Places where students and staff feel welcome, can connect with each other, and can count on excellent educational and research facilities. ‘This Housing Plan aligns with how we study, collaborate and conduct research today: flexible, future-oriented and with attention paid to sustainability,’ says UvA vice-president Richard Goldstein. ‘By making smarter use of our buildings, we can invest in healthy, accessible and sustainable spaces that foster connection and collaboration within our community.’

Boost for the University Quarter

A key element of the new strategy is the further development of the University Quarter. The historic buildings BG5 and Oudemanhuispoort will receive new impetus in the coming years, enabling this unique part of the city to grow into a vibrant, recognisable urban campus where education, research, culture and social interaction converge. This will help ensure that the historic buildings remain a meaningful place for the UvA community and for Amsterdam.

These plans are feasible under several clear conditions, such as structuring projects more efficiently and reducing the size of our real estate portfolio and the number of available square metres. This will ensure that our housing remains affordable and future-proof, and that we can continue to invest in our students and staff, and the quality of our campuses.

Broad support

The new plan was developed in close collaboration with deans, business operations directors, the representative advisory bodies and the Supervisory Board. There is broad support for this approach, which creates space to make future-proof choices while also addressing differences between faculties and teams, ensuring solutions meet the needs of both staff and students.

Sale of former University Library

Now that the new University Library in the University Quarter is fully operational, the UvA is starting the sale process for the former library on the Singel. That building no longer meets our housing needs and is located outside any of our campuses. Goldstein: ‘We understand that buildings evoke special memories. That's precisely why we want to invest carefully in places where our community can thrive.’ The proceeds from the sale will be used to further develop and strengthen the city campuses.

The revisions to the Housing Plan will be elaborated further upon in the coming months as it goes through the approval and finalisation process.