Buurt

Buurt is a Dutch term used to describe a neighborhood or local community within a municipality. It denotes a relatively small, coherent part of a town or city, often defined for administrative, statistical, or organizational purposes. In Dutch planning practice buurten are typically smaller than wijken, and two or more buurten can be grouped into a wijk. Municipalities and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) use buurten as units for data collection and policy planning, including population, age structure, housing, and socio-economic indicators. Boundaries may reflect social and geographic continuity and can change over time as urban development occurs.

Local life in a buurt centers on everyday facilities and social networks: schools, shops, public transport access, green spaces, and community centers. Residents often organize through buurtverenigingen or buurtcomités to address safety, housing, maintenance, and local events. Government programs may target buurten with specific policies, such as neighborhood regeneration, youth services, or elderly care, sometimes via a buurtteam or similar neighborhood-focused teams.

In common language, 'in de buurt' simply means nearby. The concept of the buurt also exists in other Dutch-speaking contexts, such as Belgium, where local divisions are used similarly for planning and community life, though terminology can vary by municipality. Overall, buurten function as fundamental building blocks of urban organization, enabling localized governance, data collection, and community identity within larger municipalities.