22 april 2014, theater Zuidplein Rotterdam

prof. dr. Derk LoorbachR. van Raak, M. Verhagen, M. Lodder

G.J. Peek, M. Meijer

Learning from the Luchtsingel

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Burgerkracht and Luchtsingel

• ‘Stadsinitiatief’ to support ‘stadskracht’– As part of new form of governance?

• The city as the testing ground for transitions– Government and society reinvent themselves

• ‘Luchtsingel’ as urban transition lab– For new type of area development and participation

• How to reinvent the city– And the role of government, civil society and business

WhoDRIFT (Dutch Research Institute for Transitions)• Research Institute Erasmus University• Research and consultancy societal transitions• Interdisciplinary and cross sectoral research, education and

experimental governance

Hogeschool Rotterdam • Lectoraat Gebiedsontwikkeling & Transitiemanagement• Research and education new forms of area development• Integral approach sectors, life-cycle fases, sustainability

and economy

THE TRANSITION PERSPECTIVE

Symptoms of unsustainability

Signs of transition

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Transition = regime change

Long-term (one or two generations) fundamental change of structure, culture and practices in a societal (sub)system

– culture: collective set of values, norms, perspectives (shared orientation), paradigms

– structure: physical infrastructure, economic infrastructure, institutions, rules, regulations, collective routines

– practices: behavior, operation, implementation

Periodic, non-linear systemic shift common in ecological and socio-economic systems

Paradigm to analyse and influence complex societal change

Transition levelsMacro-level: landscapeSustainability, ICT, ageing population, economic crisis

Meso-level: regimeGrowth orientation, planning, specilisation, top-downMicro-level: niches innovative ideas, projects, technologies, niche actorsBased on Geels and Kemp, 2001

Transition phases

predevelopmenttipping phase

reconfiguration

stabilisation

Based on Rotmans et al, 2001

Sustainable Society?

enhanced lock-in

decline

Time

Urban transitions

Transitions in (Urban) Area Development

1950-1990 Government driven focused on building production

1990-2010 Governance driven focused on development profits

2010- Participation driven focussed on dealing with temporality

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Transitions in governance

1950-1980 Government creates society top-down

1980-2000 Governments facilitates markets and formal participation

2000- Governance with increased civil society initiative

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Rotterdam’s current regime

• Fossile, stoney and large scale– Little diversity, green and small scale

• Blueprints, plans and project development– Planned city made by professionals

• Always changing, rebuilding, destroying and doing– Little vision, reflection, learning and balance

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Vision city development

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Luchtsingel

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Elements

• Pedestrian bridge• Dakakker• Parkpompenburg

• Boxingschool

• Hofbogendak• ‘Accelerating’

development (‘aanzwengelen’)

• ‘Communication-platform’

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Luchtsingel was elected by cross-section of the citizens

New ‘burgerpanel’ survey indicates supportfrom citizens of allage groups, educational levelsand ethnicities

Source: uitslag verkiezingen Stadsinitiatief / analyse COS

Why this research

• Research into impact of all city initiatives

• Learning for policy innovation, area development and next phase Luchtsingel

• Reorienting complex spatial development Central District

How: methods

Combination of methods (triangulation):• Previous studies/date• Interviews• Questionnaires (firms in the area, citizens)• Documentanalysis

– Plans, policy documents– Media analysis, online blogs and debates

• Expert- & stakeholder session

4 stories + 2 reflections

• Story of gradual area transformation• Story of city branding and image

• Reflection from the perspective of area development

• Story of civil society initiative on major scale• Story of doubt and criticism

• Reflection from new governance perspective

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PERSPECTIVE AREA DEVELOPMENT

Gradual area transformation

• Strong bottom-up development in the area, driven by a vision on long-term value development

• Luchtsingel builds upon, connects and accelerates these developments

• Crucial question whether Luchtsingel sustains and strengthens local scale bottom-up initiative or creates springboard for next phase of a new type of area development

AREA

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T

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Source: ZUS

Question to firms in the area:How big do you estimate the impacts of the Luchtsingel are on the local economy and real estate prices now and in the coming years?AR

EA D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

Majority of local firms observes and expects impact….

Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

…in different waysAR

EA D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

Tangible indicators for economic impact and future development:• Co-investment

– Lower than originally proposed

• Spin-offs– Already visible on modest scale

• Expectations turn-over growth local firms– Over 80% expects positive impact on business in area,

40% on own firm.

Indicators for impact LSAR

EA D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

expected effect on own firm’s turn-over and/or value

Indicators for impact LSAR

EA D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

Source: DRIFT/online survey local firms

Iconic function?

