Almere

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

Almere
The skyline of Almere
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Almere in Flevoland and the Netherlands
Coordinates: 52°22′N 5°13′E / 52.367, 5.217
Country	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Constituent country	Netherlands
Province	Flevoland
Government
- Mayor	Annemarie Jorritsma (VVD)
Area
- Total	248.77 km² (96.1 sq mi)
- Land	130.47 km² (50.4 sq mi)
- Water	118.29 km² (45.7 sq mi)
Population (April 2007)
- Total	181,960
- Density	1,369/km² (3,545.7/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website: www.almere.nl

Almere is a city and municipality in Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout (under construction), Almere Poort (under construction) and Almere Pampus (design phase).

Almere is one of the youngest cities in the Netherlands: the first house was finished in 1976, and Almere became a municipality in 1984. It is the largest municipality in Flevoland with 178,626 citizens (1 January 2006, source: CBS), and the 8th largest in the Netherlands. In October 2007, the city council of Almere approved plans to expand the city to 350,000 inhabitants by 2030.

Contents 1 History 2 Governance 2.1 Local executive 2.2 City council 2.3 Sister cities 3 Geography 4 Demography 5 Transport 5.1 Railway 5.2 Public buses 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

The original plans for the IJsselmeerpolders saw the land being used for agriculture. After World War II however ideas about housing for the rapidly growing population of Amsterdam were launched. Two towns in the polders Oostelijk Flevoland and Zuidelijk Flevoland were therefore designed. The town in Oostelijk Flevoland became Lelystad, the town in Zuidelijk Flevoland was still called Zuidweststad on the first sketches, but in the 1970s it became called Almere, named after the early medieval name of the Zuiderzee (see Almere (lake)). The first house in Almere was finished in 1976. The town was then still controlled by the Openbaar Lichaam Zuidelijke IJsselmeerpolders (Z.IJ.P.), with a Landdrost. In 1984 Almere became an official municipality. Originally, Almere was envisioned as a town with more centres. This idea was later abandoned in favor of allowing neighbourhoods like Tussen de Vaarten to be built. There is also a difference between the way houses are built in the oldest and the newest parts of the city. The housing plan in Almere in the 1970s was basic functionality and a levelling of social status. However in the 1990s it became the trend to build more exculsive homes with striking designs (e.g. in the Regenboogbuurt).

[edit] Governance

[edit] Local executive

Former minister Annemarie Jorritsma-Lebbink (VVD) has been the mayor since 16 August 2003. On 7 April 2006 the new council was inaugurated.

• Adri Duivesteijn (PvdA)
• Johanna Haanstra (PvdA)
• Henk Smeeman (VVD)
• Martine Visser (CDA/ CU)

A list of mayors:

• 1984 - 1986 Han Lammers (PvdA)
• 1986 - 1993 Cees de Cloe (PvdA)
• 1993 - 1994 Cees Roozemond (PvdA, supervisor)
• 1994 - 1998 Ralph Pans (PvdA)
• 1998 - 2003 Hans Ouwerkerk (PvdA)
• 2003 - 2003 Jaap van der Doef (PvdA, supervisor)
• 2003 - present Annemarie Jorritsma-Lebbink (VVD)

[edit] City council

The inauguration of the first local council took place on 2 January 1984 in the presence of the then minister of the Interior Koos Rietkerk. The elections took place on 21 September 1983. Before 1984 Almere had an Adviesraad, which was chosen every 2 years (1978-1980, 1980-1982, 1982-1984). This Adviesraad was made up of different political parties similar to a local council. On 11 March 1977 there was the first election for a governor; the advies commisie, consisting of 5 people that were chosen on personal title. The council of Almere has consisted of 39 seats since 1998.

