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The best known famous nightlife street

The Ruiterskwartier still has the layout of a busy traffic road that buses also have to cross. In the future, the street should project what it already is: Leeuwarden’s best known nightlife street. Besides many catering establishments, De Harmonie, pop stage Neushoorn and cinema Pathé also have a place there.

Many ideas have already come from De Harmony and from catering entrepreneurs on how to make the Ruiterskwartier more attractive. Not everything is possible, as it is certain that cyclists, ambulances and firefighters still need to be able to pass.

Renovation of De Harmonie

At the same time as the Ruiterskwartier, De Harmonie will also be redeveloped in 2026, possibly including an open-air stage. Along the water near the Harmonie, there will soon also be a place for a terrace and a better connection to the city canal. The quay is now a surfaced with cobblestones. This could be much greener and attractive, even if bicycles must continue to be able to pass in the future.

Buses returning temporarily

In 2025, buses will again run temporarily in the Ruiterskwartier. This will continue until the end of December 2025 at the latest. Buses normally run along Westersingel, but that will be redesigned in 2025 and the quay wall will also be reinforced. From January 2026, buses at Ruiterskwartier will definitely be a thing of the past.

Information evening and working group

There was a well-attended information evening at Neushoorn on 12 November 2024. After presentations on the redevelopment of the city centre and Ruiterskwartier, residents and business owners were able to ask questions about the plans for Ruiterskwartier and De Harmonie. There were also questions about the temporary return of the buses.

Residents could sign up for a working group in Neushoorn. They will be contributing ideas for a new design for the Ruiterskwartier. Catering entrepreneurs and De Harmonie and Neushoorn are also taking part in this, along with Binnenstadsmanagement and the neighbourhood panel.

What happens next?

From December 2025, the working group will start working with designers from the local authority. They will turn all the ideas into a design.

The working group aims to come up with a first draft in spring 2025. In the months leading up to 2026, there will be time to work on preparing the redevelopment.

Redevelopment of the Ruiterskwartier will start at the beginning of 2026

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