Visit from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

On Tuesday, 12 July, a group of young civil servants working for the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations visited our institute in Bern. We were happy to share some of the findings of the GoverDENSE project with policymakers from the Netherlands.

For two hours, we discussed how both countries deal with the challenge of implementing densification and other spatial development goals (including environmental goals such as reducing nitrogen). Afterwards, the exchange continued with a site visit to Holligen, a neighbourhood in Bern undergoing densification. Here, non-profit developers lead the housing development on public land through a ground lease. Holligen presents an example of how a municipality can ensure greater control over inner-city development. However, it also offers insights into the difficulties of making densification genuinely inclusive and socially sustainable.

We thank our guests, particularly Charlotte Lakerveld, for taking the initiative for this exchange.