Werkende woonwijken

Space in the Netherlands is limited, and the need for both housing and workspace is urgent. While the lack of housing continues to be a pressing issue, it is becoming increasingly challenging to find suitable workspaces in urban areas. Often housing development is prioritised, leaving little space for factories and small businesses.

As a way of responding to this twin demand, we developed Smart Urban Mix (SUM), a concept exploring how living, learning, and working can coexist within the same neighbourhoods. By placing a living city directly on top of a working city, SUM creates space for housing and workspaces through a doubling of the city.

As a continuation of SUM, Werkende Woonwijken explores completed mixed-use projects in Europe, showcasing the challenges and possibilities of integrating work and production sites in urban neighbourhoods in the Netherlands.

A spatial challenge

Keeping work and production sites in cities is crucial for several reasons. They boost the local economy, create diverse job opportunities, and reduce travel time, which lessens environmental impact. Additionally, they support practical education by providing nearby learning and internship opportunities. Urban production sites also promote a circular economy by reusing waste, such as utilising production heat to warm homes or household waste as factory raw materials, enhancing sustainability.

Combining different functions within urban environments can be a promising solution. Over the years, there has been a notable shift towards eco-friendly practices in industrial sectors, making them more compatible with residential areas. At the same time, combining living and working remains a spatial challenge. What conditions make them compatible? Can it create jobs for local residents without causing nuisance?

Successful examples across Europe

During a road trip through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, Eric Frijters explores the cities of Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Brussels, and Paris. He engages in conversations with experts such as Merten Nefs, Kristiaan Borret, Leo van Broeck, Martine Gossuin, Gabin Jouquan, and Alessandro Gess, in search of innovative ways to combine living and working in the city.

From the road, Frijters discovers that this combination is easier than often assumed. In Belgium and France, successful examples have already been realised, where residential functions are stacked on top of workspaces. This results in an attractive and liveable urban environment for a diverse range of people.

To further encourage this development, a new role is required for clients, governments, and designers. Their involvement can contribute to a more dynamic city — one that is more vibrant than before, fostering sustainable interaction and exchange.

As a film, Werkende Woonwijken offers a deep dive into three completed mixed-use projects, supplemented with insights from residents and experts. The documentary has been touring the country, encouraging conversations between students, professionals, and residents on the future of mixed urban environments in our cities. Now available online, the film opens up to a broader audience and invites viewers to continue the conversation on the future of working neighbourhoods in the Netherlands.