Amsterdam to “upgrade” Red Light district

The Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reports that city of Amsterdam is planning to drastically change the character of its famous Red Light district by upgrading the neighbourhood and banning window prostitution. Today Amsterdam’s Alderman for Finance Lodewijk Asscher will present the Coalition Project 1012, which he describes as a “large-scale and drastic change in function of the entrance to the capital city”.

The project will entail close co-operation between private enterprise, police, the tax authorities and the municipality in order to “spruce up” the city’s “dismal” red carpet. Mr Asscher said: “The days that riff-raff have been allowed to control the most beautiful section of the city’s historic centre are over.”

De Volkskrant writes that private investors will spend hundreds of million of euros to upgrade the neighbourhood. The number of window prostitutes and facilities for drug addicts will be reduced. In response to a question whether the neighbourhood will become boring, Mr Asscher said: “No, of course not. We’re choosing chique and louche. Exciting, but bona fide.”
- Source: Radio Netherlands, Dec. 17, 2007

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