Social housing in the Netherlands: The development of the Dutch social housing model

The Dutch model of social rental housing is often seen as a good practice for other European coun-tries. This is due to the fact that the Dutch social rental sector has a large size, offers dwellings of a relatively good quality and functions without receiving substantial subsidies. However, current poli-cies, both at the European and the...

The integrated renewal of Amsterdam’s Bijlmermeer high-rise

In recent years, there has been a growing interest all over the world in improving the large housing estates of the 1960s and 1970s. Highrise estates are associated with problematic living conditions, deprived areas, isolated locations, a poor population, a negative image, social isolation, pollution and crime. In short: they are not the most...

Demolition in Europe: Volume, motives and research approach

What determines the life span of dwellings? Much is known about the initial phase of buildings. The vast majority of scientific knowledge is concentrated on the building initiative, the programming, design and in particular the construction. Knowledge about the utilization phase, including management, transformation and redesign is growing. But...

Taxing land for urban containment: Reflections on a Dutch debate

Excessive land use regulations aimed at containing urban sprawl have been criticised, because they may overcompensate for the external effects of uncontrolled greenfield development and contribute to stagnation in house building. Taxes on building in green spaces may be an instrument for balancing urban growth and the protection of the landscape...

Developing geographic information infrastructure: The role of information policies

Within information societies, information availability is a key issue affecting societyâs well being. The infrastructure underlying the foundation of the information society may be referred to as the information infrastructure. A geographic information infrastructure (GII) supports the information infrastructure with regard to geographic...

Spatial data infrastructure and policy development in Europe and the United States

Many national governments throughout the world are involved in developing spatial data infrastructures (SDI) to facilitate the availability of information in such a way that the needs of the agencies, organization, citizens, commerce, and society in general are met. This book covers some of the most prevalent policy issues evolving around...