Plan amsterdam city in balance

City in Balance

Plan

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Amsterdam

Managing the flip side of success

Monitoring the balance

Experiments

map

Spatial distribution of tourists in Amsterdam. This birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye perspective gives insight into the spatial distribution of visitors and has been generated using the meta data of 500,000 photographs taken by visitors. Among the most photographed locations are Dam Square and the iconic I amsterdam statue. Map: Sander van der Drift

1 Amsterdam is growing rapidly, but wants to keep its appeal as a metropolitan area for all users, particularly its residents. This includes excellent sport facilities, green spaces and parks, such as the recently upgraded Oosterpark. Photo: Doede Bardok

Population

Housing stock

Hotel guests

2016: 3.564.000

2015: 6,826,000

2008: 4,526,900

2016: 423,785

2015: 417,096

2008: 390,000

2016: 834,713

2015: 822,272

2008: 747,290

until June 2016

infographics Population, housing stock and visitors in Amsterdam in 2008, 2015 and 2016. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek/ Amsterdam Marketing

Authors

A city dealing with growing pains

Wies Daamen Claartje van Ette Karla Gutiérrez Laura Hakvoort Eric van der Kooij Odette Nollen

Credits Plan Amsterdam is published by the City of Amsterdam, giving information about physical planning projects and developments in the city and the metropolitan region of Amsterdam. The magazine appears five times per year, of which two issues are in English. Editorial team Stella Marcé, Judith van Laarhoven Design Beukers Scholma, Haarlem Main cover image Dam Square, Edwin van Eis Photography see the captions Maps and illustrations City of Amsterdam, unless otherwise stated Translation Frank van Lieshout Lithography and printing OBT Opmeer, The Hague This publication has been prepared with the greatest possible care. The City of Amsterdam cannot, however, accept any liability for the correctness and completeness of the information it contains. In the event of credits for visual materials being incorrect or if you have any other questions, please contact the editors: planamsterdam@amsterdam.nl or tel. +31(0)20 2551550. A free subscription can be requested by sending an e-mail to: planamsterdam@amsterdam.nl. Volume 22, no. 4, November 2016 This magazine can also be downloaded: www.amsterdam.nl/planamsterdam

The increased crowdedness of Amsterdam is attracting a lot of attention. Tourists are visiting the city in ever greater numbers, and more and more Amsterdammers are letting their houses to them. Amsterdam people cycle more, spend more of their leisure time going out and about and flock in droves to the city’s many festivals and events. Space in the city is getting scarce and house prices are rising. All these things combined are causing tensions to rise between visitors, businesses and local residents, but also between Amsterdammers themselves. People see their areas changing, not only in the city centre but also in other neighbourhoods such as De Pijp and parts of Oost (eastern Amsterdam). These changes are the result of the surging growth Amsterdam is currently experiencing. Just like in the 17th and the 19th centuries, when the city nearly doubled in size and population, Amsterdam finds itself faced with a change of scale. It is transforming towards an innovative, creative information city which has international appeal as a place to work or set up business, as a student city and a tourist city. All this is great for the economy, but it also creates new challenges. How do we keep the city lively and dynamic as well as pleasant and enjoyable?

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City in Balance is Amsterdam’s search for a new balance between growth and quality of life. The first article in this issue of Plan Amsterdam discusses the ambition of City in Balance and the course it has set out, and how it touches on issues and dilemmas which are highly subjective and cover many topics and fields. The second article delves deeper into these sensitive issues, asking questions such as ‘What does busy feel like?’. For instance, Amsterdam’s Kalverstraat is the most crowded shopping street in the Netherlands, but not everyone will experience this crowdedness as unpleasant. In a survey, Amsterdam Council has asked residents what they think of their changing city. Combining this subjective information with available objective data the council and its partners can introduce measures to limit the worst nuisances. In the meantime, experiments are being conducted to find possible solutions to issues. As you can read in our third article, Amsterdam wants to get started, take action and learn from experience. Because the city’s growth is continuing and the direction it is taking is shaped by the decisions we take together. It is down to us. The editor

Managing the flip side of success by Claartje van Ette and Eric van der Kooij c.van.ette@amsterdam.nl / e.van.der.kooij@amsterdam.nl

Amsterdam is a city popular with residents, businesses and visitors from the Netherlands and abroad. To manage the city’s and region’s growth, the City in Balance project was set up in 2015, looking for solutions to the complex issue of striking a balance between crowding and peace and quiet, between living, working and leisure and between the advantages and disadvantages of a busy, popular city.

Amsterdam is flourishing. In recent years the number of visitors has grown by 5% per year, outpacing the growth of its population (1% on average). The property crisis, which started in 2008, seems to have been long forgotten. In 2015, the city built 8,000 new homes as well as many new hotels and buildings providing different combinations of short term housing, work and overnight stay. The pace of change is growing ever faster, which is particularly noticeable in those parts of the city where space is at a premium. More people are cycling more often, more residents go out and about more often to explore the city or the surrounding countryside and more jobs have been created. The sharing economy is boosting the consumption of goods and services, resulting in the rapid rise of car sharing concepts and companies such as Airbnb and WimDu, which broker between suppliers and users of rental holiday accommodation. The city’s success is down to a set of key characteristics which Amsterdam shares with many other European

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cities, including an attractive city centre, good transport links and high quality cultural amenities. In light of global urbanisation and Amsterdam’s abiding popularity, the city has a bright future if it can take advantage of the opportunities that are there. If the city keeps growing at the current rate, Amsterdam will have a population of 950,000 people by the year 2025. This means new housing, more jobs and an increase in bicycle traffic. The number of visitors is also expected to keep rising at the current rate of 5% a year. Including day visitors, the current amount of visitors is 17.3 million per year. So if the forecast is correct, this number will have risen to 23 million per year by 2025. How is Amsterdam going to deal with this growth?

