Researchers see Utrecht leading cities in Western Europe

UTRECHT – Being centrally located in the Netherlands and relatively short distances away from Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Den Bosch and Arnhem, has given the oldest of these, Utrecht, advantages on which it only now is cashing in. Researchers have projected Utrecht’s rate of growth till 2012 at three percent per year, the best of all cities in Western Europe and slightly ahead of Amsterdam. Researchers anticipate a rate of growth for The Hague and Rotterdam of 1.5 percent over that period. A negative factor for The Hague is its dependency on the public sector. Rotterdam depends too much on its port. On the other hand, Utrecht benefits from its location and a significant service industry. The city is one of the oldest in the country and has played a crucial role in medieval Dutch history when it was the seat of the Diocese where the bishop also played an extra-regional political role.