Municipality and RAI Sign Agreement to Begin Development of the RAI Area

RAI Amsterdam and the City of Amsterdam are joining forces for a large-scale development of the RAI area in the Zuidas district. The exhibition and conference organiser will be responsible for the area's development and has today signed an agreement with Councillor Van Dantzig (Land and Development) to begin the planning process. The site offers potential for housing, a mobility hub, and green spaces, providing opportunities for greater integration with the city and improving the living environment. Additionally, RAI will modernise its own buildings and operations.

Councillor Reinier van Dantzig said: “We are at the start of one of the city's largest developments. The RAI presents a unique opportunity to realise the city's ambitions for urban development. Currently, the RAI is a fairly closed-off complex, but there are opportunities for housing, green spaces, and better connections with the city. This way, the area can become much more significant for the neighbourhood and for the people of Amsterdam.”

Space for new functions
“The core of RAI Amsterdam is connection. Through our conferences and exhibitions, we connect many industries and strive every day to contribute to the societal and economic challenges of today,” said Paul Riemens, CEO of RAI Amsterdam, who views the transformation as an opportunity to improve the quality of life and experience in the area. "With the approved framework document, we are taking a step towards the city together with the municipality. We envision a future where the RAI area offers innovative solutions to urban challenges. Consider, for example, the creation of a new logistics solution to reduce disturbances and traffic, and the development of an innovative energy concept. With such solutions, the RAI area will become even more valuable for our clients, for Amsterdam, and for its residents."

Amsterdam is Popular and the City Grows by 10,000 Residents Every Year.
Space for new construction in Amsterdam is limited. Therefore, the municipality has chosen to develop new housing within the existing built-up areas of the city. Where possible, RAI aims to contribute to this effort by creating a new dynamic urban area. However, a key condition for RAI Amsterdam is that this must be compatible with its core activity as a leading international exhibition and conference centre. As part of the redevelopment, the possibilities will be explored for integrating new functions on the site that provide value to the various stakeholders of RAI, including the residents of Amsterdam.

Connection with the neighbourhood
RAI and the municipality aim to make the RAI site more attractive and liveable for the surrounding area. By adding neighbourhood-focused amenities, the RAI site could create a stronger connection with the local community. In the coming period, RAI Amsterdam will explore how to incorporate the various ambitions into the development plan.

This autumn, RAI will launch a community participation process, inviting local residents to share their ideas. The goal is to exchange ideas that can enrich the plan.

In the initial planning phase of the area's development, project developers Edge and COD will advise RAI. They are collaborating with leading architecture firms MVRDV and Nudus.