During the G5 debate at PROVADA, the directors of area development at Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven will speak with each other about the current state of urban development and housing – with one central question: what innovation is needed to accelerate housing delivery effectively?

The challenge is clear and urgent: 100,000 new-build homes per year. But in daily practice, it is proving difficult to turn plans into implementation. Municipalities are facing ever higher requirements for area development while, at the same time, there is a significant shortage of people and financial resources. In addition, development tasks are often not organised with sufficient rigour. Plans stall in the feasibility stage due to the accumulation of requirements, civil servants who allow themselves to be guided by political dynamics, lack of funding, and the fact that clear choices and direction from the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf are lacking. Over the past years, extensive efforts have been made to build a large pipeline of plans, but progress has stalled when it comes to bringing these plans to realisation. At the moment, mainly more locations are being added: from 17 NOVEX areas to 21 large-scale housing locations, and now also another 24 breakthrough locations. But the large “soft” pipeline of plans can lead to fragmentation and may even cause delays. When everything is given priority, nothing is. What is missing is a consistent, co-ordinated direction to keep pushing forward.

The coalition agreement says it is time to “get started” and the G5 debate comes at the right moment. The G5 directors share inspiration, learn from each other’s approaches and explore whether they can formulate a clear call to the market and the public sector together: what do municipalities really need in order to deliver? Evelyn Rademaker (partner Fakton Executives) joins as an expert for a critical assessment. As the originator of the Parallel Plannen approach, she will challenge the G5 on what works and what does not work in today’s practice. The aim is to draw lessons from the urban reality, so that experiments are refined into standard solutions. The debate is moderated by Michael Hesp (director Fakton Consultancy). A special moment is that Erik Faber (partner Fakton Development), after eight G5 debates, is stepping down from the organisation and looking back on the themes that have been covered.

As a public participant, during this debate you will gain the latest insights into what is really going on at municipalities and area development directors: where they get stuck, where they do achieve results, and which process innovations offer promising perspectives. Think of experiments and methods such as ‘Gewoon Goed’ (Amsterdam), the Utrecht approach and Fast Track (Utrecht), and nationwide initiatives such as Parallel Plannen. There is also room for interaction: you can ask questions, think along with the panel and exchange experiences. Whether you work for a municipality, a market party, a housing association, a consultancy or the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf: this is the moment to hear what practice really requires – and to join the conversation that matters.

Richard Emmerink

Sessions

Accelerating means prioritising and following through! The G5 on leadership for housing delivery