Hart van Zuid, the area around the Zuidplein shopping centre and the Ahoy Arena, has all the qualities to become a fully-fledged centre of Rotterdam South. There are schools, shops, health care institutions, offices and a theatre. The many public transport services converging on Zuidplein bring visitors and passers-by flocking to the place in thousands. In spite of all that, Zuidplein lacks the aura of a centre as the existing amenities lack sufficient coherence.

A robust street layout is to establish the connection between the various programmes, the adjacent districts and the Zuiderpark. High-quality public space is to ensure a vibrant and inviting environment.

The relocation of the bus station and the extension of the Zuidplein shopping centre will be instrumental in making the latter more visible to its surroundings.

The Ahoy Arena will accommodate a convention centre – a crowd puller on a national scale – and be firmly embedded in Zuiderpark. In the most prominent place of the new street layout the new theatre will stand, the future beating heart of Rotterdam South.