Bridging the social divide? Reflections on current Dutch neighbourhood policy

Abstract

Current Dutch urban policy has opted for a focused approach to solve urban social problems. The Minister of 'Housing, Neighbourhoods and Integration' aims at tackling social deprivation and liveability problems in a limited number of neighbourhoods. Several assumptions underpin the policy ambitions: e.g., a strong interrelationship between social deprivation and liveability; a clear social and spatial divide in Dutch society; and extra negative effects of problem accumulation. In this paper, these assumptions are tested. It is concluded that the two types of problems are in fact unrelated; targeting a limited number of neighbourhoods does not effectively address social deprivation. Furthermore, there is yet insufficient research to support the idea that there would be extra negative effects associated with an accumulation of social deprivation and liveability problems. © The Author(s) 2009.