Traffic and public nuisances Amsterdam’s growth and increasing scale also has its drawbacks: the increase in traffic and public nuisances can disturb the social balance and lead to social division. >

1a-b

The downside of Amsterdam’s popularity: street litter, one of Amsterdam’s top annoyances (a), and overflowing bike jams (b). Photo: Cécile Obertop / Alphons Nieuwenhuis

2 Many Amsterdam museums attract long queues, like this one at the Anne Frank House. Photo: Cécile Obertop

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3 Late night shopping in Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s busiest shopping street. For trendy chain stores it is essential to have a presence in this busy shopping street, resulting in a less varied mix of shops. Photo: Edwin van Eis

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4a-b

Damrak in the seventies (a). Below, an impression of the upgraded Damrak in 2015 (b). City planning is facing a new paradigm. Whereas only 35 years ago the car was still the dominant mode of transport, the current debate focuses on the conflicting interests of cyclists and pedestrians. Photo: ANP FOTO, Cor Out / Artist impression: City of Amsterdam

View from the Adam Tower across the IJ on the ferry stop at Central Station, where every day thousands of cyclists and pedestrians hop on and off. The city conducted an experiment to regulate boarding by applying red and green paint on the pavements. Photo: Edwin van Eis

The changes at hand concern traffic, accommodation and leisure. Amsterdam’s public space is in ever shorter supply, with long queues at its museums, bicycle jams and traffic congestion caused by cars, taxis and touring coaches. In addition, there’s also a rise in transport service providers such as bicycle taxis, Tuk Tuks, Segways and a variety of delivery services. Conflicts on the roads, which used to be mainly restricted to driver-cyclist incidents, are now also increasingly arising between cyclists and pedestrians. These conflicts are often borne from frustration with other people’s behaviour

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in situations where there is already precious little space to manoeuvre. Behind the city’s facades things are also changing at a fast pace. The rise in holiday apartment rentals and new hotels, as well as city hot spots such as De Hallen and the number of ice cream parlours – also in relation to the reduced diversity of shops – all need to be addressed. Recreational behaviour has also changed. There has been an increase in pubs and restaurants as well as events and festivals in the city, causing not only fun, festivity >

6 The growth of the city increases pressure on the public space. One of the effects is the increase of bicycle jams. Photo: Karla Gutiérrez

7a-c Stereotypes of two contrasting perceptions. Amsterdam cyclists see themselves being blocked by tourists taking pictures standing on the city’s cycling paths. Tourists see a stampede of wild Amsterdam cyclists, making it virtually impossible just to cross the road. Source: T. Pasma, Jongens van de Tekeningen

and economic gain, but increasingly also frustration and disapproval. Residents resent the noise nuisance, the large amounts of street litter and the reduced accessibility of the city’s parks. Crowding and nuisance are concepts which are dependent on the person who experiences it as well as the place and time and the kind of nuisance experienced. This is why City in Balance and related issues are politically charged and hotly debated in public discourse.

Goals City in Balance is a search for a new equilibrium between growth and quality of life. It is an integrated, comprehensive approach, focused on the city’s spatialeconomic conditions. The main goal is to maintain Amsterdam and its metropolitan area’s appeal for all users, particularly its residents. As well as a clean, safe and accessible city and region, this also means building more homes and schools, creating more space for free enterprise to flourish and developing excellent public spaces such as sport facilities and parks. This is an objective which affects several policy areas (see p.10 ‘Overlap’) and means that City in Balance calls upon all stakeholders to get actively involved. The overall ambition comprises three goals:

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1 Amsterdam aims to be an appealing city for everyone Hospitality and a welcoming spirit is essential to achieve this, as well as the ambition to become a sustainable city for future generations. 2 Amsterdam embraces growth and prosperity whilst preserving its liveability In order to maintain Amsterdam’s appeal and growth in the long term, the city should preserve its diversity, also in terms of its amenities. 3 Amsterdam chooses to operate on a human scale The human scale has for centuries determined how we engage with each other in this city, with space for individual freedom and respect for society as a whole. Amsterdam cherishes its open, mixed and colourful community and wants to retain its diversity, tolerance and open-minded spirit. Inspire, connect, stimulate and accelerate City in Balance is not a project, process or programme. It’s meant to get the city into gear, with scope and meaning gaining shape and roles becoming more clearly defined as we go along. City in Balance focuses on inspiring, connecting and stimulating people to drive and accellerate existing ideas and projects. The idea is to

‘City in Balance is a search for a new equilibrium between growth and quality of life.’

engage with policy areas such as Traffic, Environment, Events, Economy and Water and to follow an area oriented approach. Collaborations will include city district managers, policy officers, cultural institutes, businesses, app-builders, resident associations and city marketeers. This approach also fits in well with the experimental strategy of testing possible solutions on a small scale to contribute to middle and long term targets.

Strategic choices The balance between the hustle and bustle of city life and peace and quiet, between life, work and leisure and between the advantages and disadvantages of city life is a complex matter. Real solutions require real stamina and weighing a range of different interests. Rather than taking a cautious stance, the council wants to work together with residents, businesses and visitors. Based on discussions and lessons learned from other cities, Amsterdam has set out its course, focusing on four strategic orientations: 1 Making the city bigger By spreading visitors, encouraging development of existing districts outside of the city centre and creating new urban centres across the city and the region.

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2 Making the city smarter By using new technologies which allow the city to adapt more quickly and easily to the changing use of the public domain. Collaborating with the many first-rate knowledge institutes across the city, we want to become Europe’s fastest learning city. 3 Seeing the city differently Approaching current problems in a different way, we can develop new insights and new solutions. We experiment and learn before we roll out promising solutions. 4 Calling on people to work together The council cannot and will not do it alone. Most solutions lie with people within the city and region. What’s needed is the commitment of all the city’s users. Future scenarios The rate of economic, technological and social change is high and increasingly unbalanced. A fast changing environment requires the city council and its stakeholders to be flexible and adaptable. What should the city prepare for in the coming years? How do you adopt flexible and adaptive policies, ensuring today’s decisions will keep pace with new developments in the future? >

8 Eddie Obeng’s ‘After Midnight’ concept maintains that our learning capabilities cannot keep up with the current pace of change. According to Obeng, the solution lies in ‘smart failure’ by improvisation and experimentation. Based on: After Midnight, Eddie Obeng speed of changes learning ability

Overlap The City in Balance programme relates to a variety of urban issues and policies. Many of the policies are incorporated in: – Mobility Implementation Plan – Home building action plan – Vision Document 2025: Densifying the city – Green Agenda

– – – – – –

Touring Coach Policy Sustainability Agenda Noise Action Plan Arts and Culture Plan Overnight Stay Policy with regard to new hotels and holiday lets Neighbourhood Strategy Amsterdam Marketing

