In november 2014 was the Urbanism Awards ceremony and Rotterdam won the top prize! The International Academy of Urbanism in London organises this event every year and they named Rotterdam as Europe’s best city of 2015! The Academy of Urbanism want to help promote places and learn from them. Chairman of the Academy Steven Bee said about Rotterdam:
“The City has a predominantly young, open, tolerant community that is embracing innovative architecture and urban design and new business models. Its strategy is to attract families and businesses to the central area with a variety of housing, excellent public transport and a lively public realm.” “A long-term perspective, a high level of autonomy, strong leadership by the mayor and municipality, and strong partnerships between public and private sector, are all helping Rotterdam grow positively.”
These words of Bee summary how you can describe Rotterdam over the past couple of years. Although there has been a financial crises, a cultural cut in subsidies and raising unemployment (by then), Rotterdam is doing well. And I as a student living in Rotterdam see things happen, little changes. Sometimes companies are suddenly gone, festivals bounding their strength together to survive but Rotterdam is also growing. Especially you see it on the long-term project like the Markthal which opened on the 1st of october last year. It is a very famous architectural building and the first market hall of The Netherlands. It reminds me of the market hall next to the Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain.
Rotterdam has also some beautiful videos, one of them is of the plans of the Markthal, before it was finished by Provast Markthal Rotterdam, this film is made in march 2014 by PlusNewMedia
https://vimeo.com/90851899
The article The Academy of Urbanism wrote about these award shows also an overview of the other participants and other category winners:
2015 Urbanism Awards finalists (winners are in italic ánd bold):
THE EUROPEAN CITY OF THE YEAR
Aarhus (Denmark)
Rotterdam (Netherlands)*
Turin (Italy)
THE GREAT TOWN AWARD
Aberystwyth (Ceredigion, Wales)*
Beverley (Yorkshire, England)
Bury (Lancashire, England)
THE GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD AWARD
Broughty Ferry (Dundee, Scotland)
Devonport (Plymouth, England)
Holbeck Urban Village (Leeds, England)*
THE GREAT STREET AWARD
Bridge Street / North Street (Taunton, England)*
High Street Berkhamsted (Berkhamsted, England)
Elwick Road (Ashford, England)
THE GREAT PLACE AWARD
Bishops Square (Spitalfields, London, England)
Christmas Steps (Bristol, England)
St Pancras Station (London, England)*
Sophie's Creative 