Plans to move Amsterdam's Red Light District outside city centre
Bad luck if you were planning a trip to Amsterdam in the near future because it looks like you’re going to have to trek way out of town for a bit of XXX fun. Councillors have just revealed that the red light district will be relocating to a new, purpose-built ‘erotic centre’, outside the city centre but it’s not yet been stated exactly how far out it will be.
The red light district is currently located in the historic De Wallen, a part that is enclosed in a triangle surrounded by Warmoesstraat, Zeedijk and the street running east from Dam Square. The red light district is big reason that tourists visit Amsterdam, as well as the canals, culture and coffee shops so naturally locals and sex workers are worried about the effect the relocation will have on their livelihoods.
However Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema isn’t keen on all the smut going on in her city and her plans to relocate the red light district come part of her big plan to have a tourism ‘reset’ so that they can attract a ‘better quality’ of visitor. Here’s what she had to say about the reset:
These measures aim to result in a better mixture of functions, better control, a valuable visitor economy and strengthening cultural diversity and the local identity, more diverse range of housing and more residents in the inner city, more accessible public space and more greenery.
Halsema has never hidden the fact that she hates the red light district and has long campaigned for its demise, arguing that the brothels attracted gawping visitors who didn’t respect the city. The decision to relocate has been backed by the party of the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, as well as the Labour party and the Greens.
Dennis Boutkan, of the Dutch Labour party, said relocating the district will allow tourists to ‘welcome to enjoy the beauty and freedom of the city, but not at any cost.’ Well there we go. I guess we’ll see if there are any negative effects on tourism down the line but tbf, I think the pandemic has already seen to that.