– – – – – –

Water Vision Public Space Vision Summary of Principles for new Events Policy Strategic Agenda Tourism Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA) 2025 Waste plan Priorities on law enforcement

size

smart failure + how to improvise (experiments)

planning ahead (masterplan)

time 8

To be able to respond to social dynamics and worldwide trends, the council has adopted scenario planning, a proven method to better control uncertainty and a powerful tool to develop policies and test decisions. Scenario planning helps the council to prepare for possible future situations and incorporate more flexibility in their policies. Looking at the near future, people fear that Amsterdam will be flooded with foreign visitors in the coming years. This highly depends on how the global economy and European stability will turn out. If Europe remains stable, developing economies can sustain their growth and the cost of travel is kept within affordable limits, it is likely that the number of visitors to the city will continue to rise. This will possibly put further negative pressure on the quality of life in the city, especially in the city

centre. In this scenario, amenities will need to continue to respond to visitors’ demands though. With an expected strong increase of 65-plus visitors in the coming years, demands will change as well, as these older visitors will prioritise comfort and safety. If, on the other hand, Europe falls apart, economic growth in countries such as China, India and Indonesia shrinks and the cost of travel rises, it is more likely that the growth of tourism will flatten. This outcome could be further reinforced by the (possibly temporary) effects of any future terrorist acts in Europe. In this scenario, the projected increase in the city’s hotel capacity to 2022 could lead to overcapacity. So it’s important to take into account a variety of different scenarios and to continue to closely monitor new developments. >

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9 This graphic shows the projected increase in tourism, population, homes and jobs. Four scenarios for 2025, in the middle the situation of 2015. Source: Amsterdam Economic Board

Future scenarios In 2012 the Amsterdam Economic Board commissioned Jester Advies to develop four future scenarios for the metropolitan region to 2025. These four possible futures are based on Europe’s political stability (will the European Union remain intact or fall apart) and business and industry’s economic systems (demanddriven versus supply-driven). Global Giants According to this scenario, we will be living in a strongly globalised world centred on economic growth and continued prosperity built on market domination, an increasingly individualised society and thriving consumerism. Europe has a flourishing free internal market and a strong position in the world market. Europe’s increased prosperity and stability has resulted in extra pressure on cities, in terms of growth in population, jobs and tourism.

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20,000 homes extra homes in this scenario 20,000 residents extra residents in this scenario 20,000 jobs extra jobs in this scenario

European Renewal Europe has made big strides towards financial and economic integration. Guided by Brussels, metropolitan regions such as Amsterdam have made the change to a new, high-tech economy with a strong focus on sustainability and social enterprise. There’s a strong community spirit and social challenges are addressed collectively. In this scenario, there’s an increase in population, jobs and tourism as well, but the rise is not as sharp as in the Global Giants scenario. International Alliances Europe has become fragmented and fragile. Individual countries are trying to protect their own economies. The Netherlands is faced with strong competition from other European countries and tries to establish long-term relationships with emerging regions outside Europe. In this scenario,

Day visitors Dutch foreign Overnight visitors Dutch foreign situation 2015

many Amsterdam businesses and residents have trouble making ends meet. The city is attracting fewer visitors and tourism has weakened as an economic pillar to rely on. Although urbanisation is continuing, employment rates are lagging. Local for Local Europe has fallen apart. The Netherlands has managed to recover by becoming increasingly selfsufficient. The economy has a regional character, trade and partnerships are predominantly conducted with neighbouring countries. Local communities are strong and many social programmes are initiated by citizens and businesses. In this scenario the development of new jobs is lagging and tourism is contracting.

10 Alternative events programming helps to spread visitor numbers and crowding across the seasons. The Amsterdam Light Festival takes place in winter. Photo: Edwin van Eis

11a-b Spreading events and alcohol sales licensing for Queen’s Day in 2011 and King’s Day in 2014. In 2014 more events were moved to locations outside the city centre, including the popular Radio 538 concert which was moved to the town of Alkmaar (not featured on this map). Source: City of Amsterdam Number of visitors per event > 10,000

2,000-10,000

500-2,000

< 500

Dilemmas City in Balance throws up numerous complex challenges and dilemmas. The first dilemma can be characterised as Democracy 2.0 and centres on the issue of how to involve all residents. Usually a small group is able to attract all the (media) attention while the silent majority is not heard. The second dilemma centres on knowledge. How much information do you need before you can take a decision? Is it possible to act quickly yet carefully? It seems logical to make decisions on the basis of all the reliable information available, but this is only partially true. Research has shown that the effects of decisions are lessened the more information is collected before making a decision. This means that it’s important to have the courage to take decisions without having complete knowledge of the issue at hand. It takes leadership and trust to act in these circumstances. To create a good balance in the city will require making a number of robust decisions. For instance, how to cope with growing levels of pedestrians in areas which are also used by large numbers of cyclists. The third dilemma is the ‘planning dilemma’: how do you go from making a plan to actually effectuating this

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plan? The rate of change is outpacing the learning capability of our societies. There was a time when new developments could be anticipated, and a welldesigned plan could do wonders. These days, the rate of change is so high that a traditional plan is not going to work. According to Eddie Obeng and his New World After Midnight philosophy, we need ‘smart failure’ to cope, taking small steps without losing sight of the long term goals. Experimental and improvisational strategies as well as using scenarios to explore possible future situations and policies are all an integral part of this approach. This means that there is never just one plan, but alternative plans can be implemented in case other scenarios arise. Robust choices are policies which are effective in multiple scenarios.

New phase City in Balance is concerned with issues which are part of a new phase in Amsterdam’s development and which are also evident in other successful cities. These are issues which require a new approach focused on multiple scale levels, from neighbourhood to region, and across a variety of areas to identify new aspects of the experience, perception and use of the city.

‘The city-wide survey asked people how they experience crowdedness.’

Monitoring the balance by Laura Hakvoort and Karla Gutiérrez l.s.hakvoort@amsterdam.nl / k.gutierrez@amsterdam.nl

Every Amsterdam resident has their opinion on the city’s crowdedness. But what do we actually know about the way the city is used? How do the facts and figures relate to the perceptions of residents and visitors? To gain more insight into these matters, City in Balance combines objective data with the results of research into people’s experience of crowdedness.

