We can change the game

Recap of my keynote at Placemaking Week Europe

When we - urbanists, placemakers or cultural practitioners - want to shift from being seen as a temporary solution to becoming a driver of lasting change, we need to start playing a slightly different game. We need to be where decisions are made. The key question is: how do we claim our seat at the development table?

Placemaking is often mistakenly viewed as a short-term fix — whether it’s a pop-up café, a community garden, or ‘bringing in the creatives’ to breathe life into vacant and forgotten spaces. Once the 'real' development begins, these creatives are asked to leave, since their job – putting the place on the map – is done.

But this cycle is flawed, and the system is broken, especially with urban spaces facing increasing pressure. We can no longer afford to treat cultural hubs and creative spaces as just a preliminary phase. They should be part of long-term development plans.

Here’s the good news. More and more creatives and cultural practitioners are turning temporary experiments into lasting developments. Through a series of in-depth studies, I’ve explored how cultural spaces in both the Netherlands and abroad have successfully embedded themselves into urban developments. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Take Holzmarkt 25 in Berlin as an example. A group of creatives who were once nomadic seized the opportunity to buy land when the municipality put their site up for sale. Partnering with a Swiss pension fund, they developed a cultural village that now serves as a model of sustainable, community-driven urban development. What’s remarkable is their ability to create an innovative financial system that supports long-term viability—without relying on government subsidies.

In Nijmegen, the NYMA Makerspace story demonstrates how a strong, united community can earn a permanent seat at the table. After transforming a temporary industrial complex into a thriving creative space, the makers knew they needed a permanent home. With the help of the local municipality, they successfully developed their own building. This wasn’t just about securing a physical space; it was about creating a sustainable model for long-term cultural impact.

In my hometown Rotterdam, a group of tenants saw potential in the neglected building of Keilepand and decided to take matters into their own hands. They formed a collective, bought the building from the municipality, and transformed it into a dynamic creative hub. By valuing social contributions over financial bids, the municipality recognized the transformative power of community-driven development.

These examples demonstrate that claiming a seat at the development table means learning the rules of the game, gaining expertise, and building trust with all stakeholders. Transparency, collaboration, and respect for diverse interests are key. When cultural and creative spaces become integral to urban development, we not only secure our place at the table but create lasting impact.

We can change the game.

?