Recall that more than 14 percent of the Dutch population lives within the Metropoolregio Amsterdam. That is around 2.5 million people. This region is not just a collection of houses and streets. It is the most robust economic area in the Netherlands. It also performs well on the international stage.
The Metropoolregio Amsterdam is more than just a name. It represents a collaboration. Thirty municipalities work together here. The provinces of North Holland and Flevoland are also part of this team. The Transport Authority Amsterdam completes it. They all share a vision. They strive for a strong innovative economy. They want faster connections. Sufficient and attractive space for living is a goal too.
Consider what makes this region special. It has talented and entrepreneurial people. A wide variety of business activities thrive here. Good infrastructure connects everything by land air and water. Excellent digital connectivity is a given. You find a broad palette of living and working environments. These range from historical cities to garden suburbs and new towns. The metropolitan landscape is varied and spectacular. It includes sea dunes peat meadows and the freshwater lake of IJmeer-Markermeer. The City of Amsterdam exerts a magnetic pull here.
The Metropoolregio Amsterdam strives to be internationally competitive. It wants compact cities. Its landscape should attract day-trippers and holidaymakers. A perfectly functioning infrastructural network is essential. It interconnects the residential cores. It connects them with the countryside and the rest of the world.
The Metropoolregio Amsterdam consists of 32 different authorities. These are divided over seven sub-regions. These sub-regions are Amsterdam Amstelland-Meerlanden and Zaanstreek-Waterland. Also Almere-Lelystad Zuid-Kennemerland Gooi en Vechtstreek and IJmond belong to them. In reality this region functions as a single city. It has a population of 2.5 million inhabitants 300000 businesses and 1.5 million jobs.
A region that ranks among the international top class is strongly connected with the rest of the world. Schiphol Airport and the ports play a significant role. Even more important are those who live and work in the MRA. The population comprises more than 180 nationalities. It has a strong international orientation.
The MRA spans the daily urban system of Amsterdam. This is roughly the area within which most daily commutes take place. Within this region there are mutual dependencies. Accessibility job market and housing market are such dependencies. The actions of one municipality impact the other municipalities.
Many challenges facing the Metropoolregio Amsterdam require a regional approach. It is only together that we can overcome them. Our history has taught us that the success of the region has always been the result of interaction between various cores. To this very day the international success of Amsterdam impacts the region.
The various authorities in the MRA collaborate based on the MRA Agenda. The 2020-2024 agenda aims to strengthen the international position of the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam. This should be a top economic region with a high quality of life.