The Frisian Mienskip: Who Takes the Lead?
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The Frisian mienskip: who takes the lead? A qualitative research on place leadership in improving liveability in the province of Fryslân Master Thesis Socio-Spatial Planning René van Schepen, s2599627 Supervisor: prof. dr. L.G. Horlings University of Groningen – Faculty of Spatial Sciences Date: 16th of August 2019 Abstract Mienskip became a frequently used concept during the event European Capital of Culture Leeuwarden- Fryslân 2018. This ‘renewed’ concept of the Frisian community can be found in the rise of civic initiatives in the province, who take their responsibility in realizing certain ideas and needs regarding the liveability in their village. On the other hand, there is a certain governmental expectation towards the citizen involvement in the (local) spatial development. This thesis used this as a starting point to get an insight in how Frisian civic initiatives and governmental institutions take the lead in the improvement of the liveability in the province. After conducting a multiple-case study in four Frisian municipalities, there is tried to get an insight in the current course of events in Fryslân. In each case, a village coordinator and a member of a local civic initiative are interviewed to reveal the general relations between civic initiatives and governmental institutions in place-based development, place leadership and the mienskip. The following hypothesis, based on the theoretical framework, is being tested: a coalition, consisting of civic initiatives and a governmental institution, use place-based development as a means to improve the liveability in their spatial area with the help of the mienskip. The results of the multiple-case study indicated that civic initiatives take a more active lead in this process by their initiating role. Besides that, the municipalities have more facilitating role by means of their policy. Furthermore, the results indicated that both actors use place-based development in the improvement of the (local) liveability, but the results also indicated that there is no active coalition. Nevertheless, there is a certain co-production between the municipalities and civic initiatives which is expressed in the involvement of the local community, the mienskip, in this process. Keywords: Place-based development, place leadership, liveability, civic initiatives, mienskip, coalition planning. 1 Acknowledgements In this way, I would like to thank the following persons who helped and supported me throughout the process of writing this thesis. First of all, I want to thank my supervisor prof. dr. L.G. Horlings, who guided me during the supervision sessions and helped me by means of her feedback. Secondly, I would like to thank all the participants who participated in this study. I am grateful for their hospitality and the fact they offered their time and knowledge. Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends who supported me and showed their interest throughout this process. René van Schepen, 16th of August 2019, Groningen. 2 Table of contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................... 2 List of figures, tables and abbreviations.......................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Relevance ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Research questions ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research goal .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.5 Thesis outline .................................................................................................................................. 8 2. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Development in planning practice ........................................................................................................ 9 2.1.1 Development in planning theory .................................................................................................... 9 2.1.2 Development in Dutch (planning) policy ....................................................................................... 10 2.2 Place-based development ................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 What is place-based development? .............................................................................................. 11 2.2.2 Importance of place-based development ..................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Relation between place-based development and liveability......................................................... 12 2.3 Place leadership .................................................................................................................................. 13 2.3.1 What is place leadership? ............................................................................................................. 13 2.3.2 Role of governmental institutions ................................................................................................. 15 2.3.3 Role of citizens initiatives .............................................................................................................. 16 2.3.4 Coalition planning ......................................................................................................................... 18 2.4 Mienskip .............................................................................................................................................. 20 2.4.1 What is the meaning of mienskip? ................................................................................................ 20 2.4.2 Relation between mienskip and place-based development ......................................................... 21 2.4.3 Negative sides of mienskip ........................................................................................................... 22 2.5 Conceptual model ............................................................................................................................... 23 3. Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 24 3.1 Research strategy ................................................................................................................................ 24 3.1.1 Research approach ....................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.2 Case-study research ...................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.3 Units of analysis ............................................................................................................................ 25 3.1.4 Research strategy ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Data collection and analysis ................................................................................................................ 26 3.2.1 Data collection .............................................................................................................................. 26 3 3.2.2 Data selection ............................................................................................................................... 27 3.2.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................................................. 28 3.3 Ethical considerations ......................................................................................................................... 28 4. Results ................................................................................................................................................... 29 4.1 View on liveability ............................................................................................................................... 29 4.1.1 Municipalities................................................................................................................................ 29 4.1.2 Civic initiatives .............................................................................................................................. 30 4.2 Place-based development ................................................................................................................... 31 4.2.1 Role municipalities ........................................................................................................................ 31 4.2.2 Role civic initiatives