Working-living mix: from urban development strategy to market initiatives

This research conceptualizes spatial mutations and innovative practices occurring in buildings, at the interface between housing, the labour market and urban development. These mutations emerge in a context affected by demographic changes, the advent of ICT and Internet in office work and homes, and the development of so-called “New Ways of Working.” These mutations take various forms, including the provision of shared spaces and services and the development of co-living concepts. Such developments originate not only from the market but also from the third sector and from the civil society. As a consequence, mixed-used developments and innovative housing concepts have been increasingly supported by local governments, either through urban development strategies or specific housing policies. This paper investigates pioneering and innovative experiences, which implement urban strategies targeting a close intertwining of working and living activities in transformation areas. The city of Amsterdam was chosen as a case study, given its peculiar spatial and housing policies and current trends going on in the Real Estate market, i.e. high housing pressure and fast recovery of the office market after the financial crisis. The methodology supporting this research is twofold. The first part consists of a policy analysis, aiming at building both a theoretical and an empirical body of knowledge of the working-living urban agenda, the urban development strategy and housing supply ambitions. The second part consists of a case-study analysis, with the purpose to collect evidence of working – living concepts, initiated by different types of organizations, and to confront them with the urban agenda. Most recently in Amsterdam, housing policy changes have been mainly driven by the municipality’s ambition to tackle the housing shortage, especially for middle-income households. On the spatial level, current urban planning strategies have been looking at the transformation of former harbour, industrial as well as office areas, into mixed-use neighbourhoods, as part of a global densification strategy, and further expansion of the housing supply. One case study was chosen among four typologies of innovative practices studied in Amsterdam to discuss tenure and functional mix issues. The partnership between the municipality and investors/developers to initiate the transformation process of a former mono-functional office area were analysed. The first development to be built will mostly provide middle-rental housing for starters and young couples. Apart from the program, the improvement of public space will be crucial to generate the initial impulse of quality needed in the neighbourhood. The implementation of the municipality’s vision in this project is discussed in order to better understand the tension between market forces, community needs, and long term vision of local governments. The four typologies investigated in Amsterdam were pioneering to some extent and emerged in different stages of the last financial crisis, so was the selected project. Through the analysis of these cases, we explore negotiation processes occurring in specific projects developed by local actors, thus considering the relation between urban vision and new developments from a dynamic and flexible perspective. The research underlines discussions on quality issues, tenure types and the mix of functions.