The centuries-old Houten has different faces in terms of shops and restaurants: the charming old center, the small-scale Houten Castellum shopping center and the larger Het Rond. ‘A village character with urban allure, what more could you want than a stroll around?’ is the slogan of the latter. Het Rond was built in 1984 when Houten was designated as a growth center of Utrecht. “We have seen it being built up, but now we see it being taken down again,” says Ans, who has lived in Houten for about 25 years. “Someone else leaves every time. It’s not fun, it’s not pleasant anymore.” She herself lives in Houten Castellum. “It’s more alive there than here at Het Rond.”
Depopulation threatens Houten’s Het Rond shopping center: ‘We have seen the construction and now the demolition’
