ROTTERDAM, 10 February 2026 – Rotterdam and grid operator Stedin have signed a cooperation agreement on expanding the city’s electricity grid. The deal includes how Rotterdam will find space for hundreds of new neighbourhood electricity kiosks in the decades ahead, while trying to keep them discreet and safe in the streetscape.

_{Image: From left to right: Amy van Groot Battavé (Municipality of Rotterdam), Martijn van der Steen (Municipality of Rotterdam), Lieske IJntema (Stedin), Alderman Chantal Zeegers (including climate portfolio, Municipality of Rotterdam), Aline Arends (COO, Stedin), Maarten Bijl (Regional Director, Stedin South Holland), Bert Vos (Municipality of Rotterdam).}

The agreement focuses on the practical side of grid expansion: between 800 and 1,200 electricity kiosks are expected to be added in Rotterdam between now and 2050, driven by new homes, new businesses, and the energy transition.

What the agreement covers

Rotterdam and Stedin say they will work neighbourhood by neighbourhood to identify suitable locations for new electricity kiosks. The city highlights that this is complicated in a dense urban environment, where space is limited and competing claims on public space are constant. The stated aim is twofold: build a future-proof electricity grid, while making sure new kiosks are carefully integrated into the neighbourhood, so they do not stand out too much and do not create traffic-safety issues.

Where the kiosks could go

One of Rotterdam’s ambitions in the agreement is to place as many electricity kiosks as possible inside buildings, rather than as standalone boxes in public space. That approach is meant to reduce visual impact on streets and squares, while still creating the capacity needed to meet rising demand for electricity.

Chantal Zeegers on speed and careful placement

Alderman Chantal Zeegers (including climate portfolio) says grid expansion needs to move quickly, while the city also wants to avoid clumsy placement in neighbourhood streets.

“There really needs to be speed in expanding the electricity grid. I am glad we are tackling this together with Stedin, and that we have made clear agreements about fitting those extra electricity kiosks properly into neighbourhoods.” — Chantal Zeegers, Rotterdam alderman

Limiting disruption in the street

The work is not only about adding new kiosks. Rotterdam and Stedin also point to upgrades to existing kiosks and the laying of additional cables, which can affect temporary access in a neighbourhood and cause nuisance.

To reduce repeated roadworks, the agreement includes planning principles that aim to combine grid works with other projects in the area, such as sewer replacement, as well as new-build development, so streets are not dug up more often than necessary.

A push to use electricity outside peak hours

Alongside physical expansion, Rotterdam and Stedin also call on residents to use the grid more “smartly” by shifting electricity use away from the busiest hours of the day.

They highlight the 16.00 to 21.00 window as peak time, suggesting actions like delaying EV charging, or running appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers later in the evening.

ROTTERDAM, 6 February 2026 – The candidate lists for the Rotterdam municipal council elections 2026 (gemeenteraadsverkiezingen) are now official, with 21 political parties on the ballot. You will be able to vote on Wednesday 18 March 2026, and Rotterdam’s Central Electoral Committee (Centraal Stembureau) has confirmed and numbered every list.

Rotterdam’s Central Electoral Committee has formally adopted the full set of candidate lists, so you can already see which parties and candidates you will be choosing from on election day.

What “candidate lists confirmed” means

In practice, this is the administrative milestone that locks in the ballot: the lists are validated, numbered, and published in an official record (proces-verbaal). If you like to read the original document yourself, you can find it via Rotterdam’s elections page.

Key dates for voting in Rotterdam

The vote takes place on Wednesday 18 March 2026. Rotterdam’s elections page brings together the practical basics (including how voting works and what to do if you cannot vote in person). Your voting pass (stempas) is expected to arrive by post from 25 February. If you want to plan where you will vote, the city’s polling station site (stembureaus) is the place to start, and it will point you to current lists and accessibility information as they are published.

The 21 parties on the ballot

Below are the list numbers as confirmed for Rotterdam: 

Where to find your polling station

If you already know your neighbourhood and want to map it out, the polling station website lets you search by street or postcode, including via a map view. It is the quickest route to finding a nearby polling station (stembureau) once the full overview is live.

If you cannot go yourself, Rotterdam also explains how an authorisation vote (volmacht) works, so someone you trust can vote on your behalf.

