Commercial Gentrification in the Netherlands Sjoerd Niels De Vries
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Commercial gentrification in the Netherlands Sjoerd Niels de Vries S1914278 April 24, 2017 Economic Geography Faculty of Spatial Sciences University of Groningen Supervisor: dr. S. Koster Index Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Theoretical framework .................................................................................................... 7 Static indicators ................................................................................................................................... 7 Dynamic indicators .............................................................................................................................. 8 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................... 9 Shift in sectors ................................................................................................................................... 10 Shift in size ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Local oriented business ..................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................................... 14 Focus area: an introduction .............................................................................................................. 14 Focus area: selection of neighbourhoods ......................................................................................... 14 Quantitative approach ...................................................................................................................... 14 Qualitative approach ........................................................................................................................ 15 Levels of scale .................................................................................................................................... 15 Research method .............................................................................................................................. 16 Stage model of gentrification: earlier studies ...................................................................................... 16 Stage model of gentrification: this research ........................................................................................ 17 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................. 18 Approach ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 4: Results .............................................................................................................................. 21 Amsterdam ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Selection of neighbourhoods ............................................................................................................. 21 Combining a stage model .................................................................................................................. 21 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................. 23 Rotterdam ......................................................................................................................................... 26 Selection of neighbourhoods ............................................................................................................. 26 Combining a stage model .................................................................................................................. 27 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................. 28 The Hague .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Selection of neighbourhoods ............................................................................................................. 31 Combining a stage model .................................................................................................................. 31 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................. 32 Utrecht .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Selection of neighbourhoods ............................................................................................................. 35 2 Combining a stage model .................................................................................................................. 35 Commercial gentrification ................................................................................................................. 36 Analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Sectoral shift : differences in sectoral activity per stag ......................................................................... 39 Sectoral shift : differences in sectoral activity between cities ................................................................ 41 Shift in size....................................................................................................................................... 43 Local business dynamics ................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 5: Conclusion and limitations ........................................................................................... 47 Limitations of the research................................................................................................................ 48 References ........................................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix .............................................................................................................................................. 53 3 Chapter 1: Introduction “Hundreds of protesters attacked a cereal cafe in east London on Saturday night … the owners of the cafe, which has been seen by some as a symbol of inequality in east London, said on Sunday that the attack left customers including children terrified for their lives (Khomami and Halliday, 2015)”. In order to create stability in a neighbourhood, urban policy makers have to protect low-grade business to secure the 'original identity’ (Ferm, 2016). An example of how things can escalate found place in London. In 2015, a huge riot took place at the Cereal killer café, a shop which sells bowls of cereals at heavy prices in a poor area of East-London. A protester of the demonstration expressed later: “It’s our fault, artists like me go to these kind of areas, then the architects follow, the developers, the hipsters etcetera (Khomami and Halliday, 2015)”. Gentrification, “the process of renewal and rebuilding, accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents (Merriam Webster, 2016)”, can be interpreted in several ways. As illustrated by the example of the Cereal Killer Café, stakeholders in the gentrifying process oppose the phenomenon with different kind of views (Atkinson and Bridge, 2005). Kennedy and Leonard (2001) underline this, describing gentrification is ‘producing some positive outcomes, some negative outcomes, and many outcomes that are positive for some and negative for others (p.4)’. The best example for this statement can be found in the rise of property- values as a result of gentrification. These increasing property rates can be stated as a positive development, since welfare is growing in general. On the contrary, this does also generate a loss in affordable housing for vulnerable groups in the area along (Atkinson and Bridge, 2005). This topic is a major problem in big metropoles (NOS Nieuwsuur, 2016). Especially in Berlin, this effect is a common issue. In the last five years, population has increased with 200.000 new inhabitants, compared to an increase in housing stock with just 35.000 new apartments. In addition, these new houses are not affordable for people with an average salary, since housing prices have risen exceedingly (NOS, 2016). Besides, gentrification is also visible in smaller cities. Just one example is the city of Oakland, which also became commonly known by the song ‘Tech $’ written by rapper Zumbi (NRC Handelsblad, 2016): “It's happening to me / I am moving my whole family … tech money, tech money”. Examples like these describe the major impact of gentrification; displacement of residents. Displacement can be characterized as an involuntary movement based on economic- or social factors, since residents have small influence in directing these processes. As Keating (2000) stresses, residential displacement starts