Neighborhood in Bleiswijk to be denied Arabic street names following objections from local residents
A new residential neighborhood in Bleiswijk, South Holland, will no longer receive the Arabic-inspired street names originally proposed by the municipality of Lansingerland.
The municipality had planned to name the streets Wadi Musa, Wadi Damm, Wadi Rum, Wadi Shab, Wadi Draa, and Wadi Mansour. The names were chosen because several wadis—water-management areas designed to collect and gradually absorb rainwater—are being constructed in the development.
The term "wadi" originates from Arabic and means riverbed. The proposed street names were inspired by real wadis located in countries across the Middle East.
However, the plans sparked strong opposition from local residents. Dozens of people submitted formal objections, arguing that the names had little connection to Bleiswijk and were not suitable for the area.
Following the complaints, Lansingerland decided to withdraw the proposed names. The municipality announced a new set of street names based on the local history of the Lange Vaart area.
The replacement names are Kolenschuitpad (Coal Barge Path), Westlanderstraat (Westlander Street), Praamplantsoen (Flatboat Park), Trekschuit (Towboat), Veilingschuit (Auction Barge), and Tuindersvlet (Gardener’s Sloop), reflecting the region’s historical ties to transport and horticulture.