Amsterdam seeks new location for red light district

Amsterdam's famous red-light district De Wallen could be moved to a new location, further away from the centre, and be operational from 2031.

Amsterdam has found a potential location for the relocation of its red light district, De Wallen, in the south of the capital. Europaboulevard is one of three areas being considered for a new “adult center”, which will house around 100 rooms for prostitutes. The advantage of this area is that it is not located in a residential area, and is easily accessible by both public transport and private vehicles.

Femke Halsema, the city’s mayor, said the Europaboulevard was the perfect location for the new red light district. Since taking office in 2018, Halsema has been working to move the district to a new location. The new district will include a space for Amsterdam’s LGBTQ+ community and areas for cultural events focused on eroticism and feminism.

A corner of De Wallen area. Photo: Amsterdam

The relocation of the red-light district has caused mixed reactions. Sex workers have objected due to safety concerns and lack of customers, while residents in the new location are not happy with the appearance of the red-light district. The relocation plan will be discussed by the city council next month. If approved, the new red-light district could be operational by 2031.

De Wallen has about 250 licensed "pick-up windows," with 100 expected to be relocated once the city makes the decision. One of the reasons for the relocation is to help sex workers avoid the constant ridicule and harassment from tourists .

Mayor Halsema wants to protect De Wallen from the prying eyes of tourists. In 2019, she proposed a number of changes, including closing brothels with glass windows, reducing the number of brothel licenses, requiring customers to pay just to enter the street, and moving the street to a location farther from the center.

In 2021, when Amsterdam’s city council voted to move De Wallen to the suburbs or a nearby town, Red Light United, a union representing hundreds of legal sex workers working in brothels in De Wallen, opposed the move. They believed it would cost the city money and not help ensure the livelihoods of legal workers. The new location, far from the center, also made many people worry that the street would be less crowded.

Hoai Anh (According to Time Out

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