Meeting the British Housing Challenge: Dutch Experiences and Reflections

摘要

Housing is back on the Dutch national policy agenda, where it has been absent for 20 years or so. Moreover, housing raises much debate at the local level as well. Which current issues are of concern? Some of them are specifically Dutch, while others are shared with Britain and other European countries. This article begins by providing some comparisons between the Netherlands and Britain, focusing on current issues which might illuminate the British housing debate. It provides background on the Dutch housing market, and analyses the main challenges in creating better housing, and thus a better city in general. The major challenges are seen to be dealing with the dynamics in society, and with increasing diversity at all levels of scale; with consequent implications for governance processes.