Rotterdam unveils 2035 plan for Spaanse Polder

ROTTERDAM, 14 October 2026 – Rotterdam wants to turn the Spaanse Polder business district into a more intensive industrial area where manufacturing, circular businesses and growing companies have more room to invest. The municipality has presented a new 2035 ambition document that proposes redevelopment of ageing sites, more selective use of scarce business space and strategic land purchases to help unlock new projects.

_{Image: Alderman Tim Versnel with representatives of Bedrijvenraad Spaanse Polder, the Municipality of Rotterdam and Vemefa Constructa during the presentation of the area ambition document. Photo: Rhalda Jansen Fotografie.}

More industry on limited space

The new Gebiedsambitiedocument Spaanse Polder 2035, or area ambition document, sets out how Rotterdam wants to develop one of its most important employment areas over the coming years.

A central idea is simple: industrial land is scarce, so the municipality wants to use existing space more efficiently rather than allowing sites to fragment into uses that could just as easily be located elsewhere.

Rotterdam's broader economic strategy describes Spaanse Polder and Noordwest together as a 322-hectare business area, with access to the A4, A13, A16 and A20 and connections towards the port and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. The municipality sees the area as particularly valuable for activities that require industrial space and cannot easily be mixed with housing.

The new approach therefore puts greater emphasis on manufacturing, heavy industry, circular businesses and other companies that depend on the area's industrial character.

The ambition document was presented at Vemefa Constructa, a Rotterdam family company with more than 80 years of experience in metal and sheet-metal processing.

Making room for companies to grow

Older properties and fragmented plots currently make expansion difficult in parts of the district. Rotterdam wants to tackle that through redevelopment, more intensive use of sites and better use of the harbour basins.

Companies looking to establish themselves in Spaanse Polder would also face a more deliberate assessment of whether they genuinely need the area's particular industrial conditions. Businesses that could operate just as well on an ordinary business park may be directed elsewhere.

Alderman for Port, Economy and Small Communities Tim Versnel says the municipality wants to give existing manufacturers and new technology companies more room to develop. Versnel's current portfolio includes Rotterdam's economy and port.

“Spaanse Polder has developed considerably in recent years, but there is much more potential. We want an innovative and sustainable industrial park where manufacturing companies can grow and new technology can make the move from the drawing board to the factory floor. We are going to do everything we can to get more out of every square metre. More room for entrepreneurship, innovation and the jobs of tomorrow. And we will do that together with entrepreneurs and property owners in the area.”

Aerial view of Spaanse Polder, one of Rotterdam's major business and industrial areas. Photo: Municipality of Rotterdam.

Land purchases could unlock redevelopment

The municipality also wants a more active role in changing sites that are difficult to redevelop through private investment alone.

Rotterdam's executive is proposing a new land development framework that would allow the municipality to acquire land at strategic locations and use those purchases to start redevelopment of outdated commercial properties.

According to the municipality, €2.2 million in provincial funding from Zuid-Holland has been awarded to support the approach.

Alderman for Building and Mobility Chantal Zeegers said targeted acquisitions could help create room where the existing ownership pattern currently makes redevelopment difficult. Zeegers' current municipal portfolio includes building and mobility.

“Space for growth does not appear by itself. By purchasing land strategically, we can give outdated locations a new lease of life and create space for companies that want to invest. That is how we move from plans to implementation.”

The municipality already maintains a dedicated reserve intended to support the long-term programme for Spaanse Polder.

Greener streets and better connections

The plans are not limited to factory halls and business plots.

Rotterdam also wants more greenery, improved cycling connections and closer cooperation with technical education. The aim is to make the district more attractive to workers as well as employers and investors.

Another part of the strategy concerns crime and misuse of commercial property. The municipality says cooperation between businesses, local authorities, police and other partners has improved the business climate in recent years. The new plans continue that focus alongside the economic redevelopment.

A masterplan will now work out the spatial choices, investment programme and phasing in greater detail. Rotterdam also intends to examine how planning rules and leasehold conditions can be used to steer the type of businesses entering the area.

The plan still needs council consideration

The 2035 document should currently be read as a municipal proposal rather than a fully adopted long-term plan.

The council proposal and concept area ambition document were formally published on 14 October 2026. They are scheduled to go before the Rotterdam City Council's Environment and Economy committee on 28 October, with a further discussion proposed for 4 November.

That distinction matters because the broad direction has been set out by the municipal executive, while the political process around the document is still under way.

Where is Spaanse Polder?

Spaanse Polder lies on Rotterdam's western side at the border with Schiedam. Part of the business district falls within Schiedam, while Rotterdam's wider economic planning often considers Spaanse Polder together with the adjoining Noordwest business area.