Urban Transformation
Until the 1980s urban renewal in the Netherlands was traditionally based on a collaboration between government agencies and nonprofit housing corporations. In the 1990s, as the focus shifted to the renewal of postwar neighborhoods, and changes in housing policies allowed nonprofit housing corporations to operate independently of government agencies, nonprofit housing corporations gained significant control over urban renewal. In their effort to create market rate housing, in addition to subsidized housing, the housing coporations sought development partners with a track record in for profit commercial real estate. At present, private developers have become major players in the transformation of the urban landscape.
In 2005-2006 I worked for Bouwfonds MAB, one of the largest developers of housing and commercial real estate in the Netherlands. The firm is active throughout Europe. In 2005 Bouwfonds MAB sold almost 12,000 new homes, and started construction on 1.1 million square feet of commercial real estate.
I served with the Amsterdam office as development director (ontwikkelingsmanager) on a number of large multi-faceted projects in Amsterdam and Haarlem. The most prominent of these is a 13-acre site, occupied by a soccer club, adjacent to Amsterdam’s ring highway. Now nearing the start of construction, the project includes over 1,000 units of market rate and subsidized housing, parking garages, a school, youth center, and gymnasium. Two artificial grass soccer fields and a new clubhouse will form the heart of this new neighborhood.
LAAN
VAN SPARTAAN
Jan van Galen Sportpark, a former sports park (4 soccer fields, 2 gyms,
and a baseball field) located within the city of Amsterdam is being transformed
into a new multi-use neighborhood with approximately 1,000 units of mixed
income housing, parking garages to accomodate up to 1,020 cars, and 430,000
square feet of public and private amenities including retail, restaurant,
gym, and a youth center. more
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HAARLEM
023
A former sport fields in south Haarlem, a middle sized city approximately
12 miles west of Amsterdam will be tranformed into a neighborhood with
new housing, schools and offices. The project includes 520 units of housing–apartments
and single family homes–and 430,000 square feet of commercial space.
The masterplan was designed by Urhanh Urban Design. Bouwfonds MAB is partnered
with construction group BAM, Slokker Real Estate Development and the Woonmaatschappij,
a nonprofit housing corporation based in the Haarlem-Amsterdam region.
In 2005-2006 I represented Bouwfonds MAB in meetings with project partners and the City of Haarlem.
AUGUST
ALLEBÉPLEIN
August Allebéplein is a 1960s shopping mall located in the
Western Garden Cities of Amsterdam. The project aims to revitalize the
shopping mall, adding on new buildings including 32,000 sq ft of retail
space and 300 units of housing. The neighborhood is known for an accumulation
of socio-economic problems. Average household income is low, crime rates
are among the highest in the city and schools are faced with a high numbers
of drop outs. Urban renewal efforts are therefore combined with programs
to socially and economically strenghten the community. Bouwfonds MAB formed
a partnership with Ahold Real Estate. A spatial study was undertaken by the Architekten Cie. In 2005-2006 I worked, on behalf of Bouwfonds MAB, with the local borough and housing association to develop a feasible plan.