On November 3, Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-Cheng welcomed Mayor Marianne Schuurmans-Wijdeven of Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, along with Representative Bas Pulles of the Netherlands Office Taipei. The visit focused on strengthening ties between the two cities, with discussions centering on airport-centric urban development and disaster preparedness strategies.
Mayor Chang highlighted that Taoyuan International Airport serves as Taiwan’s primary aviation hub, handling both international passenger and cargo traffic. He emphasized that the airport also plays a critical role in driving regional economic growth and industrial upgrading. The city is currently pushing forward the Taoyuan Aerotropolis Project, which seeks to integrate land use, industrial clusters, and transportation networks around the airport. The goal is to build a world-class model for aviation and urban development. Mayor Chang expressed optimism that Taoyuan’s cityscape will be transformed within the next five to ten years.
He further noted that both Taoyuan and Haarlemmermeer are home to major international airports, making them natural partners for knowledge exchange. He believes the two cities have much to learn from each other in areas such as airport operations, smart mobility solutions, and urban planning. In response to Mayor Schuurmans-Wijdeven’s inquiry about disaster governance, Mayor Chang stressed the importance of having pre-designed response protocols in place. He explained that Taoyuan follows standard operating procedures (SOPs) to handle emergencies, activating an appropriate-level emergency operations center depending on the severity of the disaster. This ensures coordinated action across districts and facilitates real-time crisis management.