In the longer term, growth is expected particularly in Buitenveldert and Zuidas as housing is added around Zuidas. The Havenstraatterrein in Oud-Zuid is also being redeveloped as a mixed residential and employment district.[9]
Zuid had 84,336 dwellings in 2025. Its private rental sector was larger and its housing-association sector smaller than the Amsterdam average. In 2025, it had the highest average property value for tax purposes (WOZ-waarde) of the city's boroughs, although housing conditions and market segments vary considerably between neighbourhoods.[9]
Compared with Amsterdam as a whole, Zuid has slightly fewer children and more older residents. In 2025, single-person households accounted for 55 per cent of its households, and residents were relatively highly educated on average. There are also marked differences within the borough. In the municipal area called Buitenveldert, Zuidas, 64 per cent of residents were classified by the municipality as having a migration background; 21 per cent of all residents in that area fell within the broad statistical category "Other Asia".[9]
Economy and amenities
[edit]Zuid contains major shopping and entertainment districts as well as large concentrations of offices and institutions. Its principal employment areas are Zuidas and Schinkel business park. In 2024, its employment density was 844 people working at least twelve hours per week per 1,000 residents, compared with 698 for Amsterdam as a whole. The number of business establishments increased from 17,688 in 2010 to 34,783 in 2024. Most jobs are concentrated in and around Zuidas and Schinkel business park.[9]
Institutions in the borough include Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the VUmc location of Amsterdam UMC, RAI Amsterdam, the District Court of Amsterdam, and several national and international corporate headquarters. Shopping areas include P.C. Hooftstraat, Cornelis Schuytstraat, Ferdinand Bolstraat, the Albert Cuyp Market and the Gelderlandplein shopping centre.
Culture, architecture and memorials
[edit]The Museumplein is bordered by the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Concertgebouw. Other notable buildings and ensembles include the Olympic Stadium, the former Burgerweeshuis designed by Aldo van Eyck, the Wolkenkrabber at Victorieplein, and the Amsterdam School housing of Plan Zuid.
Public memorials and artworks include the Stedemaagd (1883) near the Vondelpark entrance at Stadhouderskade, the Monument Indië-Nederland (1935) on Apollolaan, the Apollolaan Resistance Monument (1952), and Amsterdam Thanks Its Canadians (1980) in Canadezenplantsoen.
Parks and green spaces
[edit]
The borough contains several large parks and green spaces:
- Amstelpark, in Buitenveldert;
- Beatrixpark;
- Gijsbrecht van Aemstelpark, in Buitenveldert;
- Martin Luther Kingpark, in the Rivierenbuurt;
- Sarphatipark, in De Pijp;
- Schinkeleilanden;
- Vondelpark.
A small northern part of the Amsterdamse Bos lies within both the municipality of Amsterdam and the borough of Zuid. Most of the forest is located within the municipality of Amstelveen, although the City of Amsterdam owns and manages it.[10]
Transport
[edit]The A10 ring road crosses Zuid from east to west, with exits S108 and S109. Major urban routes include Amstelveenseweg, Europaboulevard, President Kennedylaan and Hobbemakade, as well as the connections across the Berlagebrug and Utrechtsebrug.
The railway stations in the borough are Amsterdam Zuid station and Amsterdam RAI station. Both are on the railway between Schiphol, Amsterdam Zuid, Duivendrecht and Weesp. Amsterdam Zuid is also a major interchange for trains, metro, trams and buses, and is being enlarged as part of Zuidasdok.
Amsterdam Metro routes 50, 51 and 52 serve the borough. Routes 50 and 51 call at stations including Amstelveenseweg, Amsterdam Zuid and RAI; route 52 serves De Pijp, Europaplein and Amsterdam Zuid. Several tram and bus routes also cross Zuid. Tram routes 5 and 25 connect, among other places, the Museum Quarter, Amsterdam Zuid station, Buitenveldert and Amstelveen. Since 29 March 2026, route 6 has also operated between Amsterdam Zuid and Amstelveen Westwijk during peak hours.[11] Other tram routes serve De Pijp, Rivierenbuurt, the Museum Quarter and Stadionbuurt. Because routes may change, the GVB network maps provide the current overview.[12]
Municipal mobility research indicates that cycling is more common and car use less common in Zuid than the Amsterdam average. Residents gave the availability of public transport an average score of 7.8 out of 10 in 2025.[9]
Sport
[edit]
Major sports facilities include:
- the Olympic Stadium at Stadionplein;
- the Apollohal at the corner of Stadionweg and Apollolaan;
- Frans Otten Stadion near IJsbaanpad;
- the Olympiaplein sports grounds;
- Sporthal De Pijp;
- Sporthallen Zuid near IJsbaanpad;
- the Zuiderbad on Hobbemastraat.