City in Balance focuses on measuring, collecting, comparing and analysing data. This information helps us to clearly define issues in our interviews with people in the city, which is needed because the perception of crowdedness is a sensitive issue. A good example of this is the beer bike, a group pedibus with beer tap which many local people deem to be in the poorest of tastes and experience as a major nuisance. At the same time, the data shows that the actual number of complaints about beer bikes and their numbers is relatively small.

How do you monitor balance? In May 2016, the first measurements were taken of the city’s balance and recorded in the City in Balance Monitor. In this monitor four themes are addressed. The first theme concerns people’s experiences in general, including nuisances and their perception of crowdedness. The second part is about the use of premises, addressing changes in the way shops, hotels and private lets are used. The third part is about traffic, discussing the pressure on the public space and in particular the available space for cyclists, pedestrians and cars. The fourth and final theme concerns leisure

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activities and addresses the experience of events, cultural amenities and nightlife. In addition to general trends and developments, the main focus is on Amsterdammers’ experiences of their city. Do they think it’s pleasant or too busy? In which neighbourhoods are people most happy? A city-wide survey across 22 neighbourhoods was conducted to chart their experiences of crowdedness in the city. The results were then compared to available data on the actual use of the city, combining and analysing objective and subjective data. The resulting neighbourhood specific information allows the council, city boroughs and street managers to target new policies and solutions. The analysis also describes why some neighbourhoods are more popular than others, how to view the explosive rise of ice cream parlours in combination with the reduced diversity in retail shops in the city centre, and how the emergence of new modes of transport and delivery services affects city logistics.

Trends Trends are showing that the city is constantly evolving. The city’s appeal is attracting a growing population and

1 If we want to have a better understanding of

nuisance and crowding perceptions we need to look beyond the general trends. The graphic shows the presence of residents and visitors at various moments during the day in January 2015. At particular times some parts of the city experience extra crowding. This is why the City in Balance Monitor also monitors the city’s rhythm, over the course of the day, the week, the month, the seasons and the year. Source: dat.view/City of Amsterdam

Number of people present during the day total number residents frequent visitors regular visitors incidental visitors

140,000

120,000

start public transport

100,000

6:00 17:00 back from work 18:00

80,000

60,000

8:00 9:00

start work/school

40,000

9:00

20,000

17:00 closing times museums

opening times museums

20,000

an even stronger growth in visitor numbers. So how exactly should we read this situation? What do we know about the use of the city? And what are the long-term trends? Population Amsterdam’s population has grown considerably. Despite the crisis, the total population increased by 11.6% between 2008 and 2016. Housing production gained some momentum in 2015 with 8,000 new homes. Nevertheless, demand is so high that prices are still rising, partly fuelled by extremely low interest rates and new opportunities to let private houses to visitors. Bicycle jams at traffic lights are getting longer and the ferries across the IJ are also getting more and more crowded. All these developments reflect the increased use of the city by its residents. Visitors Another reason that more people are using the city is the rise in the number of commuters in the last year. In 2014, Amsterdam had 17.3 million day and overnight visitors, of which no less than 55% were Dutch. Over the

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last five years, the number of foreign visitors has increased by more than 25%. 70% of all foreign overnight visitors are from Europe, half of them hailing from the Netherlands’ neighbouring countries Germany, Belgium and England. Schiphol Amsterdam Airport’s status as an intercontinental hub helps to attract a large number of visitors outside of Europe as well, including many guests from the United States and a growing number of Asian visitors. Only the first months of 2016 showed a slight dip in intercontinental visitors, probably due to fears of terrorist attacks. After significant increases in the number of hotel stays in 2013 and 2014 (more than 10% per year), the growth slowed down to 3%, with 12.9 million overnight stays in 2015. At the same time however, the supply of holiday lets boomed, with the number of Airbnb accommodations increasing from 500 in 2010 to 15,000 in 2015.

Results To get a better understanding of nuisance and crowding perceptions, the city-wide survey asked people how they experienced crowdedness: what type of nuisance >

2 In many cases, the perception of crowdedness in a neighbourhood matches the People Density Index (see p.21). However, there is a small number of areas where this overlap is absent. One of the most striking examples of this is the Osdorpplein area, which more than 60% of respondents experience as busier than what is suggested by the Index. In general, shopkeepers and people with businesses experience their areas as busier and less quiet than residents in these areas.

Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam Perception survey How would you describe the neighbourhood where you live? >60% busy >60% neutral >60% quiet

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3 The areas in darker red on the map indicate where people experience crowding caused by Amsterdammers. In these areas, the population increased faster than the number of available homes. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam Perception survey Crowding caused by Amsterdammers. >50% substantial >50% moderate >50% limited

4 In the perception survey local Amsterdam people were asked how they would describe the neighbourhood where they live: busy or quiet? More than half of the residents in Centrum-West and Centrum-Oost who qualify their neighbourhood as busy perceive this as unpleasant. Residents living further away from the city centre more often enjoy it being busy in their neighbourhoods.

Bos Bos en Lommer en Bos enLommer Lommer 7%

Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam Perception survey How would you describe the neighbourhood where you live (outliers)? very busy fairly busy fairly quiet very quiet

Oud-West/De Oud-West/De Baarsjes Baarsjes Oud-West/De Baarsjes 2%

7% 5% 7% 5% 5%

53% 53% 53%

2% 2% 12% 12% 12%

34% 34% 34%

4% 6% 4% 6% 6%

52% 52% 52%

58% 58% 58%

Bijlmer-Centrum Bijlmer-Centrum Bijlmer-Centrum

Centrum-West Centrum-West Centrum-West 1% 1%

17% 17% 17% 47% 47% 47%

35% 35% 35%

32% 32% 32%

35% 35% 35%

Oud-Oost Oud-Oost Oud-Oost

7% 7% 7%

7% 7% 21% 21% 21%

65% 65% 65%

they were experiencing where and when â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at which point in the day, the week, month, season and year. And they were asked what was the source of the nuisance. There were more than 4500 respondents from all 22 city neighbourhoods. Together they represent the experiences and perceptions of the average Amsterdammer. For each theme (general, use of premises, traffic and leisure activities) a map was drawn up showing the accumulated perception scores for each city district. These maps can be viewed as an index of what Amsterdam people experience too much or sometimes too little of. There is also a chart of total scores with related observations and conclusions.

