From pig barn to family apartment?

Abstract

In 2022, the Netherlands are confronted by two major problems: a housing shortage and an excess of nitrogen emissions. This excess of nitrogen emissions is primarily the result of livestock farms, which cause problems in close proximity to Natura 2000 areas. The housing- and nitrogen crises are intertwined because certain housing developments had to be halted or delayed in order to reduce nitrogen emissions.
Both crises have sparked intense debate and discord in Dutch society, leading to the government's decision to create a buyout policy for farmers. The current government's top priority is to resolve these crises, but it has not yet been able to implement effective solutions. This study explored a supporting solution for both the housing- and nitrogen crises by investigating why housing developments on livestock farm locations are not commonly utilized as such in the Netherlands, and how such developments can be made more viable for farmers, municipalities and real-estate developers. As replacing livestock farms with housing seems such an obvious strategy. This experimental study employs qualitative methods, including interviews, desk research, literature reviews, and two case studies. In addition, a research internship has been concluded, during which experimental development cases on two livestock farm locations were carried out. Following the research methodology, a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities of developing housing on livestock farm locations has been formed. As well as an understanding of the legal-, social-, governmental-, and financial aspects of developing housing on livestock farm locations. It has been concluded that housing developments on livestock farm locations are currently viable and should be more prevalent. However, due to the complexity and (political) sensitivity, stakeholders are hesitant to develop housing on livestock farm locations. As ‘regular’ housing developments are complex enough in the current Dutch climate. The research has resulted in a final advisory document to aid in the development of housing on livestock farm locations. The advisory document describes how the context of housing developments on livestock farm locations can be made more viable, plus gives practical advice on how a housing development on a livestock farm location can be made into a viable proposition for a real-estate developer.