“This is nonsense in a natural park.”

Due to the expansion of the sports park, more IJburgers will be able to exercise in their neighborhood. Councilor Sufyan Al-Mubaraki (Sports): “Sports and exercise in your neighborhood are very important for our city. There is currently not enough space for this in IJburg. Next to the fields, the number of parking spaces will be doubled to ninety and space will be allocated for a Kiss & Ride venue. For this reason, Jan Beijerpad must be transferred.

resistance

The football club AFC IJburg and the hockey club AHC IJburg will be able to offer membership to more people by expanding their clubs. Four fields were needed to completely resolve the waiting lists, but this turned out to be financially unfeasible. Moreover, there also seems to be resistance among residents and friends of Demirpark.

Diemerpark is the park with the most biodiversity in Amsterdam. According to the Friends of Diemerpark, the expansion of the sports park will cause increased car traffic, which in turn will lead to unsafe parking for bicycles and hinder biodiversity.

According to the municipality, the “balance between nature and recreation” has been taken into account. There will be more green plantings, paths and roads. In addition, the Kiss & Ride system should ensure that the inconvenience caused by cars is minimized.

Prefer more fields

The football club AFC IJburg and the hockey club AHC IJburg expressed a positive stance on the decision and the clarity that has now emerged. The president of the AHC IJburg hockey club, Meindert Jansberg, calls it an important decision. “We are very happy. It is a controversial decision after years of discussion, but we are very relieved that there is now more room for movement for IJburg residents.”

AFC IJburg president Fedor Swart was also positive. “It will take some time, so for now we still have to give up space, but it's great to now have a perspective for the kids of IJburg.”

According to Gansberg, many conflicting interests come together in the park. “We did our best to listen to all objections as best as we could. We would have preferred more areas, but I think this is a good compromise.”

Getting ahead of the facts

Kees Lackerfeld, president of the Friends of Demerpark, described it as “very strange.” “We do not understand how the councilor can pretend that everything has already been done, when so much remains to be decided.” Lackerfeld points to the referendum in which Amsterdam could vote on the city's green plans on June 6 this year. This so-called “key green structure” determines where construction is and is not permitted.

According to Lackerfeld, Mubaraki is thus ahead of the decision-making process. However, the municipality says it will take the main green structure into account in its plans. I have sought advice from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). This concluded that the plans were implementable.

“IJburg isn't very green already.”

However, Lackerfeld believes there is no middle ground. “It's not good, it's not good. We will resist it to the utmost. IJburg already has little green space: build sports fields on the new islands, for example Beach Island. It is nonsense to do it here in a natural park.”

A council spokesman says the park's environmental properties are already being enhanced. “The municipality is of course committed to this as well. Diemerpark already has the most biodiversity of all the city parks. For Amsterdammers, especially children, exercise is also very important, it's a balance.”

Construction of the sports stadiums is scheduled to begin in 2025 and end at the end of 2028.

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