The Metropolitan Region of Utrecht (MRU) is pleased with the new coalition agreement of D66, CDA, and VVD. It offers a hand to provinces, municipalities, and social organizations to jointly tackle the major challenges facing the Netherlands. 

The MRU also sees points of connection important for the Utrecht region, including nitrogen, grid congestion, housing construction, and mobility. Additionally, the MRU sees a role for itself as a catalyst in strengthening economic development in the Netherlands and Europe.

Nitrogen

The new cabinet aims to achieve breakthroughs in nitrogen policy. The coalition agreement states that the cabinet wants to align area-specific nitrogen reduction around vulnerable natural areas as much as possible with ongoing processes in the provinces. 

The Province of Utrecht has already drafted an approach in this regard: the Draft Utrecht Program for Rural Areas (UPLG). With this plan, Utrecht chooses a clear course to restore nature, improve water and soil quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and offer perspective to agriculture. The UPLG aims to end the current impasse in rural areas, where nature restoration lags, permits stall, and entrepreneurs can hardly move forward.

Grid Congestion

The MRU is among the most heavily burdened electricity grid areas in the Netherlands. Precisely here, where national energy infrastructure converges, there is a massive shift to electric. Heat pumps, charging stations, electric buses, and new homes all require space on the grid. 

It is therefore good that addressing grid congestion has the highest priority with the new cabinet. The most urgent projects will be tackled first. This ensures large-scale housing construction remains possible, mobility becomes more sustainable, and there is room for business activity to support economic development.

Housing Construction

The new cabinet wants to increase housing production. With the construction of 165,000 homes by 2040, the MRU aims to make a significant contribution to the national housing shortage. On the southwest side of the city of Utrecht, the largest housing development location in the Netherlands is being developed: Groot-Merwede/Rijnenburg. Alongside developments in the Spoor and A1 zones and Foodvalley. It is important that the cabinet wants to increase housing production and remove obstacles. Additionally, it focuses on large-scale new construction locations of national importance.

Mobility

The cabinet emphasizes the importance of accessibility. When traffic in the Metropolitan Region of Utrecht comes to a standstill, people notice it throughout the Netherlands. Nodes such as Utrecht Central, Amersfoort Central, Hoevelaken, and the Utrecht Ring are not regional issues but national prerequisites. The cabinet wants to invest in good flow on the Utrecht Ring and find a solution while preserving the Amelisweerd forest. 

The MRU is keen to continue discussions with the national government about the exact implementation, especially considering its own urbanization tasks. The new coalition wants to restart paused infrastructure projects and allocate extra funds for priority projects. The MRU counts on a restart of the approach to the Hoevelaken junction.

Metropolitan Region of Utrecht

Utrecht Heart of Health is the beating heart of a healthy society. More than 2,000 companies and 100 startups are located here in the health domain. It also houses the largest Science Park in the Netherlands. Here, solutions and innovations are developed that enable us to live physically, mentally, and socially healthier lives. This includes medicines, vaccines, smart care applications, and prevention that contribute to a healthy sustainable living environment and a resilient society. 

For press information:
patricia.schalkwijk@provincie-utrecht.nl
06 51 99 45 32