Urban renewal policies in the Netherlands in an era of changing welfare regimes

Abstract

In The Netherlands, post-war urban renewal policies have emerged under the influence of various welfare regimes. Corporatist and social democratic regimes promoted social justice, social cohesion, inclusion and redistribution of income; urban renewal policies stimulated social mix and area-based interventions. Both public and market partners and residents were involved. Liberal ideas became increasingly explicit from the 1990s, and became dominant after 2010. Individuality, ‘citizens own responsibility’, and cuts in public services were leading objectives. Private investors and entrepreneurs were leading the renewal, facilitated by the state. In this paper we focus on the most recent policies and their effects.