Social Innovation Social innovation in Rotterdam means that the inhabitants participate in what happens in their neighbourhood. Cooperation between the city council, social agencies and education is aimed at offering people, both young and old, some perspective. Thus creativity may receive an extra impulse. Opzoomeren' Active local residents cooperate in order to improve 'their neighbourhood'. These improvements concern, for instance, the placing of street lighting, the layout of public gardens and solving parking problems.
Many hands make light work, and therefore everybody helps to brighten up the neighbourhood.
The word 'opzoomeren' is derived from the Opzoomerstraat in Rotterdam, where local residents took the initiative to improve their street and make it a better place to live in. Religion Traditionally, Dutch society is Christian. Of the people who are registered as church members, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half are Protestant. Also, the Jewish faith has been well represented for centuries. There are an increasing number of people who are Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist or who belong to another religion.