ROTTERDAM, 4 February 2026 – If you like catching up on the news with a coffee and a bit of calm, you can now do it for free at dozens of neighbourhood hubs across the city. Rotterdam has started a one-year pilot placing two daily newspapers, Algemeen Dagblad and de Volkskrant, on the reading tables in 53 Huizen van de Wijk.
The municipality is running the trial together with DPG Media, with the aim of making news more accessible, including for people who do not always have the budget for a subscription.
Two papers on the reading tables in 53 locations
The project places the two titles in Huizen van de Wijk across Rotterdam, where you can read them on-site. Rotterdam describes the move as a practical way to support equal access to news, using places people already visit for activities, advice, or a chat.
DPG Media director Allard Besse says: “It’s great that Rotterdam is doing this. By making newspapers available for free in the Huizen van de Wijk, we bring news even closer to people.”
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Why the city is backing printed news
Rotterdam points to research suggesting that reading a newspaper can strengthen your connection to your own living environment because you are better informed about what is happening in your neighbourhood and in the city.
The city also expects the papers to do something simple but valuable inside the Huizen van de Wijk: spark conversations. You read a headline, you mention it to someone at the table, and suddenly, you are talking about what is going on in Rotterdam rather than scrolling alone at home.
A ‘Huis van de Wijk’ as a place to talk
Alderman Faouzi Achbar, responsible for welfare (welzijn), says the Huizen van de Wijk are a natural fit for the pilot: “A Huis van de Wijk is, by definition, a place to meet and to talk. We hope everyone, from young to old, will make good use of the newspapers.”
The pilot runs for one year, and Rotterdam will likely use the results and feedback from the locations to decide what comes next.