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The survey shows that Amsterdam people are positive about their city. On average they rate Amsterdam with a score of 7.7 out of 10. The most positive areas are Bos en Lommer (8.1) and Indische Buurt/Oostelijk Havengebied (8.0). Respondents under 45 are on the whole more proud of the city than older respondents. People in the city centre are the least positive. The overview map of the perception scores shows a significant overlap with the People Density Index (see p. 21), which gives an objective measurement of the areas with the most people per square metre of public space. The similarity between these maps lies in the fact that in the city centre and a number of areas around it, including De Pijp and Oud-West many >

5 The perception survey asked local Amsterdam people who they think are responsible for crowdedness in their neighbourhood. Many respondents believe crowdedness in their area is caused by local Amsterdam people. A slightly smaller but still significant group think crowdedness is caused by Dutch visitors. In the city centre, respondents indicate that according to them crowdedness is caused by everyone except Amsterdam people. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam

Perception survey Who is responsible for crowdedness (subjective)? Foreign tourists Dutch visitors Large groups Local Amsterdam people Suppliers and delivery vans, traffic loading and unloading

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6 There is a variety of different types of nuisances, eight of which we have researched. Although the 22 areas each have varying scores, littering is mentioned most often. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to assess respondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perception of litter as a result of crowdedness, because the appearance of their neighbourhoods is also dependent on the city cleaning routines, which differ according to each area. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam

Perception survey Which are the biggest nuisances according to Amsterdammers (subjective)? blocked pavement/littering littering lack of parking space for cars reduced accessibility busy traffic holiday lettings by local people offensive behaviour noise

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7 Very busy is perceived as unpleasant, busy as pleasant. In general, most Amsterdammers who have indicated that their neighbourhood is fairly busy, perceive this either as pleasant or as neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Opinions on crowdedness clearly turn more negative if the respondents have indicated that their neighbourhood is very busy. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam

15%

pleasant

67% unpleasant

of people staying (local residents, workers, students and visitors) per hectare of public space at an average day in the year compared with the city average in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam average index value is set at 100. A value higher than 100 means this area is on average more crowded than the Amsterdam average. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam

31%

very busy

14%

8 The People Density Index shows the number

44%

fairly busy

19%

39%

neither pleasant nor unpleasant

pleasant

fairly quiet

21% unpleasant

10% very quiet

40% neither pleasant nor unpleasant

different nuisance factors converge. An exception is De Baarsjes, where according to the People Density Index crowding is at the same level as other parts of Oud-West, but is experienced as being less severe. Oud-Oost, on the other hand, is calmer according to the objective statistics than peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience seems to suggest, except for the Indische Buurt West, which shows the reverse pattern. Positive areas are Bos en Lommer, Indische Buurt and Oostelijk Havengebied within Amsterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ring Road and the Bijlmer district outside of the Ring Road. Local people in these areas are in general positive about their neighbourhoods, in spite of significant nuisance factors.

Issues and challenges The results confirm the impression that the balance in the city centre as well as in De Pijp and around De Hallen in Oud-West has been disturbed on multiple fronts. In the areas far from the city centre, everything still seems to be fine. The results show that Amsterdammers in different areas experience crowding in different ways. And there are added nuances within some of the areas, especially those just outside of the city centre where

Plan Amsterdam

perceptions sometimes vary considerably. This calls for an area specific approach, which the City in Balance Monitor can provide the area specific information for. With this information, the city will be able to increase its focus and devise new measures and solutions to improve the balance. The research could also help to develop a tailored approach to city-wide issues and policies. The monitor shows that there is not one single cause, group, time of day or theme impacting on the perception of crowdedness. Often itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a combination of different factors, which suggests one should take a comprehensive approach, across the boundaries of different capacities and responsibilities. This applies to the council, but also to businesses, residents and other city users. Such a comprehensive, area specific approach requires a process in which the council works with local residents, businesses, knowledge institutes and other city users to explore who can take which role.

People Density Index 0 to 35 35 to 90 90 to 150 150 to 450 450 to 578

9 This map can be viewed as an index of what

Amsterdam people experience too much or sometimes too little of in their neighbourhood. They have been asked to give their opinion on a list of fourteen issues, including crowdedness caused by foreign tourists, street littering, noise and holiday rentals. All aspects have been weighed equally. Source: Onderzoek, Informatie en Statistiek, City of Amsterdam

Perception survey Map overall general perception (area specific). % too much: the percentage of respondents who indicate that their neighbourhood has too much (of, if applicable, too little) of fourteen issues, such as littering, noise, holiday rentals. 3,3% to 10% 10% to 15% 15% to 20% 20% to 25% 25% to 34,2%

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Experiments by Odette Nollen and Wies Daamen odette.nollen@amsterdam.nl / w.daamen@amsterdam.nl

Experiments allow you to see and experience in a relatively short time and on a small scale how an idea or proposed plan will pan out, for instance to spread crowding in the city. City in Balance supports and promotes experimenting and explores whether lessons and solutions which work well in one area can also be applied to other parts of the city.

Since the start of City in Balance in 2015, sixteen experiments have been carried out, providing us with a wealth of information and the potential to be replicated across the city. Normally it takes a long time before a policy measure can actually be implemented, because participation and coordination need to be handled properly and accurately. Experiments allow you to quickly respond to current developments and test whether an idea or a plan will actually work. One of the key characteristics of an experiment is that the outcome or success of a policy can not be determined beforehand. This is why it is important to make good measurements, especially before but also during and after the experiment. These will give you insights into the results as well as (and most importantly) the conditions and preconditions. Especially the latter will tell you whether something is going to work and how the experiment can be replicated to other parts of the city. Experiments can also fail, which is something you need to be aware of beforehand. But also if they fail, it is important to inform stakeholders about the results and the insights you have gained.