Cemeteries
[edit]- Huis te Vraag on Rijnsburgstraat;
- Buitenveldert Cemetery on Fred. Roeskestraat;
- Zorgvlied on Amsteldijk.
Government and politics
[edit]Amsterdam-Zuid is administered by an executive board appointed by Amsterdam's municipal executive. A directly elected district committee advises both the borough executive and the city administration on matters concerning Zuid. The committee has fifteen members.[13]
District council and governing committee
[edit]The district council elected in 2010 had 29 seats. Following an administrative reform, a fifteen-seat governing committee was elected in 2014.
| Party | 2010 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| D66 | 6 | 5 |
| VVD | 8 | 3 |
| Labour Party | 6 | 2 |
| GroenLinks | 4 | 2 |
| CDA | 1 | 1 |
| Zuid- en Pijpbelangen | 1 | 1 |
| Party for the Elderly | – | 1 |
| Socialist Party | 2 | – |
| Vereniging Oud-Zuid | 1 | – |
| Total | 29 | 15 |
Underlined seat totals indicate the governing coalitions. The Socialist Party and Vereniging Oud-Zuid did not contest the 2014 election. The Party for Free Amsterdammers, Pirate Party and Proud of the Netherlands did contest it but won no seats. In April 2014, the committee elected Sebastiaan Capel (D66) as its chair.[14]
District committee
[edit]Zuid has had an elected district committee since 2018. The distribution of its fifteen seats following the elections of 2018, 2022 and 2026 was as follows:[15][16][17]
| Party | 2018 | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GroenLinks | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Labour Party | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| VVD | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| D66 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Volt | – | – | 1 |
| CDA | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| BIJ1 | – | 1 | 1 |
| 50PLUS | – | 1 | – |
| Total | 15 | 15 | 15 |
In the 2026 election, the VVD was the largest party with 24.3 per cent of the vote, followed by D66 with 21.5 per cent, GroenLinks with 18.5 per cent and the Labour Party with 15.4 per cent.[17] In the municipality's current membership list, the five elected GroenLinks and Labour Party members are grouped as PRO. For the 2026–2030 term, the fifteen seats are therefore listed as PRO (5), VVD (4), D66 (3), Volt (1), CDA (1) and BIJ1 (1).[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Dashboard Kerncijfers" [Key Figures Dashboard] (in Dutch). Research and Statistics, City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Nieuwe indeling voor Gebiedsgericht werken" [New division for area-based working] (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ Gebiedsgerichte Opgaven Sociaal 2025–2030 – Stadsdeel Zuid [Area-based Social Priorities 2025–2030 – Borough of Zuid] (PDF) (Report) (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 2025. p. 10. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Grenzen" [Boundaries] (in Dutch). Amsterdam City Archives. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "1917 Plan-Zuid" (in Dutch). Amsterdam City Archives. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Van villawijk tot tuindorp: drie beschermde gezichten" [From villa district to garden suburb: three protected townscapes] (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "65 jaar Buitenveldert" [65 years of Buitenveldert] (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Zuidasdok" (in Dutch). Zuidas, City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Team Onderzoek Stadsdelen (April 2026). Staat van Zuid 2026 [State of Zuid 2026] (Report) (in Dutch). Research and Statistics, City of Amsterdam. pp. 4–8. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ Onderweg naar 100 jaar Amsterdamse Bos: Bosplan 2020–2030 [Towards 100 years of Amsterdamse Bos: Forest Plan 2020–2030] (PDF) (Report) (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. p. 31. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Vanaf 29 maart nieuwe tramverbindingen in Amstelveen" [New tram connections in Amstelveen from 29 March] (in Dutch). Municipality of Amstelveen. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Plattegronden en lijnennetkaarten" [Maps and network maps] (in Dutch). GVB. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Zo werkt een stadsdeelcommissie of bestuurscommissie" [How a district committee works] (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bestuurscommissie Zuid kiest dagelijks bestuur" [Zuid governing committee elects executive board] (in Dutch). Borough of Amsterdam-Zuid. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Dataset: Verkiezingen Stadsdeelbestuur 2018" [Dataset: 2018 district administration elections] (in Dutch). Research and Statistics, City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Uitslag verkiezingen gemeenteraad en stadsdelen 2022" [Results of the 2022 municipal council and district elections] (in Dutch). Research and Statistics, City of Amsterdam. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Uitslag verkiezingen gemeenteraad en stadsdeel- en bestuurscommissies 2026" [Results of the 2026 municipal council and district committee elections] (in Dutch). Research and Statistics, City of Amsterdam. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Samenstelling stadsdeelcommissie Zuid" [Composition of the Zuid district committee] (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official website of the borough of Zuid (in Dutch)
Amsterdam-Zuid travel guide from Wikivoyage
