The implementation of sustainability targets in housing programmes

Abstract

Municipal Environmental Visions in the Netherlands often include targets for sustainable housing construction. Often, those targets are very ambitious and reached towards 2030 or 2050, but lack concrete measures for the construction and development of housing. One of the municipalities with ambitious sustainability targets is the city of Rotterdam. This research focuses on how the municipality can implement the complex sustainability targets into housing programmes by examining the case of the Motorstraatgebied, an area where the implementation of sustainability targets is an important part of realising housing construction programmes. Document analysis on relevant policies, together with in-depth interviews with stakeholders as well as experts and participatory observations during two stakeholder sessions in the Motorstraatgebied, resulted in recommendations for policy and planning practice. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the involvement of actors in an early stage of the (re)development process. By building a relationship, trust between actors can grow. When the actors, municipality and others, trust each other, sustainability targets can be met through housing programmes without having to write them down in legal contracts. One of the most important indicators for the implementation of sustainability targets in the municipality of Rotterdam is therefore the trust relationship.