Could the Netherlands build its way out of the housing crisis with ten entirely new cities? The idea was one of D66’s major election promises, but it did not survive coalition negotiations. Still, with hundreds of thousands of new homes needed, the question remains: should the Netherlands consider building entirely new cities? We asked ten experts from academia and practice.
Families stuck in unsuitable homes, tenants moving from one short-term rental to the next, young professionals still living in their parents’ attics: the housing crisis takes many forms in the Netherlands, especially in larger cities.
It’s easy to see the appeal of D66’s proposal, say architecture professor Fransje Hooimeijer (TU Delft) and urban economist Jeroen van Haaren (Erasmus University Rotterdam).
The researchers, both affiliated with the Resilient Delta initiative, have teamed up to examine the idea of building ten new cities. In a research report they are currently writing, they explore where new cities could be built if climate change and economy factors were genuinely balanced in development choices.
More than housing
There are plenty of complications. 'The Netherlands is not a blank canvas,' Hooimeijer explains. Land that looks suitable for development on a map may already serve as farmland, a nature reserve or a floodwater storage area. Soil conditions and water systems also need to be taken into account.
And even if a location can be found, Van Haaren adds, a new city needs more than homes. 'People need places to live, work, study and spend their free time. That means thinking about infrastructure and making sure a city has access to water and energy supplies.'
Building for a changing climate
A city built today should still be livable decades, and even centuries, from now. Rising temperatures, heavier rainfall, drought, land subsidence and sea-level rise all need to be factored into its design. Climate-resilient construction is technically possible, but expensive.
That raises difficult questions about financing. Who should pick up the bill for the measures needed to protect a new city against future climate risks? And how can housing remain affordable, rather than becoming a privilege for those who can afford to pay more?
It also raises questions about the long-term future of the country, one that policymakers are increasingly struggling with. Should new housing be built close to existing economic centers, where climate vulnerabilities are higher? Or should more investment be steered towards locations with more resilient soil and water conditions, yet farther from these economic cores?
10 experts weigh in
At the Resilient Delta initiative’s Finance Solutions for a Resilient Delta expert meeting on June 9 in Delft, Hooimeijer and Van Haaren led a workshop examining the proposal with researchers and professionals from different fields.
We asked ten participants to weigh in. Many do not see building new cities as a sustainable solution to the housing shortage. Jan Kadijk, Knowledge & Innovation Manager at the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC), calls the plan a “fast-food solution” to the housing crisis. He and several other experts argue that the Netherlands should first look more closely at existing cities, where there is still considerable potential to create more housing.
Here’s what the ten experts had to say.
About the 10 experts
- Fransje Hooimeijer is a professor of Delta Urbanism at TU Delft
- Jeroen van Haaren is a senior researcher in Urban and Regional Economics at Erasmus University
- Bouke de Vries is an independent climate finance expert and advisor
- Hidde van Beek is an urban designer at Defactor Urbanism
- Emanuel Ubert is an assistant professor of Strategic Manegement at Erasmus University
- Martine Rutten is a researcher and educator in water resources management and climate adaptation at TU Delft
- Laura Thomas is a PhD researcher on soil-inclusive spatial planning and design at TU Delft
- Zac Taylor is an assistant professor of Urban Climate Risk & Resilience at TU Delft
- Jan Kadijk is Manager of Knowledge & Innovation at the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC)
- Simone Rots is Managing Director of the International New Town Institute (INTI)
- More information
Press related questions?
Please contact Laura van Gelder via laura.vangelder@eur.nl or phone: +31(0)6 253 307 44.
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