Plan Amsterdam

Festivals Moving the Appelsap music festival to another location is an excellent example of an experiment which can be replicated to other festivals and locations as well. The festival had been held at Oosterpark for years when in 2015 the park was being renovated and local residents had already complained about the overload of events putting too much strain on the park. As a result, the Amsterdam Oost city district explored whether a number of events could be moved to other parks in the Oost area, such as Middenmeer, Frankendael Park and, in the case of Appelsap, Flevopark. The city district conducted the same survey for each of these parks, asking local people about their experience of events held there. They also did a soil survey to establish the danger of subsidence and other types of environmental damage. Beforehand, local residents living near the Flevopark had complained about moving the Appelsap festival to their area, but the evaluation report afterwards showed that the majority of the neighbourhood had experienced no problems. In total only three official complaints were registered. No less than 80% of local residents made >

1 New York has introduced car-free zones between the Brooklyn bridge and Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, on three consecutive Saturdays in August between 7 am and 10 pm. The Summer Streets programme offers workshops and activities for children and adults to enjoy the streets. Source: New York City Department of Transportation, Flickr

2 Amsterdam Marketing partnered with JCDecaux to launch a campaign featuring free lounge chairs in Amsterdam’s parks for people to ‘take a moment for themselves’, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Photo: JCDecaux

3 During Sail 2015, crowding and pedestrian flows were measured in detail to help manage overcrowding in specific areas (crowd management). Photo: Edwin van Eis

New York inspired us and taught us how to communicate, what to measure and the way to implement a plan.

hospitality, an invitation for tourists to jump on the back and hike along. And Amsterdam Marketing partnered with JCDecaux to launch a campaign featuring free lounge chairs in Amsterdam’s parks for people to ‘take a moment for themselves’ away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Inspiration Experiences from other cities, both at home and abroad, from entrepreneurs and teachers, can be an important source of inspiration for new experiments. The idea for Amsterdam’s city beach, for instance, was inspired by Paris, Berlin and Breda. The bike lanes on Broadway and the use of the public space around Times Square in

Smaller projects can also serve as inspiration. Yellow Bike, for instance, introduced a free yellow rear seat for Amsterdammers as a symbol of their

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4 Playground CS was launched in 2015 as a pop-up summer beach for local families. The 16,000 square foot terrain on Prins Hendrikkade opposite Central Station was opened during the whole of the summer period. Photo: Eric van der Kooij

Plan Amsterdam

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;An experiment can only be judged to be successful if the monitoring has been properly organised.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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5 Experiments with redesign of cycling junctions ensure an improved and safer cycling traffic flow at busy junctions, such as here at Geldersekade and Prins Hendrikkade. Photo: Eric van der Kooij

6 In 2015, the Appelsap festival was moved from Oosterpark, which at the time was being overhauled, to Flevopark. Beforehand, local residents near Flevopark had complained, but the evaluation report afterwards showed that the majority of the neighbourhood had experienced no problems. Photo: Bart van Poll, Flickr

Experiment or pilot? The difference between an experiment and a pilot lies in the way they approach the outcome. A pilot involves testing whether a solution you have devised beforehand actually works in the real world. A pilot is prepared in detail and its outcomes have already been explored through models. An experiment is testing an idea without knowing whether it is going to work or not.

use of one of the 2,000 complimentary entrance tickets which they had received. The environmental damage also turned out much less severe than expected. The eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organisers had taken all sorts of precautions to limit nuisances, such as adapting the volume of the low bass tones and installing nest boxes for owls. The city district used the survey results to tighten and fine-tune conditions for the use of parks, ensuring parks are better protected and festivals and events can be spread across the district. Nieuwmarkt Another successful experiment was carried out at Nieuwmarkt, a very busy square right in the middle of the city centre. A mix of traffic control measures was installed to try and create a more congenial environment for users, local businesses and residents. The aim was to create a beautiful open space for people to enjoy, by keeping the square free from parked cars and taxis, introducing time windows for loading and unloading and installing parking spaces and racks for bicycles. The evaluation shows that the new times for loading and unloading and the extra bicycle parking spaces have been a success. In the summer of 2016, the square was repaved and twenty benches as well as twenty flower pots were installed. Loading and unloading at the square is only allowed between 7 and 11 am. >

Plan Amsterdam

7 In 2015, an experiment was started at Nieuwmarkt to create a more congenial environment. Time windows have been introduced restricting loading and unloading to between 7 and 11 am and part of the square has been permanently closed for motorised vehicles. In addition, new parking spaces have been created for bicycles and scooters. Source: City of Amsterdam

8 During the experiment at Nieuwmarkt it became clear that the road closure was not working as intended and causing a lot of congestion. As a result one of the bollards was removed and extra traffic signs and flower pots were installed. Source: City of Amsterdam

Removable bollard

Closed 24/7

Waag building

Bicycle racks

Market stalls dur ing daytime, bicycle parking spaces at nighttime

New tree

Flower pots

Loading and unloading on the square between 7 and 11 am

Removable bollard

Benches

Bredero square loading and unloading between 7 am and 6 pm

Closed between 8 pm and 7 am

Removable bollard

Closed Wed to Sun between 6 pm and 7 am

Market stalls dur ing daytime, bicycle parking spaces at nighttime Benches

Waag building

Flower pots

Bredero square loading and unloading between 7 am and 6 pm

Removable bollard

Benches

Bicycle racks

Loading and unloading on the square between 7 and 11 am

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9 In 2015 Amsterdam experimented with a festival app which allows users to indicate how they experience the environmental noise. The app allows the event organisers to (directly) respond to visitors’ alerts, for instance if low tones are too loud or if a location is getting overcrowded. Source: City of Amsterdam

One of the lessons learned is that regulating delivery times can be very effective in the public space. Not all measures were equally successful though. The traffic bollards at the square’s western side led to more pressure and even unsafe situations, which was the opposite of what was envisaged. The idea was to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists, but the huge volumes of taxi and lorry traffic require a different set of structural solutions.