Party	1984	1986	1990	1994	1998	2002	2006
PvdA	10	14	9	6	9	7	12
VVD	5	5	7	10	12	8	7
Leefbaar Almere	-	-	-	-	-	9	4
SP	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
GroenLinks	2	1	3	4	4	4	3
CDA	2	3	4	3	3	4	3
Almere Partij	-	1	2	2	3	2	2
ChristenUnie	-	-	-	-	1	1	2
D66	1	2	7	10	5	2	1
Verenigde Senioren Partij	-	-	-	-	1	1	1
Stadspartij Almere	-	-	-	-	1	1	-
CP/CD	2	1	1	2	-	-	-
Stap '84	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	23	27	33	37	39	39	39

[edit] Sister cities

Almere maintains international relations with the following sister cities:^[1][2]

• Aalborg, Denmark
• České Budějovice, Czech Republic
• Haapsalu, Estonia
• Kumasi, Ghana
• Lancaster, United Kingdom
• Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
• Rendsburg, Germany
• Växjö, Sweden

[edit] Geography

Almere is located in the polder of Southern Flevoland (Dutch: Zuidelijk Flevoland). It is the most western municipality of the province Flevoland. It borders with Lake Marken in the west and north, Lelystad in the northeast, Zeewolde in the east, and Lake Gooi in the south.

Almere consists of six districts (Dutch: stadsdelen) of which three are under construction.^[3]

Name	Year[4]	Location
Almere Haven	1976
Almere Stad	1980
Almere Buiten	1984
Almere Hout	1991
Almere Poort	2000
Almere Pampus	-

[edit] Demography

	Almere Haven	Almere Stad	Almere Buiten	Almere Hout	Almere Poort	Almere Pampus	Almere in total
1970							52
1975							47
1980	6596						6632
1985	21410	17240	1559				40297
1990	22355	37024	11499				71087
1995	22376	58816	22740	564			104496
2000	22237	83934	35290	1336			142797
2005	22590	103560	47358	1366			175008
2007	22507	105261	51751	1345	134		180998

[edit] Transport

The traffic infrastructure in Almere is recognisable because of its separate infrastructure for cycles (which have separate cycle paths), cars and buses (In Almere the buses drive on a separate bus lane). Almere is connected to the motorways the A6 and the A27.

[edit] Railway

In 1987 Almere was connected to the national railway (see NS) in 1988 with the fully completed Flevolijn which connected Weesp to Lelystad Centrum. Almere has five railway stations:

• Almere Muziekwijk (opend in 1987)
• Almere Centrum (opened in 1987)
• Almere Parkwijk (opened in 1996)
• Almere Buiten (opened in 1987)
• Almere Oostvaarders (opened in 2004).

A sixth station for Almere Poort will probably open in 2010.

[edit] Public buses

In Almere there are 11 bus lines:

• 1 Almere Stripheldenbuurt-Almere Haven Centrum
• 2 CS Almere-Gooisekant
• 3 CS Almere-Almere Haven Centrun
• 4 CS Almere-Gooisekant
• 5 Almere Oostvaarders-Almere Muziekwijk(-Almere 't Oor)
• 6 CS Almere-Parkwijk
• 7 CS Almere-Sallandsekant
• 8 CS Almere-Kemphaan
• 9 Almere Buiten-de Vaart
• 10 Gooisekant-Almere 't oor- Almere buiten
• 14 Gooisekant-Almere Poort

Most buses run about every 7 minutes. The bus company that runs the buses is called Connexxion and the name of the local bus system is called Maxx Almere owned by Connexxion. In the buses you can use the national OV bus tickets or subscription or you can use the bus tickets of Maxx Almere.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (Dutch) Gemeente Almere (official website)
• Gemeente Almere (English language section of the official website)
• Free foundation with a critical view about Almere
• (Dutch) Geheugen van Almere (people's stories about Almere)

v • d • e    Municipalities of Flevoland Almere · Dronten · Lelystad · Noordoostpolder · Urk · Zeewolde See also: Netherlands · Provinces · Municipalities · map