De Uithof or Utrecht Science Park? The latter wins

Local party UtrechtNu! submitted a motion to the municipal council urging the official name of the university grounds to be changed back to "De Uithof". According to council member David Bosch, five years ago, the council was pressured to change the name to Utrecht Science Park due to lobbying from UU, the University Medical Centre, and the Utrecht Science Park Foundation. Besides, most people living in Utrecht still call it De Uithof anyway, he argued in a meeting held on Thursday, January 18. "Everybody says De Uithof, so what is this all about?"

The alderman, Antoinette Scheulderman, advised against the motion. In her view, such a decision would entail high costs. The replacement of road signs alone would cost at least 400,000 euros. Additionally, she argued that the new name has already been adopted for five years, so many people have gotten used to it.  

In the end, almost all factions voted against van Bosch's proposal. However, some council members indicated that their main reason for doing so were the costs of the change. It doesn't mean they like the name "Utrecht Science Park".

Council member Gert Dijkstra, from the party Een Utrecht, states that he "would like local voters to know" that he prefers the name De Uithof and it pains his heart to vote against the U-turn. Tess Meerding also declared she is "not a fan" of the name Utrecht Science Park, even though her party, VVD, voted in favour of the switch five years ago.

Rick van de Zweth, who represents PvdA (Labour Party, Ed.), concluded: "It should have remained De Uithof in the first place and that's how we all call it. That reassures me."