New experiments In 2015 funding for the experiments had to be covered by current budgets. For 2016, 1 million euros has been made available for new experiments. At the same time, requirements for experiments have been tightened. They include the requirement to: – be repeatable, scalable and, if successful, replicable in other parts of the city; – demonstrably contribute to the balance, e.g. by spreading crowding and/or reducing nuisances; – be stimulating and innovative. Sometimes experiments can initially draw attention to an issue in a playful manner before starting a thorough exploration to search for a solution. A call to area managers, cultural institutes and businesses eventually produced a list of eighteen

Plan Amsterdam

experiments, which was approved by the city council. The first tranche of experiments started before the summer of 2016 and more recently, in October, the second tranche started. The application deadline for this second instalment closed in early September. Events app During the festival season, the city introduced a dedicated events app for a number of selected events in the city. The app allows users to indicate how they experience the environmental noise. Local residents and visitors can rate the environmental noise in terms of pleasant or unpleasant, lively, chaotic or intrusive, as well as indicate the noise sources they can identify. The app allows the event organisers to (directly) respond to visitors’ alerts, for instance if low tones are too loud or if a location is getting overcrowded. The organisers can also target the type of information they are looking for. The app’s results will contribute to a smarter organisation of events across the city. Europride 2016 Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride event is a lively, joyful affair, but it can also cause a nuisance to local residents. During the EuroPride Boat Parade on 6 August 2016, the city experimented with a new measure to control and reduce the nuisance, making the route along the

10 During EuroPride 2016 the route along the boat parade was made car-free where possible, including here on Prinsengracht. The measure created more space for visitors and made it easier to clear up after the event. Photo: Truus, Bob & Jan too, Flickr

11 On Museum Night, a hackaton was organised among students and start-ups to develop useful tools to cope with crowding around museums. Photo: Eric van der Kooij

parade car-free where possible. With the streets along the canal route cleared of car traffic as well as parked cars, more space was created for the spectators. An additional benefit was that clearing up after the event was made a lot easier. The local residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initial reactions were positive. The effects of the experiment before, during and after the event were carefully analysed. Using wifi centres and camera footage, the crowding and pedestrian flows were measured objectively and the results were used to benefit other events.

Learning to work with experiments Experimenting on a small scale has taught us some valuable lessons for working with experiments in general. The following lessons are shared with prime movers of experiments and with other stakeholders: 1 Measuring is key. It is crucial to record the objective (statistics) as well as the subjective (experiences) effects of an experiment. An experiment can only be judged to be successful if the monitoring has been properly organised. 2 Clear targets. Make sure you know what your goal is, think about what you want to do with the results and how you can implement them. 3 Make use of the flywheel effect. Often people think they need to set up a large experiment to be

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successful, but remember that a small experiment can have a big impact. 4 Be open and pragmatic. Keep the process moving, make sure you can deal with rules and procedures in a pragmatic way. Sometimes the correct route can lead to delays. As project leader you need to have the authority to take decisions and be in direct communication with the political leaders. 5 Make sure you have backing from within the organisation. You will need this to deal with rules and regulations in a pragmatic way. On the other hand, it is also important that you find the right balance, as too many exceptions to the rule can damage general or individual interests. 6 Communicate before, during and after the experiment. Make sure that you are in control of the outcomes of the experiments as much as possible.

Samenvatting

Stad in balans Amsterdam is een populaire stad bij bewoners, bedrijven en bezoekers uit binnen- en buitenland. Om de groei van de stad en de regio in goede banen te leiden, is in 2015 ‘Stad in Balans’ van start gegaan: een zoektocht naar oplossingen in het complexe vraagstuk van balans tussen rust en drukte, tussen wonen, werken en recreëren en tussen profijt en hinder. Stad in Balans legt nieuwe aspecten van de beleving en het gebruik van de stad bloot en zoekt naar aanknopingspunten voor beleid en maatregelen.

De keerzijde van succes Amsterdam groeit en bloeit. Het succes is te danken aan de aantrekkelijke binnenstad, goede bereikbaarheid en het kwalitatief hoogstaande aanbod aan culturele voor zieningen. Maar de groei kent ook een keerzijde: toegenomen drukte en overlast. De veranderingen concentreren zich rond drie thema’s: verplaatsen, verblijven en recreëren. Er zijn wachtrijen voor musea, fietsfiles en opstoppingen door touringcars en auto’s. Vakantieverhuur van woningen, nieuwe hotels en de opkomst van hotspots en ijswinkels vragen om maatregelen. Er zijn bovendien veel horecagelegenheden, evenementen en festivals bijgekomen. Het hoofddoel van Stad in Balans is om Amsterdam aantrekkelijk te houden, met behoud van haar gastvrije, diverse, tolerante en open karakter. De koers bestaat uit vier richtingen: 1 De stad groter maken, onder andere door spreiding van bezoekers en de ontwikkeling van bestaande buurten buiten het centrum te stimuleren; 2 De stad slimmer gebruiken, met behulp van nieuwe technologieën; 3 Anders naar de stad kijken, door problemen anders aan te pakken en te experimenteren; 4 Een oproep om het samen te doen, want oplossingen liggen voor een groot deel in de stad en de regio zelf. De werkwijze van Stad in Balans draait om het inspireren, aanjagen, verbinden en versnellen van ideeën en maatregelen. De gemeente

werkt hierbij samen met onder andere culturele instellingen, ondernemers, app-bouwers, bewonersgroepen en citymarketeers.

De stand van de balans Over de drukte in de stad heeft iedereen een mening. Maar wat weten we eigenlijk over het gebruik van de stad en hoe verhouden de harde cijfers en trends zich tot dat wat bewoners en bezoekers beleven? Om daar meer inzicht in te krijgen, combineert Stad in Balans objectieve data met informatie uit onderzoek naar de beleving van drukte in de stad. Aan de hand van een enquête over 22 verschillende gebieden is de beleving van Amsterdammers ten aanzien van vier thema’s (algemeen, verblijven, verplaatsen en recreëren) in kaart gebracht. Deze subjectieve informatie is vergeleken met beschikbare data over het werkelijke gebruik van de stad. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat Amsterdammers positief zijn over hun stad, ze beoordelen de stad gemiddeld met een 7,7. Minder positief is men in het centrum van de stad. In het centrum en een aantal gebieden daaromheen, zoals de Pijp en de buurten in OudWest, komen veel verschillende oorzaken van overlast samen. Terwijl voor de gebieden ver buiten het centrum nog niets aan de hand lijkt. De resultaten geven aan dat Amsterdammers op verschillende plekken verschillende vormen van drukte ervaren. De nuance zit vooral in de verschillen per deelgebied. Met name in de gebieden net buiten het centrum verschillen de uitkomsten het meest. Dit pleit voor een gebiedsgerichte aanpak. Uit de monitor blijkt ook dat er niet één type oorzaak, doelgroep, tijdstip of thematiek van invloed is op de druktebeleving. Het zijn vaak samenhangende factoren, wat pleit voor een integrale benadering. Zo’n gebiedsgerichte en integrale aanpak vraagt om een proces waarin de gemeente samen met buurt bewoners, ondernemers, kennisinstellingen en andere gebruikers van de stad onderzoekt wie welke rol kan nemen.

