Amsterdam’s first woman mayor wants red-light district revamped
Amsterdam’s first female mayor is rethinking its centuries-old red-light district.
The Wallen district sits in the oldest part of the city. With more than 370 windows displaying scantily-clad women jeered by drunk tourists and photo-taking oglers who dehumanise them, the area, one of Amsterdam’s biggest tourist draws, is no longer fitting for a modern city, says Femke Halsema.
‘‘Too often now we see vulnerable foreign women behind windows being booed by hordes of drunken tourists,’’ Halsema said.
‘‘Our inner city is one of the oldest in Europe, with an enormous culture historical significance, which is obviously deteriorating. We would like tourists to see the cultural value.’’
While the city intends to keep prostitution above board and safe, the review of the district is part of a broader effort to spread visitors across the city, and owners of the window brothels are increasingly willing to consider it.
Halsema says redefining the red-light district will both decongest the central city and revive its historic zone.
Locals have expressed concerns about rising visitor numbers, pointing to the need to keep the city liveable. They recently got the mayor’s support to scrap a planned jetty that would have allowed commercial boats to moor in a canal a few metres from the famous Anne Frank house.
‘‘What’s of great importance to the city is that Amsterdam is a place where people live," the mayor said. ‘‘This is not a frozen tourist spot where life becomes difficult.
‘‘We need to think about what kind of tourists we want to attract, as we shouldn’t have any illusion that the number of tourists in the city will go down. It will keep on rising.’’
The other influx Halsema is preparing for is Brexit escapees from Britain, in a city already struggling with a severe shortage. While Amsterdam plans to build 52,500 houses for low- and middleincome families by 2025, the issue is going to remain one of its biggest challenges.
"Part of the city is becoming very rich, and housing prices are becoming very expensive as a consequence," said Halsema, a former Green Party leader in parliament.