| • Story of A&W social sofa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • The Hague invests in green roofs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • School playground Atjehstraat | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Pear trees in Balistraat | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Recyling containers Patijnlaan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Accident amongst household rubbish | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Resurfacing Mallemolen complete | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Schuddegeest gets a sculpture | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • First replacement tree in Soendastraat | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Trees missing in the Archipelbuurt | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • At last repairs to Curaçaostraat | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Poplar felled by strong winds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Extreme makeover in Archipelbuurt | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • More pavement terraces in Frederikstraat | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Nieuwe Stad Prijs 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Asset or Eyesore? | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Stad Prijs 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Symbolic handing over of social sofa to community The present location of our social sofa is not ideal, so it has been agreed that a more suitable spot will be found once the remodeling of the broad section of Bankstraat has taken place. In the meantime we can all still get a lot of pleasure from it; perhaps even enjoy a few rays of sunshine as well. The mosaic decoration on the sofa reflects the link between the former Dutch East Indies and the street names in Archipelbuurt. The symbolic handing over to the community takes place on Saturday 14 November at 15.30 next to Café Banka. Five minutes of fame - our Social Sofa volunteers in the limelightt Thanks to The Hague EXpats TV, the labour of love to create our beautiful Social Sofa has been captured on film for posterity. Even as the sofa was being worked on it was fulfilling its function: bringing people together.
Australian Lisa, who arrived in the Archipelbuurt just nine months ago, and Jennifer from the UK have certainly made a few more friends in the neighbourhood and have been able to practice their Dutch. We owe all of these volunteers a huge vote of gratitude for their wonderful work. It will be a joy to behold for many years to come!
The work is finished 26 October 2009 - Sofa is transported to Bankastraat where it replaces the wooden bench next to Cafe Banka. 22 October 2009 - It took 17 days of hard work by a group of dedicated volunteers, but wasn't it worth it!
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
The Hague Invests in "green roofs" 14 May 2009 – From 1 June individuals and small businesses in The Hague can apply for a subsidy to install a “green roof”. The Municipality of The Hague is to invest €700,000 in the next two years in subsidies for green roofs in the city. A green roof is a flat or slightly sloping roof on which plants and even trees can be planted, and has many environmental advantages. Property owners are eligible for a subsidy of €25 per square metre of “green” roof up to a maximum amount of €20,000. The initiative continues till 1 September 2010 as long as stocks last.
The green roofs will contribute in all sorts of ways to a better city environment. For example cutting down on airborne particulate matter and noise as well as taking the pressure off the drainage and sewerage system because the roofs absorb rainwater. In the summer they have a cooling and insulating effect on city and homes alike. And … they help prolong the life of the roof and give us a greener world. Conditions The minimum roof area is 6 square metres. The installation must be carried by a professional firm and comply with building regulations. Maximum subsidy per applicant is €20,000; the equivalent to an 800-square-metre green roof. Owners of properties with larger roofs can apply to the existing grant scheme for sustainable building. An application form and details of the conditions is available from 1 June at district council offices and from www.denhaag.nl/groenedaken and www.denhaag.com |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
School playground safe once more
The schoolchildren, a nursery group and the after-school child-care centre use whole area intensively. And of course it is a favourite spot for local children. The boundary fencing was replaced a few months ago, which makes everything much safer, too. One thing that could be improved however is the problem of litter. For some inconsiderate members of the public it seems the waste bins remain invisible … and letting dogs do their business in a playground is not very hygienic either. But at least the danger of children being knocked down has been resolved. EPB, 25 May 2009
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
11 April 2009 – Once again we can marvel at the amazing show of blossom put on by the flowering pear trees in Balistraat.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Recycling containers Burgemeester Patijnlaan 11 December 2008 – Pledge for facelift received The recycling containers on Burgemeester Patijnlaan will get a facelift in the new year. They will be repainted and the rubber seals will be replaced. New logos and signs will also be added. Unfortunately replacement of the old containers with new ones is not possible at the moment. This will be done in several separate phases but the exact schedule is not yet available. 3 December 2008 – Letter from A&W to the council’s Centrum district office There are 6 containers located on the pavement on Patijnlaan: 2 new ones for textiles and 4 old ones, 2 for waste paper and 2 for glass. The containers for paper and glass arrived here The old containers are now in need of replacement; the rubber seals on the containers for recyling glass are split or have (on the side facing the ditch) completely disappeared. Signs indicating the colour of the glass are also missing; all together a dirty, sorry mess. The pavement under and around the containers is filthy too; in spite of Couperusduin residents doing their best to clear up the worst of the litter (mostly other people’s). Is it Patijnlaan’s turn for underground recyling containers? We have urged for this but in vain. Anyway a thorough facelift is certainly long overdue. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
On Friday 22 August a pile of uncollected bags of household rubbish remained on the corner of Javastraat/Surinamestraat. During the weekend the bags fell victim to birds and dogs; the contents spilling out onto the pavement and street.
