The city of Assen must become a vibrant student city. That is one of the ambitions that the municipality of Assen presented today during the annual Promotion Days in Martiniplaza in Groningen. “That ambition has been there for a while, but as Assen we are far too modest in this regard,” says Asser councilor Martin Rasker (VVD).
The goal of becoming a vibrant student city comes from the ‘Asser Ambition Agenda’ of the Drenthe capital. That agenda also includes wishes regarding employment and housing construction after 2030. “We already have a housing deal with the government, I want something to add to that. If we get 5,000 jobs, we can also build 10,000 homes,” said councilor Cor Staal ( Christian Union) two weeks ago in the Radio Drenthe Program Cassata.
A large number of students must now be added. “But we will not become a second Groningen, that is too ambitious,” says Rasker. “There is a lot of connection between the two cities. Assen can mean something to many students in terms of housing, as a kind of overflow from Groningen. We also want to grow ourselves with many new courses. There is interest from educational institutions, but that has taken years. necessary.”
To attract those students to Assen, the city is not only aiming for an expansion of the educational offering, but also for a vibrant catering industry. “We are working on this, we have a beautiful square. The catering industry is developing at a growing pace, as a kind of flywheel that influences other parts. We are also thinking about expanding the opening hours,” Rasker explains.
According to the municipality, a future student campus could be located on the site of the Johan Willem Friso Barracks. The barracks site on the edge of the center will shrink in the coming years and a destination is still being sought for the buildings that the Ministry of Defense will no longer use.
It will take several years before students are strolling through the Asser city center, says Rasker. The city ambitions now presented should take shape over the next ten to fifteen years.
“Assen alone can go far, but we also need the government to make a financial contribution. We can relieve the Randstad and have space for homes and businesses, but that awareness must arise. The government as a whole must move to the North look and make plans for that,” Rasker concludes.
Watch the video to see how Assen presents itself at the Promotion Days in Groningen.