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The Names on

Connor McMullen

January 2020

Den Haag is a sprawling city, one that has been reshaped continuously throughout history. Unlike other Dutch cities, Den Haag is no longer defined by canals. 

The streets of Den Haag define our city, they are part of our collective narrative. Each street has a name. Each one has a story.

the Corner

This is a massive project, complicated by language and obfuscated by the passage of time. To help understand this information in a new light, we apply the basics of graphic design, data visualizations and maps to give context to the tales our streets tell.

There are

Streets in The Hague.

2850

Each of these streets naturally needs a name. The one it receives depends on a number of factors. When the street was built, and what the city looked like way back whenever, how many other streets were being named, and even personality of the people in charge of naming then. 

Sometimes the streets are not named, but are re-named as a sign of the times. But more often than not, they keep the names they are originally given, even if there are have not been brewers working on Browersgracht for centuries. In this way street names become an unofficial reflection of city's history, celebrating heroes and places of an era.

Times change. Often street names don't. The shifting face of The Hague, and the growing understand of the context of past choices, may shine a different light on the legacies behind these names. 

This site is not about changing these names (save one). Rather, it serves a platform for engaging with these legacies, the stories of the names on our streets. It is up to you to decide how you want to see them, and what, if anything, should be done to change the collective story our city whispers to the world.

Sections

History's Fingerprints

Honored Persons

-The Brave

Typically Dutch

The Mundane

-The Talented

-The Few

A Royal City

-A Global Legacy

My Mission. Yours?

How This Was Made

History's Fingerprints

Like many cities, the center of The Hague is dominated by historical names. It was a practical time, when you went to the fish market on  Vijsmarkt  and beer at the Brouwersgracht . Many of these ancient names remain, a reminder of what life in Den Haag used to look like. 

285

In the Hague there are about

historic street names.

A Royal City

The Netherlands may not come to mind when ones thinks of monarchies, but the Royal Family do make their home in the city. The story of the Dutch Stadtholders, and later Kings and Queens, is one the streets tell well. From first ruler to most recent with each ruler in between getting at least one street in their honor.

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Royal Family

names grace

streets in the city.

Highlight the roads named after Royalty.

Highlight location of the palaces, etc.

Tell the story of the Royal Waiting Room?

Typically Dutch

There are probably lots of places with flowers as street names, but only in the Netherlands can it feel so natural.

Honored Persons

The Netherlands may not come to mind when ones thinks of monarchies, but the Royal Family do make their home in the city. The story of the Dutch Stadtholders, and later Kings and Queens, is one the streets tell well. From first ruler to most recent with each ruler in between getting at least one street in their honor.

Men

Women

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