Re-imagining Amsterdam new west: improving resident satisfaction through adaptive reuse of Christian religious heritage

Abstract

This report researches the adaptive reuse of Christian religious heritage to improve resident satisfaction in Amsterdam New West. As the adherents of Christian denominations are decreasing in Western nations, the contemporary use of Christian religious heritage is becoming one of the greatest challenges of sustainable development. The resident satisfaction is determined every two years in neighborhoods in Amsterdam and Amsterdam New West has annually the lowest resident satisfaction. This study employs a qualitative interview method, using the Ballarat Imagine method, where local residents are asked to envision their surroundings from a positive perspective. The participants' referenced attributes are classification in the qualitative Value Framework by Pereira Roders. The conducted interviews and analysis led to the following conclusion. When establishing a strategy for adaptive reuse of Christian religious heritage in Geuzenveld-Slotermeer and Osdorp, the following attributes should be retained and enhanced: the greenery, the multiculturality, the peace, the interaction with others. In the same strategy attention should be given to the attributes that residents need, such as safety, generational harmony and diversity in shops and facilities.