Residents, business owners and other local stakeholders are helping shape new plans for Hobbemaplein, as The Hague municipality begins a fresh approach to redesigning the busy square near the Haagse Markt.
At meetings on 29 October and 3 November at community centre De Mussen, participants shared their experiences and concerns with the municipal project team and mobility alderman Adeel Mahmood. No new design has been drawn up yet: the municipality says it wants to understand local priorities before making decisions.
Safety, access and local businesses
Discussions focused on four themes: safety and accessibility, housing and public space, the market and local businesses, and opportunities for people to meet in the neighbourhood. Participants reviewed findings from earlier consultations and added their own perspectives.
The municipality says it has already held more than 700 conversations on the street, consulted entrepreneurs and collected responses through online questionnaires. Road safety emerged as a recurring concern, alongside the need to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and to listen carefully to residents and traders.
Access to surrounding neighbourhoods and the Haagse Markt, an important economic centre for the area, must be maintained. Existing traffic directions will remain unchanged.
Mahmood said the process begins with listening carefully, including to critical questions and competing wishes. He emphasised the importance of Hobbemaplein to people who live, work and shop in the area.
What happens next?
The two meetings mark the end of the first consultation phase. The municipality will now bring together the feedback before discussing the choices, competing interests and potential consequences with those involved. This will inform an initial design, which residents will have another opportunity to comment on.
The redevelopment aims to make Hobbemaplein safer, more pleasant and more accessible while retaining its role as a shopping and business area. The municipal council has allocated more than €8.5 million to the project.
For project information and opportunities to participate, visit the municipality’s Hobbemaplein project page.
Photo: Stakeholders discuss the future of Hobbemaplein at community centre De Mussen. Image supplied by Gemeente Den Haag