Broad impact across various media– Traditional and new professional media– General media (paper, TV, internet)

Various target groups– Urban planning and project development (office space

location)– Tourism– Creative industry

Talk of the townAREA

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T

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Awareness in city IM

PACT Citizen panel: do you know

the city initiative of the Luchtsingel?

Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

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CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PERSPECTIVE

Stadsinitiatief: citizen participation on enormous scale

• Adaptive Luchtsingel versus ‘one-shot’ Stadsinitiatief

• Larger scale means more impact? – Emphasis on elections– Initiative in the public space– Different phases and scales of participation

• Before and after elections• City and direct areaCI

TIZE

N P

ARTI

CIPA

TIO

N

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Citizen’s satisfaction with LSCI

TIZE

N P

ARTI

CIPA

TIO

N

Question to citizen panel: how satisfied are you with the Stadsinitiatief LS?

Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

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Local firms see unique opportunities

Local firms on Stadsinitiatief:

CITI

ZEN

PAR

TICI

PATI

ON

The approach has resulted in a positive change, which conventional parties could not have realised

The approach is a good way to develop from citizen’s initiatives

Source: DRIFT / online survey local firms

Doubts and criticism

• Very diverse criticisms, both on Stadsinitiatief and Luchtsingel

• Broader debates can be considered form of impact– Well-founded debates and criticisms related to governance and area

development, spending public money

• Extreme expectations and ambitious-realistic plan– Polarising all-or-nothing debate– Enormuous ‘public participation’ budget, but quite modest ‘public-space’

budget, no iconic budget

• Seemingly toned-down plan because of budget control• Perception of only ‘elite’ support, at least not true for

votersDO

UBT

S AN

D C

RITI

CISM

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Dissatisfied Rotterdammers voted differently or not…

DO

UBT

S AN

D C

RITI

CISM AGREE DISAGREE

“LS has no added value for the city”

Those who voted for LS

Those who did not vote

Those who voted different

Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

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REFLECTIONS

Transition in Urban Area Development

• Move away from a process of city-making to city-being• Although cities will keep growing in numbers of

inhabitants, workers and visitors, most of the real estate is already built

• Development turns into redevelopment as (vacant) supply, such as office-buildings, does not match demand

• Temporary use is key in the redevelopment process of a city district; keeping it alive and altering it’s image

• Temporary use allows start-ups and creative class to A-locations they otherwise could not afford and, as such, supporting their growthAREA

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T

Lessons from the Luchtsingel• Investment in urban infrastructure might lead to a dispersal of scarce

property development potential, yet it stimulates bottom-up urban development

• Involvement of professional civil-servants is essential for success

• Investments in city-making upfront prevent districts from ‘dying’ during a lengthy redevelopment process

• Investments in public space can be kick-starter of a bottom-up regeneration process, rather than as finally spending some of the development’s profit

AREA

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T

Participatory governance?• Unorthodox approach created breakthrough

– Working SMART and based on consensus could not have

• Local government internally divided and confused– Participating, ´gedogen´, facilitating, directing, legitimizing, blocking, …?

• Underestimated potential for learning and experimenting– More a continuous struggle

• Area developing coalition sub-optimal– Low-levels of participation and transparency in the process

• Luchtsingel as experiment demonstrates potential– But also the need for synergetic top-down and bottom-up forces

NEW

GO

VERN

ANCE

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Conclusions

• Luchtsingel exemplifies the dilemmas and possibilities of a new style urban area development

• Luchtsingel connects, strengthens, opens up

• Impact already noticeable, expectations for the future high and ambiguous

• New phase requires broader vision and new style of governance

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Conclusions

• Government struggles with participation if not supporting policy

• Participatory governance requires redefining every role as well as playing multiple roles

• Stadsinitiatief should be complemented by other (smaller scale) innovative instruments

• Rotterdam should more consciously organize and experiment with such spaces as urban transition labs

Thank you for your attention

Voor meer informatie en publicaties:loorbach@drift.eur.nlwww.drift.eur.nlwww.ksinetwork.orgwww.twitter.com/drk75

zomerhof/ ZoHo

“PlanMER”

CentralDistrict(structuurvisie)

C.S. kwartier(buurt) Oostelijk

Central District

Luchtsingelgebied

Shelltoren

Hof-bogen

Schie-kadeblok

Schieblock

proveniersstraat

StedebouwkundigPlan 2007 RCD

Noord(wijk)

Centrum(wijk)

Rubroek(buurt)

Agniesebuurt(buurt)

Provenierswijk(buurt)

Delfsepoort

PompenburgCentraal Station

Diverse afbakeningen

Source: various project plans and policies

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Enquete gebied

Source: KvK (own grouping of categories)