In contrast to other Dutch cities, trade relying on the city’s central canal network was never the main focus of The Hague, which was founded as a government centre. Consequently many of the canals were filled between 1910 and 1970 and, in the 1970s, part of the neighbourhood was almost demolished to make way for a motorway. Citizens took action and stopped the demolition process, but not before significant damage was done to the once-pristine canal area. Recent years have seen a revival in community action. In 2018, a neighbourhood initiative demanded the closure of two red light district streets, which the city agreed upon and, boosted by this success, the inhabitants set the next goal: to reopen the lost canals and boost the area both ecologically and economically.

“All over the world, neighbourhoods like the old centre of The Hague form the backbone of tourism and provide an identity to a city, but in The Hague somehow this ancient and incredibly charming area was forgotten,” says Winy Maas, architect and co-founder of MVRDV. “The area offers the unique chance for an urban regeneration that will improve the local economy and make a leap forward in the city’s energy transition.”

Special attention has been given to challenges such as tram lines and other infrastructure erected on the spaces which used to be canals. Like many other Dutch cities, The Hague already has some experience in bringing back its canals, restoring a small piece of canal and transforming parking space into a combination of parking, open water, and gastronomy. But overspending on this project caused by a complex underground car-park encouraged MVRDV and the local community to keep their plans simple and realistic.