Get digital infrastructure right first, then build new cities

The hard reality: capacity shortages are already here

The Netherlands faces an enormous spatial development challenge. New residential areas, new business districts, possibly even entirely new cities. The ambition is understandable: resolve the housing shortage, facilitate economic growth and create space for innovation. But a fundamental question underlies these plans: what is the point of building new cities if existing cities and business districts are lagging behind digitally and energetically? Without sufficient power and internet capacity, we are not building a future: we are building problems.

Large parts of the Netherlands are already dealing with grid congestion. New connections for businesses are under pressure or being delayed. This is not a theoretical risk, but daily reality. At the same time, dependence on digital infrastructure is growing explosively: AI applications, cloud platforms, smart industry, IoT systems, smart buildings, data-driven logistics. Without sufficient power and stable, scalable internet connections, a modern business simply cannot function. Why would we develop new cities when existing economic zones cannot even operate at full capacity?

Buildings have become smart assets

Modern buildings are no longer passive objects. They function as digital hubs: intelligent climate systems, access control, energy management, charging infrastructure, security systems, data analytics. All these systems depend on reliable IT facilities and sufficient electricity. A new business park without guaranteed digital capacity is like a port without a water connection.

Modernise first, then expand

The government rightly has ambitions in housing construction and economic growth. But future-proof spatial development demands a different sequence: modernise existing cities and business districts, structurally resolve grid congestion, strengthen digital infrastructure in the existing property stock, make digital quality measurable and transparent, and only then build at scale.

The risk of the reversed order is clear: new areas receive priority in infrastructure investment, existing areas lose competitiveness, property loses value and businesses leave. That is capital destruction.

The investment climate is under pressure

The Netherlands positions itself as an innovation country and digital gateway for Europe. But businesses that depend on AI, data and high-performance computing have strict requirements: guaranteed bandwidth, redundant connections, stable power supply, scalability. When existing locations cannot provide that certainty, there is a real risk that businesses will relocate to other regions or even other countries. Digital infrastructure is not a luxury: it is a prerequisite for economic growth.

IT labels as a policy instrument

Here lies a concrete opportunity for government: the structural introduction and promotion of IT labels. An IT label reveals how future-proof a building is, what its digital capacity is, whether a property is AI-proof and what risks it carries. For government, this offers data-driven insight into the digital readiness of regions, a tool for targeted subsidy allocation and a benchmark for economic resilience. For property owners, it provides transparency, value protection and competitive advantage. And for the investment climate: reliability, attractiveness and international positioning.

The strategic choice

Building new cities without first resolving digital and energy bottlenecks is building on a weak foundation. AI is increasing pressure on both electricity grids and data networks. Businesses are becoming ever more dependent on technology. Buildings must be able to support this reality. The real question for policymakers is: do we invest first in expansion, or first in strengthening? Those who invest in strengthening existing cities and business districts protect property values, strengthen regional economies, increase productivity and keep businesses in the Netherlands.

Conclusion

Spatial planning in the 21st century is not just about square metres and infrastructure in asphalt and concrete. It is about digital infrastructure. Without sufficient power and internet capacity, every new city is merely a paper ambition. Existing areas must become AI-proof first. Digital capacity must be in order first. Only then will we know how truly future-proof our buildings are. IT labels can play a crucial role in this, not as an administrative burden, but as a strategic instrument for economic stability, property value and a strong investment climate. The future is not built with concrete alone. It is built with capacity.