City of Rotterdam

The City of Rotterdam is partner of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Rotterdam can be regarded as a laboratory with many (new) social developments. It is a city with a wide diversity of social challenges and ESSB researchers engage with the city by sharing and developing new knowledge for wicked urban problems.

Knowledge Labs

ESSB is closely involved in the Knowledge Labs, which consists of researchers of various disciplines and representatives of the City of Rotterdam and other knowledge institutions. The Knowledge Labs relate to the knowledge questions of the City of Rotterdam.

Liveable Neighbourhoods
The Knowledge Lab Liveable Neighbourhoods aims to improve the quality of neighbourhoods in Rotterdam. The knowledge Lab deliberately uses existing knowledge and experiences in the field of improving liveability. Thus knowledge is co-created.
Contact: dr. ir. Beitske Boonstra (coordinator), prof.dr. Godfried Engbersen, Vivian Visser
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Rotterdam Talent
This Knowledge Lab focuses on contributing to the development of knowledge of talented people in the city. Moreover, the Knowledge Lab stimulates the exchange and application of this knowledge, which contributes to improving the quality of education policy and the practice of education in the city.
Contact: drs. Tom Tudjman & dr. Jacqueline Schenk
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Urban Big Data
How to increase the valuable use of big data? What is needed to enable this and which risks are at play? Which data are available and how reliable are they? What about privacy? The Knowledge Lab Urban Big Data looks into these and other questions.

Contact: dr. Rebecca Moody
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Urban Labour Market
The labour market is perhaps the biggest challenge of Rotterdam, as offer and demand do not correspond. Therefore, the City of Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam have founded the Knowledgde Lab Urban Labour Market.
Contact: prof.dr. Menno Fenger
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Erasmus Smart Port
In response to the Port of Rotterdam's need for solid knowledge, Erasmus University has gathered its maritime and port-related research and education in SmartPort@Erasmus, the center of excellence offering port-related education and research.

Contact: prof.dr. Harry Geerlings
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Healthy'R
Healthy‘R is the knowledgde centre of the City of Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The goal is to help citizens of Rotterdam choose healthier behaviour.
Contact: prof.dr. Semiha Denktas
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Child Poverty Research Program
The Child Poverty Research Program is a collaboration between Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp, the municipality of Rotterdam, Hogeschool Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam. In the program, research will be conducted into the effectiveness of interventions and professional action, aimed at children growing up in poverty.
This unique collaboration provides a new connection between science, policy and practice in the field of child poverty and is led by Prof. Dr. Nicole Lucassen (EUR) and Dr. Mariëtte Lusse (lector Kinderarmoede, Hogeschool Rotterdam).
More information see press release
Contact: Marjolein Kooistra, EUR; Anouk Erkelens, Municipality of Rotterdam; Floortje van Ree, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
GOVLAB010
EUR and the City of Rotterdam want to jointly move forward on themes that are crucial to Rotterdam. The transition to a sustainable city, to a city without division, to a growing city, to a healthy city. These transitions require new forms of governance. How can the city organize itself so that social changes can be managed effectively?
Contact: Hans Joosse, MSc | Prof. Dr. Arwin van Buuren
Kenniswerkplaats Organisaties in een slimme stad continues under the banner of GOVLAB010.
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Organisaties in een slimme stad
The municipality of Rotterdam and the Department of Public Administration and Sociology of Erasmus University Rotterdam have signed a cooperation agreement on the theme of organizational development.
As part of this agreement, the City of Rotterdam is funding a PhD student on the topic of 'Democratic renewal and civil service professionalism' and an employee of the City will write a dissertation as an external PhD student on the topic of 'Publieke organisation en verandercapaciteit'.

As an extension of both projects, there will also be room for 2 internships for master's students each year for the next four years.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Bram Steijn
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