Bouwmeester, Josje (2024). Negotiating Densification : Navigating Landowner Strategies for Housing Provision in Project-Based Planning. (Thesis). Universität Bern, Bern
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Abstract
Densification aims at curbing urban sprawl and preserving natural landscapes. Implementing densification is difficult because it means dealing with landowners' established property rights, making them de facto veto players. Project-based planning offers a solution to this problem by allowing planners to align local policy with private property owners' economic objectives. The question remains how effective this approach is in realizing affordable housing. This dissertation examines the influence of landowner strategies on housing outcomes within densification initiatives, the response of planning authorities to such strategies, and the broader effects of negotiations on the interplay between property rights and public policies. Methodologically, the study employs a comparative analysis of the Netherlands and Switzerland, using case studies to explore the dynamics of negotiations between local authorities and private landowners. The results highlight how landowner strategies in project-based planning lead to policy formulation and implementation gaps, particularly in providing affordable housing. Even when public authorities have instruments available to secure affordability by taking it out of the negotiation, this does not always happen. This tendency to prioritize development agendas that benefit powerful actors can sideline local community interests, perpetuating inequalities in urban development processes. The findings underscore a shifting dynamic between property rights and public policies. Project-based planning concentrates power in the hands of large-scale developers and public authorities while limiting the rights of smaller veto players who pose threats to densification projects. This thesis highlights the relationship between institutional regimes and informal local arrangements, stressing the need to uphold democratic checks and balances, often eroded in project-based planning. Preserving these safeguards is essential for achieving sustainable outcomes in urban densification efforts. Keywords: Urban densification, land policy, landowner strategies, housing, Netherlands, Switzerland.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
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| Dissertation Type: | Cumulative |
| Date of Defense: | 4 July 2024 |
| Subjects: | 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 360 Social problems & social services 700 Arts > 710 Landscaping & area planning 900 History > 910 Geography & travel |
| Institute / Center: | 08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography |
| Depositing User: | Sarah Stalder |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Aug 2024 10:51 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2024 10:51 |
| URI: | https://boristheses.unibe.ch/id/eprint/5345 |
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