Co-creation to measure what matters: The case of Venserpolder, Amsterdam

Abstract

In light of widening urban inequalities, the use of top-down policy approaches and narrowly defined economic indicators is criticized for overlooking broader and divergent well-being needs, in objective and subjective terms. Despite growing calls for a human-centered and multidimensional approach to urban policy, there is a dearth in empirical research addressing required instruments. This paper presents a pilot study in which citizens identify broader well-being indicators and co-create a local policy instrument (Wellbeing Dashboard) in Venserpolder, a marginalized Amsterdam neighborhood. A transferable bottom-up method is derived, entailing co-creation, face-to-face surveys and experimental dialogs, that supports citizen empowerment. Findings indicate how the process empowers citizens through social learning and capacity building. Moreover, the Wellbeing Dashboard provides credible data on well-being needs and priorities, otherwise ill-captured in formal economic indicators, and facilitates citizen empowerment once embedded in policy practice.