Differentiation of the existing housing stock through the merging of dwellings is one of the programs into which Fieldacademy has been conducting research for several years. A recently completed showcase-dwelling in Oud-Charlois and the so-called Toolbox-Merging are concrete products that are being implemented by the municipality of Rotterdam within the policy-framework of merging dwellings. The coming months we will be working out the assignment on merging, emphasizing the juridical and financial obstacles.
The assignment ‘Stimulating Merging’ requires thorough insights in the renewal possibilities for the housing stock, a structuring of the demand and offer, market forces, durable development, typological and socio-cultural aspects. In order to facilitate this specific and project based expertise collaboration is sought with representative knowledge bearers within various educational institutions, but with inhabitants and public and private parties. Potential collaboration on these current assignments could be considered an overture to the urban assignment Implementation-program Existing Housing Stock.
For the time being the sub-municipality of district Noord has declared the neighbourhoods Blijdorp, Berpolder and Liskwartier as areas where merging of dwellings is desirable. The approach is determined per neighbourhood. Examples of merged dwellings can already be found in the existing housing stock of Liskwartier; these could now serve as input for new merging assignments. Over 60% of the dwellings in Liskwartier are owned by their inhabitants or otherwise privately owned. For Bergpolder and Blijdorp this percentage lies respectively at 80% and 90%.
On the 17th and 27th of March so-called ‘round table’-discussions will be held, during which the experts and students will meet. The first meeting will deal with the topic of juridical feasibility. Market parties, such as notaries, appraisers and developers, are invited to participate in this round of discussion. The second topic deals with the topic of financial feasibility, for which estate agents, banks, register accountants and home owners associations are invited, among others. During both meetings inhabitants from the neighbourhoods Blijdorp, Bergpolder and Liskwartier will be invited that are currently in the process of merging their dwelling or have an intention in doing so; with the addition of interested inhabitants and people living near the focus area. Supplementary, educational institutions and public parties will also be invited to provide input for the ‘round table’-discussions. Subsequently, main questions and sub-questions will be formulated based on the output of these meetings, thereby noting the core of the assignment.