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.
Authorities in the Amsterdam-Oost district are implementing stricter enforcement against business owners who dispose of commercial waste in household containers, leading to littered shopping streets. District administrator Jan-Bert Vroege announced upcoming inspections to ensure businesses have private waste collection contracts, while some entrepreneurs have proposed a centralized municipal service as a cleaner alternative.
Pickleball is gaining popularity in Haarlem and across the Netherlands as an accessible alternative to tennis and padel. Bernadette Snijders Blok, chairperson of Pickleball Holland, notes that the sport's light equipment makes it particularly suitable for individuals with mobility impairments. This low-threshold activity provides a rare opportunity for this group to stay active and improve their reflexes.
Several football clubs are entering promotion and relegation play-offs as the regular season comes to an end. While many players have already begun their summer break, these regional teams must continue competing to determine their league standing for the next season.
PWN is set to reactivate its historic drinking water purification site in Overveen within a few years to address stagnating water conservation trends. The facility, which originally opened in 1898 to serve Haarlem and nearby areas, will transition from exclusively using dune water to incorporating multiple water sources.
In 2025, Dutch municipalities issued approximately 3,000 permits for temporary housing, which is a 50% decrease compared to the previous year. According to statistics bureau CBS, this decline comes despite the intended role of such housing in alleviating the ongoing national housing shortage.