Urban Updates

Column ‘Placetesting: the antidote to placemaking inflation’

Placemaking has become a crucial element for the marketing strategy of places and spaces. In 2020, the term placemaking seems to be rapidly eroding. This is why I’m coining the new term ‘placetesting’ as an antidote to placemaking inflation. I am confident that placetesting…

The future can be (place)tested

At a time when construction costs are rising and projects are stalling, placetesting offers a fresh, organic approach to urban development. It creates room for renewal, collaboration and the testing of innovative ideas.

From shopping centre to vibrant ‘Heart of Woensel’

The Woensel shopping centre in Eindhoven is ready for a new future. With the development of the placebrand 'Heart of Woensel', we answer the question of what the place will mean in the future for all its users. In addition to…

Column: Making the place

From hip festivals to restaurants and kitchen gardens. It has become the standard way of making forgotten or vacant land attractive to new residents. But it has little to do with the original meaning of placemaking. "Is this placemaking? Jane Jacobs…

Column: Yes, Please in my Backyard

We can only create better cities if we drop distrust and involve 'the neighbourhood' in new plans at an early stage. Because the best plan comes from a combination of expertise and community knowledge.

‘Do you know Woensel’?

Why social real estate should not go to the highest bidder

Cultural incubators, artist’s studios and cultural community centres. They are of inestimable value to the city. Yet Rinske observes that cultural and social initiatives are increasingly losing out to the short-term financial interests of municipalities. Together with financial expert Alexander Ramselaar…

Guarantees for culture in growing cities: 10 tips

Space in our rapidly expanding cities is under enormous pressure. If, in the coming years, we allow art and culture to lose out too often to the housing challenge, we will be stuck with bare and boring cities for decades to…

Article: How to nurture flourishing cultural and creative hubs and promote thriving communities and cities

Art and culture are the most promising avenues to revitalize cities and neighborhoods. But to succeed as a driving force for lasting and meaningful area development, what do incubators, cultural houses and creative hubs need? In a virtual meet-up with twenty…

Column Retail Realism

There’s no doubt that retail and hospitality won’t be dominating our inner cities for very much longer. Which also presents great opportunities for turning what are now shopping areas into greener, more appealing, more social and more local spaces. This transformation,…