Residents of the Kleine Houtweg in Haarlem have submitted an alternative street design plan to the municipality, calling for the inclusion of a separate bicycle path. The group argues that the current municipal proposal lacks sufficient safety measures and urges the city council to revise the plan before approval.
The number of homes in the Netherlands valued at one million euros or more reached 273,000 in 2025. This marks a significant increase of nearly 50,000 homes compared to the previous year.
Knowledge organization Platform31 is advocating for factory-built homes as an affordable and rapid solution for starters in the housing market. The group suggests that allowing individuals to purchase these pre-fabricated houses themselves could significantly help address current housing shortages.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached its lowest level since 2019, according to a report by monitor MapBiomas. The country lost 985,000 hectares of native vegetation last year, marking a 20.6 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
Hundreds of residents in Haarlem and Amstelveen have faced persistent failures with their gas-free heat and cold storage (WKO) systems for years, leaving many without heating or cooling. The issues highlight a lack of oversight by the Netherlands' Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which currently lacks a public register to track such malfunctions effectively.
Starting June 1, 2026, special enforcement officers (BOAs) in the Netherlands will be authorized to reprimand minors or refer them to the Halt foundation for criminal offenses. This nationwide expansion of powers aims to ensure legal equality and a pedagogical approach to handling youth crime.