opleverd

Opleverd is a fictional municipality commonly used in Dutch-language textbooks and planning simulations to illustrate local governance, urban development, and public finance. It does not correspond to any real city or town, and its features are deliberately generic to fit a range of case studies.

The name Opleverd is treated as a placename in these materials, with the etymology traced to ordinary Dutch roots meaning roughly “delivered” or “completed,” though no specific historical origin is assigned to the fictional locale.

Geography and demographics: Opleverd is described as a medium-sized municipality located in a river delta region. It contains a compact urban center of around 12,000 residents, surrounded by agricultural land, canals, and small woodlands. The total population is commonly cited at about 25,000, with a mix of single-family housing, apartments, and rural housing. The economy is depicted as diverse, with agriculture, light manufacturing, retail, and public services.

Governance: In illustrative materials, Opleverd has a democratically elected municipal council and a serving mayor. It models typical Dutch governance structures, including budgeting, zoning, public works, and social services. Case studies may explore municipal mergers, taxation, and inter-municipal cooperation.

History and use: Since the late 20th century, Opleverd has appeared in textbooks and software simulations to test policy options on housing supply, environmental planning, and regional cooperation.

See also: Municipalities of the Netherlands; Urban planning case studies.