Urban shrinkage, as predicted for Schouwen-Duiveland, leads to a less attractive living environment and is seen as a burden rather than a potential, often resulting in an aim for unrealistic growth. The recommended context-specific approach is spatially underdeveloped and takes too little account of the distant future. This project therefore generates a spatial approach for the acceptance of urban shrinkage in Schouwen-Duiveland, making use of the local qualities in order to show that shrinkage can also offer opportunities. The local qualities in the case of Schouwen-Duiveland are heritage to guarantee the quality of life and the increasing target groups, holidaymakers and the elderly, to maintain a certain degree of liveliness. Since shrinkage is a nuanced phenomenon and a zoom was needed to illustrate the interventions, three different types of interdependent settlements were examined. The shrinking and highly regarded Brouwershaven has the most complex and extensive approach. In the event that Brouwershaven shrinks extremely, the pre-war buildings can be used as an elderly or holiday home, the expansion neighborhoods can be demolished, freeing up space to restore the historic fortifications. In this way, shrinkage does not have to be a disastrous development and added value can even be created. Shrinkage thus certainly does not have to be imposed, but it is useful to take such a possible future into account now and to have flexible interventions ready.

The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA) is characterized by its strong performing economy and its high liveability standards, making the region an attractive place to live and work in. However, the AMA’s spatial structure and social geography have come under increased pressure. Unprecedented population growth as well as economic activity is concentrated within the AMA’s epicentre, and dichotomies in the social fabric are becoming more evident. Simultaneously, the region’s natural landscape is under threat due to fragmentation of green space, and an increase of the built-up environment, especially in Amsterdam. In order to relieve pressure from the AMA’s epicentre while preserving the original landscape, flows of working and living environments need to be redistributed, and new ways of arranging the local economy and the built environment need to be uncovered. To achieve this, this report suggests a more polycentric structure for the AMA, while also drawing upon the knowledge economy as an economic system that is more inclusive and may facilitate the dispersion of population and economic pressure on the region’s epicentre. In order to accommodate the AMA’s growing population, this report suggests the implementation of the ‘built environment as a service’, a more circular approach of utilizing (existing) space. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of Almere is presented in which location-specific strategies are articulated to make the region more economically competitive, resource-efficient, and liveable.