25 August 2008 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Mallemolen ready for Queen's Day
Photo: Karen Kommer The Mallemolen's makeover is finished, the new paving has transformed the street into an attractive esplanade. Removal of the paved sidewalk makes the street appear broader and allows the terraces to show to full advantage. Trees and attractive plant containers complete the picture. The street is a pedestrian area so no more cars or bicycles to disturb the diners. In short, the Mallemolen is ready for the summer, and for Queen’s Night/Day of course!
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Dec 2007 – The messy entrance area to the hofjes Schuddegeest and Mallemolen was recently repaved and transformed into a pleasant courtyard in which three trees will soon be planted. To complete the metamorphosis a sculpture by The Hague artist Loek Bos is also to be installed.
Alderman Bert van Alphen and sculptor Loek Bos QvH |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
First replacement tree in Soendastraat
Workmen dug a huge hole in the ground (at the request of the council) in preparation for replanting - in front of the home of the Toetenel family - in Soendastraat at the spot where the missing tree had once stood. Unfortunately they managed to severe a telephone cable in the process. “Is your telephone working, madam?” Apparently it wasn’t: although the line wasn’t actually “dead”. It wasn’t possible to e-mail either. A KPN van arrived an hour later. Plenty still to do! Jacqueline de Vreese, 17 Dec 2007
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| At last repairs to Curaçaostraat
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Poplar on Patijnlaan felled by the strong wind
24 July 2007 – A night of torrential rain was followed by extremely strong winds. Many trees now in full leaf didn’t stand a chance. There were a number of casualties including some along Ary van der Spuyweg and Kerkhoflaan.
At 8.45 a.m. the alarm was sounded: a large twin-trunked poplar in front of the Couperusduin apartment block had fallen foul of the wind. First one half hit a lamppost and the recyling containers blocking Burg. Patijnlaan and then a little later the other trunk followed. Luckily no cars or pedestrians were around at the time. The traffic that no longer can use the Mauritskade route which is closed must now find another detour. An impressive clearance operation was quickly mobilized with plenty of onlookers. The poplar grew at the edge of the water that flows in front of the apartment building and probably sprouted from a seedling that took root there some thirty to forty years ago. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Extreme makeover in Archipelbuurt
Did you see the 'Before' and 'After' photos of Nassauplein? What a difference! The clean-up job is thanks to Bboz - Buurtbeheer en Ontwikkeling Zeeheldenkwartier (Zeehelden district maintenance and development trust). This trust, set up in 1996 to manage and maintain public facilities and open spaces in the Zeehelden district through the development and implementation of projects intended to safeguard the unique character and quality of life there, has recently been working in the Archipelbuurt too. Bboz employees keep the area around the recycling containers tidy - not any easy task as the photos prove! - and also go into action with their Poepzuiger (vacuum cleaner specially for dealing with dog excrement) to clear up any ‘hotspot’ in our neighbourhood. Bboz provides employment and training for the long-term unemployed and people with a physical handicap sustained in the workplace. While those sentenced to community service or suffering from drug addiction are given the opportunity to do something useful with their time. In order to get these people ‘back on the rails’ it is important that they have regular and meaningful employment, carefully supervised of course by Bboz staff. In a couple of months the work done by Bboz in our neighbourhood will be evaluated, after which a decision will be made on how their duties in the Archipelbuurt can be expanded upon. In the meantime, we are extremely grateful to Bboz, and in particular to contact person Leo Hofman, for the fantastic work (and extreme makeovers!) done in our district so far! Communication with Bboz goes via the Archipel/Willemspark Residents Association’s working party Public Space so if you have any suggestions or questions contact dorien@archipelbuurt.nl Dorien de Buck, March 2007 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| More pavement terraces in Frederikstraat
