1. 22 april 2014, theater Zuidplein Rotterdam
prof. dr. Derk Loorbach
R. van Raak, M. Verhagen, M. Lodder
G.J. Peek, M. Meijer
Learning from the Luchtsingel

2. 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
20-5-2014

3. Who
DRIFT (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

4. THE TRANSITION PERSPECTIVE

5. Symptoms of unsustainability

6. Signs of transition
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7. 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

8. Transition levels
Macro-level: landscape
Sustainability, ICT, ageing
population, economic crisis
Meso-level: regime
Growth orientation,
planning, specilisation, top-
down
Micro-level: niches
innovative ideas, projects,
technologies, niche actors
Based on Geels and Kemp, 2001

9. Transition phases
predevelopment
tipping phase
reconfiguration
stabilisation
Based on Rotmans et al, 2001
Sustainable
Society?
enhanced lock-in
decline
Time

10. Urban transitions

11. 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

12. 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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13. 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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14. Vision city development
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15. 20-5-2014

16. Luchtsingel
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18. Elements
• Pedestrian bridge
• Dakakker
• Parkpompenburg
• Boxingschool
• Hofbogendak
• ‘Accelerating’
development
(‘aanzwengelen’)
• ‘Communication-
platform’
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19. Luchtsingel was elected by cross-section
of the citizens
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New ‘burgerpanel’
survey indicates
support
from citizens of all
age groups,
educational levels
and ethnicities
Source: uitslag verkiezingen Stadsinitiatief
/ analyse COS

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. PERSPECTIVE AREA DEVELOPMENT
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24. 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
AREADEVELOPMENT

25. 20-5-2014
Source: ZUS

26. 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?
AREADEVELOPMENT Majority of local firms observes and
expects impact….
Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

27. …in different ways
AREADEVELOPMENT
Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

28. 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 LS
AREADEVELOPMENT

29. expected effect on own firm’s turn-over and/or value
Indicators for impact LS
AREADEVELOPMENT
Source: DRIFT/online survey local firms

30. 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 town
AREADEVELOPMENT

31. Awareness in city
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IMPACT
Citizen panel: do you know
the city initiative of the
Luchtsingel?
Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

32. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
PERSPECTIVE
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33. 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 area
CITIZENPARTICIPATION

34. Citizen’s satisfaction with LS
20-5-2014
CITIZENPARTICIPATION
Question to citizen panel: how satisfied are you with the Stadsinitiatief LS?
Source: Burgerpanel gem. R’dam/COS

35. Local firms see unique opportunities
Local firms on Stadsinitiatief:
20-5-2014
CITIZENPARTICIPATION
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

36. 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
voters
DOUBTSANDCRITICISM

37. Dissatisfied Rotterdammers voted
differently or not…
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DOUBTSANDCRITICISM
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

38. REFLECTIONS
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39. 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 growth
AREADEVELOPMENT

40. 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
AREADEVELOPMENT

41. 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
NEWGOVERNANCE

42. 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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43. 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
20-5-2014

44. Thank you for your attention
Voor meer informatie en publicaties:
loorbach@drift.eur.nl
www.drift.eur.nl
www.ksinetwork.org
www.twitter.com/drk75

45. zomerhof
/ ZoHo
“PlanMER”
Central
District
(structuurvisie)
C.S. kwartier
(buurt) Oostelijk
Central District
Luchtsingel
gebied
Shell
toren
Hof-
bogen
Schie-
kadeblok
Schie
block
Stedebouwkundig
Plan 2007 RCD
Noord
(wijk)
Centrum
(wijk)
Rubroek
(buurt)
Agniesebuurt
(buurt)
Provenierswijk
(buurt)
Delfsepoort
Pompenburg
Centraal Station
Diverse afbakeningen
Source: various project plans and policies

46. 20-5-2014
Enquete gebied
Source: KvK (own grouping of categories)