We Understand Urban Complexity

TRANSFORMING CITIES

Our world is changing rapidly and unpredictably. Cities need to tackle different major transitions and challenges, while often dealing with existing areas with dispersed property and many differing interests. This cannot be solved with traditional (top-down) processes and tools anymore.

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Smart & Collaborative

NEW APPROACHES

We need a new and resilient way of working: one that is highly integral and adaptive over time and actively engages all different big and small stakeholders as structural collaboration partners.

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Tested and Proven in Amsterdam

METHOD & TOOLKIT

Our unique and award-winning method and toolkit were tested and proven during ten years of research and on-the-ground pioneering in one of Amsterdam’s largest and most complex transformation areas. We are now working with various other public and private urban clients.

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HOW IT WORKS

Our approach is multi-thematic, multi-stakeholder and incremental and adaptive over time. It is about constant observing, envisioning, back-casting, prototyping, engaging, testing and adjusting. We progress step by step towards our big goals while communicating our progress with the outside world and growing an increasingly strong collective with a shared sense of ownership about the area.

AMSTERDAM CASE

In 2010 we unsolicitedly adopted a large office district in Amsterdam. The municipality had to withdraw her top-down redevelopment plans and struggled to activate the many existing owners and stakeholders. Starting as a small bottom-up initiative, the size and impact evolved structurally. The increasingly strong and diverse local collective worked on urban visions, challenges and concrete projects. Social relations were built, alliances created and collective investments unlocked. Results were safeguarded in local governance structures and a new online platform.