13 February 2007 - The city council decided today that the pilot scheme involving the use of parking bays on Frederikstraat as pavement terraces outside restaurants is to be extended. This follow-up scheme will involve an additional three terraces, making a total of six, and last one year. The council believes that the terraces stimulate business and enliven the inner city. Following the example in Denneweg, the Frederikstraat pilot scheme was introduced last year. After the terraces were dismantled on 1 November 2006, the ‘season’ was evaluated by the council, residents and restaurant owners. The reactions were in the main positive. The council received no complaints about excessive noise and there have been no indications of any increase in problems concerning loading and unloading, traffic congestion, danger caused by traffic or lack of parking. The scheme has been a resounding success for the restaurants involved and three more have now registered interest. Considering the positive feedback to the 2006 pilot scheme, there have been no objections to the council’s intention to extend the scheme for one year and to increase the number of terraces. However there is a case, just as in Denneweg, for setting a limit to the number of terraces in order to prevent parking problems arising. Source: www.denhaag.nl |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
The Hague Municipal Council, Department of Urban Development Tuesday 4 December 2007 New landmark for The Hague - “Strijkijzer” wins the Nieuwe Stad Prijs 2007
The winner in the small projects category is Hotel Transvaal. This unique project particularly impressed the Jury because it stands as an icon in the regeneration process of a rundown inner-city neighbourhood. The public chose the Esmoreitplein project as the winner of the publieksprijs. Acting chairperson standing in for Marnix Norder, Is van Woerden, presented the prizes today in the Nutshuis itself a winner of the publieksprijs in 2005. www.denhaag.nl/nieuwestadprijs
De Monchy Plaza voted 2nd in ‘Publieksprijs’ 25 Nov – Of the 608 votes cast in the ‘Publieksprijs’ section of the Urban Renewal Prize awarded annually by The Hague Council, 157 went to the De Monchy Plaza. This put the Monchy Plaza second behind the Health Centre – PiusX-kerk with 185 votes in first place. The winner of the 9th Urban Renewal Award 2004 (Nieuwe Stadprijs) chosen by the council’s jury was the Housing Development in the Spoorwijk on Hildebrandstraat. The Sculpture Terrace of the Beelden aan Zee museum won the prize for small projects.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Asset or Eyesore? Of course it is very nice having a supermarket 'on the doorstep' but over a period of time the activities inside and outside Albert Heijn are beginning to encroach on the neighbourhood. Not only aesthetically but also physically - the area immediately outside has become messy and unsightly but also terribly congested.
Apart from this, as can be seen in the lower photo, AH's delivery trucks seem to be damaging the pavement and curbing stones too. Surely there is another way of doing things which makes shopping more of a pleasure rather than a combat course! LFN Oct 2006 Since posting this piece, we are glad to report that things do seem to have improved somewhat . |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Advantages
Two zigzag barriers were installed to prevent cyclists entering to Archipel School playground from Atjehstraat and Sumatrastraat In mid-May. Hopefully this measure will also discourage the youngsters who previously regularly drove onto the playground on their motor scooters and mopeds to play football. 
According to Bas Steenks, coordinator of The Hague’s very own Nature Conservation Society AVN, the specimens in this tree stand vary in age but most are still pretty vigorous and with the right care will go on for a good while yet. It is an almost unique example of prime urban greenery. Well worth preserving such a beautiful street scene and replacing failing trees with the same species when the time comes. 
years ago after several re-locations in the neighbourhood. All were objected to but at least here there is plenty of space on the pavement and they can be emptied into the lorry without any problems. The A&W Residents Association approved this location and Couperusduin residents were assured that an attentive eye would be kept open for any problems. 
Resurfacing of Mallemolen has begun
1 February 2008
Three lorries from the firm “Jan Knijnenburg” made a lightning visit to the Archipelbuurt today.
Nov 2007 – For more than 30 years now Curaçaostraat has been used as a public thoroughfare. And for a great many of those years Barbara Michielsen from Laan Copes has lobbied for improvements to be made to the street. Curaçaostraat backs onto her garden and provides her with access to her backgate. The council has finally decided to renovate the street. This major repair programme began in the autumn of 2007. It involves the installation of a drainage system running centrally along the street with a drain cover every 40 metres, the levelling of the road surface and the repaving of the street with the original “klinkers”. This will solve the flooding problem, considerably enhance the attractiveness of the street and make it less hazardous.
De new apartment tower block colloquially known as the Strijkijzer (reminiscent of New York's Flatiron building) on Rijswijkseplein, is de winner of the Nieuwe Stad Prijs 2007. According to the jury the Strijkijzer will become a 
These photos were taken during a relatively quiet period of the day but during the busier times you're lucky if you can even walk on the pavement anymore along Bankastraat. Albert Heijn and its customers alike seem to give no thought to where they park their respective property, be it the delivery racks and rubbish container or the bikes, brommers or cargobikes (bakfietsen).