Plan Amsterdam

Experimenten Stad in Balans is in 2015 gestart met experimenten. Experimenten maken het mogelijk in korte tijd en op kleine schaal te zien en ervaren hoe een voorgenomen idee of maatregel uitpakt. De opgedane lessen kunnen vervolgens in andere delen van de stad toegepast worden. De verplaatsing van muziekfestival Appelsap van het Oosterpark naar het Flevopark is daar een goed voorbeeld van. Vooraf waren er bezwaren van omwonenden van het Flevopark. Uit de evaluatie bleek echter dat het merendeel van de omwonenden geen problemen had ervaren en dat de verwachte natuurschade erg meeviel. Het stadsdeel gebruikte de uitkomsten om de voorwaarden voor het gebruik van parken scherper te definiëren, waardoor enerzijds de parken beter worden beschermd en anderzijds spreiding van festivals en evenementen kan plaatsvinden. Er zijn nog meer experimenten uitgevoerd om evenementen slimmer te organiseren. Tijdens het festivalseizoen introduceerde de stad voor enkele geselecteerde evenementen een smartphone app waarmee gebruikers kunnen aangeven hoe ze het omgevings geluid ervaren. En tijdens EuroPride werd geëxperimenteerd met een manier om de overlast te beperken: de route van de botenparade werd zoveel mogelijk autovrij gemaakt. Hierdoor kwam meer ruimte vrij voor bezoekers en kon er makkelijker worden schoongemaakt. Op de Nieuwmarkt is in 2015 geëxperimenteerd met het afsluiten van het plein voor gemotoriseerd verkeer, venstertijden voor laden en lossen en oplossingen voor fietsparkeren. Zo is een leeg, mooi verblijfsplein gecreëerd. Inmiddels zijn zestien experimenten uit gevoerd die een schat aan informatie hebben opgeleverd en in andere delen van de stad toepasbaar zijn. Uit het experimenteren op kleine schaal zijn bovendien lessen getrokken voor het werken met experimenten in het algemeen. Voor 2016 is 1 miljoen euro beschikbaar gesteld voor nieuwe experimenten, zodat de gemeente snel kan blijven inspelen op actuele ontwikkelingen.

The Authors

Plan Amsterdam is published by the City of Amsterdam. The magazine can be read online on www.amsterdam.nl/ planamsterdam For more information on City in Balance, please see our website: www.amsterdam.nl/stadinbalans – – –

Claartje van Ette (1970) Programme manager City Marketing and City in Balance Studied Cultural Studies and Italian at the University of Amsterdam Has been active in City in Balance from the start, inspired by an interest in the city’s fast growth and how to guide this process together with stakeholders – Previously worked at Bureau Stadsregie, Bureau Woningbouwregie and Topstad

– – – –

Eric van der Kooij (1966) Project Lead City in Balance Studied Urban Design at Delft University of Technology Eric is fascinated by the complex and urgent challenges posed by City in Balance Previously worked at: Metropolitan developments, Scenario Planning, Parkstad 2015, Investment Agenda, Free State of Amsterdam – Has written several books and articles, including Monitor Zaan – IJ (2013), Amsterdamse Kringlopen in beeld / Amsterdam Circular Economy (2012), Strong Water - Waterpilot Zuidoostlob (2009) Laura Hakvoort (1984) Urban Planner at Amsterdam City Council Studied Urban Design at Delft University of Technology Was involved with research and monitoring City in Balance project Previously participated in various research publications within the Planning and Sustainability department, including the Energy Atlas and Afval in Beeld (View on Waste Management) – Is currently involved in the Bewegende Stad (Moving City) programme – – – –

Karla Gutiérrez (1986) – Designer at Planning and Sustainability, Amsterdam City Council – Graduated with a Masters in European Urban Studies at Bauhaus University Weimar before taking a post graduate course in Urban Studies/ Affairs at the Bauhaus Stiftung Dessau. Also has a BA in Architecture from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – Devised designs and strategies for the Ministry of the Environment in Mexico City, Mexico – In her work for the city council, Karla analyses and interprets spatial planning and urban development data – Within City in Balance, she is working on the development of an online dashboard

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– – – –

Odette Nollen (1971) Economic Advisor at Amsterdam City Council Studied International Relations at the University of Amsterdam Project Lead Experiments at City in Balance since June 2016 Has previously worked on experiments involving deregulation, including the Freezone shopping areas and hospitality pilots

– – – – –

Wies Daamen (1956) Studied Dutch language and literature at Nijmegen University Area coordinator for 1011 postcode area and southern IJ area, city centre district Together with her colleagues Wies coordinates large building and infrastructural projects in these areas First point of contact for local residents, businesses and institutes and ‘the eyes and ears’ of the City Executive Collaborated with local residents and businesses on the Nieuwmarkt pilot

Cityscape 04/16 The Start-up Economy

Map: City of Amsterdam, 2015

Start-ups in Amsterdam The urban economy is changing at a rapid pace and is increasingly focused on knowledge and interaction. Some of the most important drivers of this change are start-ups: companies which have been founded to look for replicable and scalable business models. Often start-up companies start out small, but they can rapidly grow into important employers and drivers of innovation, such as Booking.com, CataWiki and Adyen. If Amsterdam wants to remain competitive it will need to facilitate the set-up and growth of start-ups, also in terms of physical planning policies.

start-up company accelorator institute incubator institute â&#x2013;˛ business complex

start-up related institute other start-up programme support services (web and software, mediation, consulting)

The map shows the distribution of start-ups in Amsterdam. On the whole, they are entrepreneurs who seek each other out and set up shop in the city centre or at shared start-up workspaces. Increasingly, areas outside of the city centre are also gaining the interest of startups. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development of the areas near the A10 Ring Road could be an attractive proposition for start-ups if it manages to incorporate facilities where innovative entrepreneurs can meet and work together. Tim Ruijs and Rick Vermeulen, Team New Challenges