What happens between now and 18 March

Now that the candidate lists are final, the next phase is all about practical preparation: receiving your voting pass, choosing where to vote, and checking any special arrangements you might need. The national elections calendar also confirms 18 March 2026 as the municipal elections date across the Netherlands, including Rotterdam.

Rotterdam’s main elections page is the most reliable hub for updates in the run-up to the vote, including wider information that sits alongside the council election in the city.

ROTTERDAM, 10 February 2026 – Rotterdam says neighbourhood and village councils (wijk- en dorpsraden) have helped deliver 4,165 neighbourhood actions (wijkacties) over the past four years. The city reports that 90% of the planned actions have been carried out, exceeding the original target of 75%.

In practical terms, that means many of the priorities set locally, from small fixes in public space to social initiatives, moved from plan to reality during this council period.

How the system works in Rotterdam neighbourhoods

The city links these results to Wijk aan Zet, a governance approach introduced four years ago that changed how City Hall works with neighbourhoods. Under this system, residents in 37 neighbourhood councils (wijkraden) and 2 village councils (dorpsraden) decide each year which actions matter most in their area.

Those priorities are written down in annual action plans (jaaractieplannen), described as concrete plans drafted by residents, focused on liveability, safety and social cohesion.

What people did in Rozenburg, Ommoord and beyond

A publication titled 39 keer trots looks back at what neighbourhood and village councils say they achieved across the city. The examples range from new places to meet in Rozenburg, to tackling parked trailers and caravans in Ommoord, and adding extra street lighting in darker spots in Hoogvliet.

Other examples include an annual neighbourhood dinner (Wijkdiner) in Tarwewijk to draw attention to poverty, and the opening of a youth hub (jongerenhub) in Hillesluis. The booklet is available here: https://persberichtenrotterdam.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/Boekje-39-keer-Trots.pdf

Robert Simons points to visible results

Alderman for neighbourhoods Robert Simons says residents understand best what their neighbourhood needs, and he links the delivery rate to close cooperation between neighbourhood and village councils, civil service support, and the aldermen responsible for neighbourhoods.

“Residents know better than anyone what their neighbourhood needs. Thanks to the close cooperation between neighbourhood and village councils, civil service support and neighbourhood aldermen, by far most actions from the annual action plans have been realised. From new play areas and improvements in public space to social initiatives that strengthen liveability. No big words, but visible results: 90 percent of the actions have been carried out. We did what we promised.” — Robert Simons, alderman for neighbourhoods

More candidates for wijk elections

The city also points to growing interest in wijk council elections (wijkraadsverkiezingen). For the next term, 829 residents are on the ballot for the neighbourhood and village councils, which is more than 200 compared to four years ago.

Rotterdam frames that increase as a sign that more people want to think along, make decisions, and take responsibility in their neighbourhood.

ROTTERDAM, 6 February 2026 – Rotterdam has met its own target to keep enough business space in the city, and the figures show a net increase rather than a decline. The municipality says it is the first Dutch city to set an explicit goal for retaining business space and then achieve it.

The target for this council term was simple: keep the total square metres of business space at least stable. Instead, the city reports a net gain of 70,657 m².

Business space stock grows since mid-2022

Rotterdam’s total business space stock is now reported at 4,335,128 m² (bvo). Since 1 July 2022, that stock has grown by 70,657 m². To help deliver the target, the municipality launched the Business space action plan (Actieplan Bedrijfsruimte). The related council document is available here:

Focus on industry and jobs in Rotterdam

Alderman Robert Simons, responsible for the economy, links the result to a deliberate choice to keep room for entrepreneurs and industry in Rotterdam. He argues that retaining business space helps keep jobs in the city and supports skilled trades for the long term.

The municipality also points to a wider argument about why bedrijventerreinen matter: it states that 40% of working people in the Netherlands have a job on a business estate, and that 30% of gross national product is earned there.

Hunter Douglas site on Zuid cited as an example

One example highlighted is the former Hunter Douglas site (Hunter Douglas-terrein) on Rotterdam Zuid, where the city says it opted against the pattern of converting business estates into housing. In this case, redevelopment was only permitted on the condition that at least 33,000 m² of business space would be retained.