STIP, an acronym for "Studenten Techniek In Politiek" ("Students of Technology In Politics"), is a local political party in Delft. Founded in 1993, STIP is entirely run by students, most of them studying at Delft University of Technology. At the moment, STIP has three seats in the city council of Delft, and one deputy mayor.

Although STIP is a party run by students, it is definitely not a one-issue party. STIP is a party for all inhabitants of Delft, and very much "a young view at an old city".

What does STIP want?

Our most important political points are:

• More student housing in Delft, so that every student who wants to live in Delft has the possibility to do so. Thanks to STIP, it is now city policy to create 3,600 new student houses before 2016. As more international students come to Delft, the demand for affordable housing increases. We pursue this issue in the city council, so that all (international) students can live appropriately.
• A more diverse housing market in Delft, so that also the growing number of expats can live in Delft.
• Strengthen Delft as Centre of Technology, by developing concepts like Technopolis, YES!Delft (initiated by STIP) and Bacinol.
• Improve contacts between the city of Delft and the student community in order to create internships for students in Delft.
• Boost cultural life in Delft by investing more money, improving co-operation between cultural institutions and giving citizens the possibility to start their own cultural projects
• Improve government services, by offering more services online and in multiple languages. Thanks to STIP, Delft is the first bilingual city in the Netherlands!
• End tax discrimination for internationals.

Besides our pro-active stance on many subjects, we treat every problem pragmatically. Our favourite proverb is: "A missing tile in the street is not a left-wing or right-wing issue. It just has to be fixed." We think that with logical thinking, any local problem can be solved.

History

In 1993, a group of students at Delft University ran into some problems which they could not solve themselves. Most of these problems were the result of the bad relationship between the university and the city of Delft. For instance, the city at first prevented the building of the new university library; public transportation to the university was scaled down time after time; and most importantly, there was a large shortage in student housing. In an attempt to solve these problems, the group of students audaciously founded STIP and ran in their first election in 1994.

In this election, STIP immediately won one seat in the city council. This was unique for a local party, especially one run by students. In the next four years, STIP proved they were a serious party, and this was rewarded in 1998, when STIP gained one seat in the council. After the '98 elections, STIP joined the coalition and provided an alderman. In 2002, STIP again won an extra seat, bringing the total to three, and joined the coalition. In this period, the STIP alderman was in charge of the Delft treasury.

In 2006, STIP won two seats, and remains in the coalition with two councillors and a new alderwoman, Lian Merkx. Lian is in charge of cultural and environmental policy in Delft, and also responsible for YES!Delft and Bacinol.

In 2010, STIP again won three seats and still remains in the coalition with a new alderman: Pieter Guldemond. He is in charge of Spatial Planning, Knowledge Economy, City Marketing and Student Housing. He is also responsible for Technopolis, TIC-Delft, the Schieoevers (a creative area in Delft), the TU-area and the Water Centre.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding local politics, problems in the city, or anything related to Delft, or if you just have something to say, do not hesitate to call or e-mail us!

STIP

Markt 87 (stadhuis)

2611 GS Delft

tel. 015-2602820

fax 015-2602756

STIP@delft.nl