IVBN: Liveability begins where barriers disappear
This column was originally written in Dutch. This is an English translation.
There is increasing and improving cooperation between municipalities, social organisations, property owners and retailers to make city centres liveable. But if we really want to embed liveability, the national government must take the investment climate seriously.
By Judith Norbart, Director, IVBN
The liveability of our inner cities revolves around factors that determine our quality of life. Attractive inner cities are places where people feel at home, where there is sufficient living space and where attractive public spaces go hand in hand with safety and social cohesion. Such inner cities contribute to health, social cohesion and economic resilience.
Investing in a liveable city centre means that the one-sided focus on shops is no longer sustainable. Consumer behaviour and consumer needs are changing. What is needed is a new balance: a mix of functions that meets today's needs – with space for meeting, living, culture and a strong, varied retail mix. If this development does not happen, not only will the attractiveness of the city come under pressure, but also its functioning as a whole. Investing in liveability therefore means investing in broad prosperity, in the long term and for everyone.
Getting investments off the ground
The realisation that city centres are of great social importance is not new. Municipalities, social organisations and private parties are already investing jointly in a resilient city. Initiatives such as the Impulse Approach for Shopping Areas show that targeted cooperation works. Housing is increasingly part of the solution, with homes above shops, but also through the transformation of vacant or redundant retail properties. This creates space for a more mixed and future-proof city centre. This requires large-scale joint investments. But the reality is stubborn: the fiscal climate is out of step with the task at hand. With a transfer tax of 10.4%, the business case is often no longer viable. Initiatives are being slowed down precisely where the need is greatest.
From vision to action
Necessary investments – for example, for complex inner-city transformations – fail if the first step is too expensive. A reduction in transfer tax – back to 6% – would immediately create scope for projects that are currently on hold. And contrary to the calculations made in The Hague, this would not be a loss of tax revenue, but a smart stimulus. More investment at 6% will yield more for the treasury – and therefore for society – than no investment at 10.4%.
If we really want to create vibrant city centres, this tax barrier must be lowered. Because that will unlock the necessary investment potential.
Trust as a foundation
The urgency is clear and the will is there. Municipalities, social organisations, retailers and property owners are increasingly joining forces. They understand how our city centres are changing from “places to buy” to “places to be”. Not out of short-term interests, but out of the conviction that liveable cities are crucial for social cohesion and economic resilience.
Pension investors – who invest the money of millions of Dutch people – are keen to contribute to this. They are looking for projects that are not only financially sound, but also add social value. And that is possible, provided that policy does not hinder this role, but rather facilitates it.
A liveable city centre requires targeted choices that give room for initiative and cooperation. This requires vision and trust – in each other and in the long-term potential of our cities. The future of city centres does not begin with waiting, but with action. Together – on the ground and on paper. By connecting policy and capital, we can make the difference between stagnation and progress. And between a city that loses and a city that connects.