Groene Hart


The Groene Hart is a relatively thinly populated area in the Dutch Randstad. The major Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht lie around this area. Cities inside the Groene Hart include Zoetermeer, Alphen aan den Rijn, Gouda, Woerden and the smaller cities of Schoonhoven, Oudewater, Haastrecht, Nieuwkoop, Montfoort, Waddinxveen, Bodegraven and Boskoop.
The Groene Hart is characterized by its rural character which contrasts the urban areas around it. Agriculture, nature and recreation are the primary activities in the Groene Hart. Residents and urban visitors can often find rest and many green spaces. Mills, dikes and Dutch cows are the primary landmarks of this lowland area. Because of the various separated cycle paths in the Groene Hart, the area can very well be explored by bike. The Groene Hart is of major importance to consolidate the number of Dutch meadow birds. The bird species black-tailed godwit, northern lapwing, and Eurasian oystercatcher can all be found in the area.

History

Since the Dutch Golden Age there has been a ring of cities surrounding a green and open central area. This area was given the nickname of "Groene Hart" by the middle of the twentieth century.
The Groene Hart developed in the area between the large cities in western Netherlands as an area of wet meadows and marshland. These wetlands were not suitable for building but instead were used for agriculture and peat production.

Geography

The Groene Hart is a water-rich area, with bodies of water such as Langeraarse Plassen, Nieuwkoopse plassen, Reeuwijkse plassen, the Kagerplassen and the Braassemermeer. In addition, rivers such as the Hollandse IJssel, the Oude Rijn, the Lek, the Vlist, the Loet, the Rotte, and the Meije run through the area.
One of the European footpaths runs through the area. In the Netherlands this is known as the Floris V-pad, part of the Dutch LAW 1-3 path. Also the Limes is one of the historical topics included in the Groene Hart.

Dutch government policy

A Dutch government policy was adopted in 2003 to preserve the Groene Hart. It allows for the larger cities on the edge of the Groene Hart to build limited amounts of housing. The government also limits the establishment of greenhouses and other types of commercial buildings within the area.
The upcoming plan for the development of the Groene Hart includes four areas: