International

expert meeting
Randstad 2040

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International expert meeting Randstad 2040

TU Delft organised on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 De-

cember 2008 an international expert meeting on the Spa-
tial Vision Randstad 2040, in co-operation with the Dutch
Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environ-
ment (VROM) and the Vereniging Deltametropool. The
purpose was to give critical but constructive criticism of
the ‘Randstad 2040’ from a cross-national comparative
perspective, so as to inform further action and to assist
in developing a research agenda on strategic spatial plan-
ning and design at TU Delft.
Meetings, site visits, presentations, lectures and discus-
sions took place at various location in the Randstad: Rot-
terdam centre, Scheveningen harbour, Amsterdam Zui-
das, Schiphol airport and Delft old town.

Monday morning December 15th, the international experts joined

in an excursion, visiting key sites and routes in the Randstad.
Joost Schrijnen (TU Delft) held an introduction presentation at the
Euromast in Rotterdam. San Verschuuren (dRO Amsterdam) held
a presentation in the information centre Zuidas in Amsterdam.
Lunch was taken in Scheveningen.
Monday afternoon over 100 interested academics, citizens, stake
holders met at Schiphol Airport for three lectures on the Future of
the Randstad. Speakers were:

Bart Vink (Ministry of VROM)

Bob Yaro (Regional Planning Association)
John Worthington (DEGW)

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On Tuesday morning three parallel session were held in Delft. The
international experts debated with Dutch academics, practition-
ers and stake holders. In the afternoon forty participants joined in
a round table discussion to wrap up the two day event and focus
on the knowledge agenda and the role of strategics projects in the
governments long term spatial vision Randstad 2040.
All meetings took place in a friendly, upbeat atmosphere. There
was a lively debate in which all participants took part. The many
social moments in between the meetings allowed for an truly
academic exchange of thought, insights and ideas. It goes without
saying that our visitors understood the tensions and frustrations
involved in the complex relations between strategy and project.
They stressed the role of the Netherlands as a pioneer in strategic
spatial planning and inspiration for other countries - a role that is
perhaps less appreciated in the Netherlands than elsewhere. But
they also emphasised that changing conditions require a shift in
planning style and process. The Netherlands shares these chal-
lenges with many other places, not least the greater reliance on
the private sector in the development process; rapidly increasing
demands for space and; and critical environmental problems, if
not potential crisis.
In this minutes TU Delft does not provide a detailed transcript,
rather it tries to draw the main conclusions and outlines the les-
sons to be learned. There is much more that could be said. The
Dutch hosts had to exercise some patience with the international
guests who lacked detailed knowledge of the Randstad. But our re-
viewers had a strong grasp of the big picture. They were at times
provocative but also constructive. The result is a strong founda-
tion for further collaboration on strategic planning in the Nether-
lands and internationally. We will be working with out partners to
take this work forward in research and further international meet-
ings including a major conference on strategic spatial planning in
Delft in 2010.
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One city region?

Discussing the structure of the Randstad many Dutch discussants/

observers see a myriad of boundaries, leading to the qualifica-
tion that the Randstad does not exist: there are North and South
Wings, distinct Metropolitan Regions (Amsterdam) or a free
standing urban networks (Utrecht). This might be a temporary
situation. After all over the course of time discussions about the
Randstad moved up and down the various levels of scale. In the
1960’s there were a North & South Wing. In the 1970’s Randstad
was just a place-name, at some other time an integrated urban
network (Pronk’s Fifth Report, late 1990’s).
Our foreign friends and observers – maybe because of a lack of
knowledge about the intricate political cleavages between territo-
rial authorities within Randstad combined with a similar lack of
knowledge about the diverse and contradicting results of function-
al analyses of internal Randstad relationships – see the Randstad
as one urban region. This might be the legacy of Peter Hall’s 1966
book on world cities: his reasoning plus the English written pub-
lications published during the following decades overwhelming
present the Randstad as a single urban region (remember: Dutch
scolars seldom present the dirty linen of domestic discourse).
Both views – the Randstad does not exist/the Randstad is a fact
of life - block an open discussion about the multi-scalarity (dixit
Patsy Healey) of the Randstad. Which issues play themselves out
at which scales? What are their relationships? What are the trends
over time? The latter dimension – the time dimension – refers
to a large division between researchers and designer. Designers
project a desired state of affairs in the future while researchers
are inclined to look back in time.

The fragmented (extremely) polycentric governance structure of

the Randstad did not play a centre role during the discussions.
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How to arrive at integrated polymaking at the various relevant
Randstad scales (see above) nevertheless remains an urgent issue.
Like in other megacity regions the Randstad area incorporates a
vast number of governmental jurisdictions at different levels, com-
bined with the sectoral interests of an array of central government
departments. Next to that there are quasi autonomous agencies
like sea and airport authorities defining and implementing their
own territorial strategies plus a host of key private and semi-pri-
vate institutions taking decisions equally important for Randstad’s
urban structure. Finally there are the citizens of Randstad influ-
encing the shape of its urban fabric through their daily territorial
choices.
A key question is whether Randstad as a fragmented megacity re-
gion is in need of novel approaches towards planning and design?
Traditionally the planning system – at least in the Netherlands
– aims for the production of consensual spatial visions and strate-
gies at regular time intervals which are supposed to guide daily
operational decision-making of governments and governmental
agencies. Randstad 2040 is clearly the result of such a planning
approach.
An alternative is to look at long term vision making for Rand-
stad’s future as a learning process amongst key stakeholders.
Such a process in its early stages is primarily directed towards
the discovery of key planning issues and planning dilemma’s and
designing alternative ways of dealing with these. In order to ar-
rive at a consensus possible conflicts have to be discussed in the
open. Vision and plan making at the one hand and implementation
and decision-making about projects at the other hand are parallel
processes. The key issue is the relationship between them: how to
make visions operational and how to justify operational decisions
and projects? Is the advice of the VROMraad to follow the prin-
ciple of variable coalitions workable and desirable in context of
strategic plan making and design?
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Randstad

The international reviewers firmly acknowledged the

existence Randstad, underscored the importance of the
Green Heart and reaffirmed the Randstad as a polycentric
region with fuzzy borders at best. Because of its polycen-
tricity it can do without a central government. A strategy
to go alone, like the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, is
considered flawed: Amsterdam can’t do without the rest
of the Randstad. In a similar way should the Randstad
work to support the other regions in the Netherlands and
the wider delta to become the best for the rest.

Randstad 2040 is unequivocal about the importance of planning

at the ‘Randstad region’ scale (whilst not ignoring linkages beyond
the Randstad). To the surprise of our guests the debate in Delft ex-
posed old and rather tired arguments about ‘the very existence’ of
the Randstad. The international reviewers had little time for this
question. They recognised that Amsterdam is an important centre
(in some benchmarks an ‘alpha city’) but the evidence is heavily
weighted towards the growing importance of polycentric regions
and the role of the network of ‘second cities’ in the competitive-
ness of regions. In 1966 Peter Hall included the Randstad in his
seminal review of The World Cities. The many changes since then
have made the notion of a polycentric Randstad region more, not
less, relevant. But this is not a question of choosing between the
cities or the Randstad, or choosing between the Delta or Randstad
or wings, but about recognising the value of different scales and
dealing with the linkages between them.

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The argument was put strongly that the worst outcome for ‘Future
Randstad’ would be one of polarised and compartmentalised cities
or wings. The governance question keeps returning – but this is
not special for the Randstad. It is commonplace. The key problem
is not about creating new government or allocating competences
to levels, but about designing mechanisms that encourage, indeed
require, collaboration and shared decision-making.

The question whether Randstad exists, is irrelevant.

The Randstad is a reality on an international stage. So
it exists. [Michael Schwarze-Rodrian]

The Randstad lacks an obvious spatial structure.

Without the Green Heart the Randstad is just a Dutch
version of Los Angeles. [Simin Davoudi]

Break away from the notion that the Randstad con-

sists of four main cities. It would help to think the
Randstad as thirty places and one city. [John Worthington]

The boundaries of the Randstad are fuzzy at best.

There is no need to create a Randstad level of govern-
ance. Region should remain polycentric. [Simin Davoudi]

Randstad is the typical region thing. It has the best of

both city and state. Its strength is cooperation with
its neighbours. Without it, it is weak. [Michael Schwarze-Ro-
drian]

A discussion between Randstad and the rest of the

country is lacking. Is it: the best and the rest? or is it
(like Île de France): the best for the rest? [Simin Davoudi]

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Identity

The Randstad 2040 spatial vision falls short in address-

ing issues regarding quality of place, identity, tradition,
heritage, landscape in general and the Green Heart in
particularly. As a result it lacks a unique selling point.

The reviewers agreed about the principles in the document but

found it difficult to identify an unambiguous and distinctive goal
for the spatial form of the Randstad. Government representa-
tives defended this position citing, for example, the programme of
concentrating housing first in the cities. Nevertheless, there was
a strong view the spatial structure of the Randstad was under-
valued. The guests called for more bold proposals for the Green
Heart, and questioned the partially hidden and weakly explained
proposals to relax development regulation in open land the inter-
ests of low density ‘green residential and working environments’.

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The Randstad 2040 document reflects the policy co-
nundrum of keeping the Green Heart or surrender to
metropolitan pressures. The Randstad should concen-
trate on the complementarities on a higher metropoli-
tan level, including the perception of the Green Heart.
[Simin Davoudi]

Quality op place should be strengthened by using the

green grid as integrator. The way you deal with nature
will next bring the questions of climate change and
agriculture. Various forms of farming could be devel-
oped in the Green Heart. [John Worthington]

The Randstad serves only one pont of delivery: the

Green Heart. Agriculture is not any longer the driving
force. There is a need for a policy that envisions what
the Green Heart can be again. [Luuk Boelens]

The question of the Green Heart is linked to the inten-

sification of the existing urban areas. [Harry van Huut]

Intensification conflicts with suburban culture. Poli-

cymakers are not convinced that the city os the best
place to live. A cultural change is necessary. Only
then there will be money and a market. [Bert Mooren]

There must be an unique selling point. I don’t find it in

Randstad 2040. [Michael Schwarze-Rodrian]

The landscape, the historic city centres, the tradi-

tion is a strong selling point, but it is not included in
Randstad 2040. [Virna Bussadori]

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Policy

While most reviewers underscored that delivering a long

term vision on a polycentric region is a true accomplish-
ment, they did highlight a substantial range of remaining
issues. The Randstad 2040 spatial vision seem to lack an
international perspective. It doesn’t solve the real tension
between growth and sustainability. It deals with climate
adaptation without addressing climate mitigation. It in-
tegrates many of the existing ideas and policies without
making the choices necessary to deliver a comprehensive
plan with clear, transparent and tangible goals that can
be understood by people and practitioners alike. Finally
the reviewers noted that the main national spatial strate-
gies lack true integration.

The international reviewers were convinced of the continuing

value of the Randstad concept – an urban region with complex
and dynamic relationships like their own. But they were less con-
vinced that the explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the
Randstad was sufficiently distinctive. The ‘Future Randstad’, they
argued, looks like the proposed future of many other metropolitan
regions. They asked if this is sufficient to mobilise the breadth of
support that is needed to tackle the critical challenges of climate
change, mobility and urban development. Power to change things
is now dispersed among many interests that need to be enthused
by and engaged in the Randstad 2040 programme.

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Tension can be seen in Randstad 2040 document. [Simin
Davoudi]

Randstad 2040 seems like a recollection of exist-

ing ideas and ambitions. Although all ingredients are
there, it is not clear what the recipe is. [Dimitri Meessen]

Randstad 2040 is looking inward without an interna-

tional perspective. [Louis Aelbrechts]

The issue of growth is not confronted with sustain-

ability. Randstad 2040 should go to the heart of the
problem. [Louis Aelbrechts]

The Randstad should be climate resilient but the talk

is mainly about adaptation, not about mitigation. [Simin
Davoudi]

There is a need to make the main ideas of Randstad 2040

tangible for practitioners and people alike. Its goals
should be transparent and clear. [Dimitri Meessen]

The national spatial planning documents seems con-

tradict: Nota Ruimte, Randstad Urgency programme, the
multi-annual program of investments in transporta-
tion and spatial planning and the report by the Delta
Commission. [Hugo Priemus]

Randstad is changing regardless the lack of consist-

ency of policy. [Bob Yaro]

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Forward

The international reviewers contributed with innovative

and inspiring concepts on how to move forward. Process
project would allow for a bottom-up approach that can
address the peoples aspirations, their imagination and
their take on the identity of the Randstad. The reviewers
said it is pivotal to include key stakeholders in the proc-
ess and to use pressure cooker models to engage them in
positioning them in the debate and force them to action.

The debate ranged across widely varying understandings of the

notion of ‘strategic project’. There was some agreement that they
should focus on triggering further private investment and exist-
ing strengths such as water management, but they could include
modest local interventions possibly developed through a bidding
process, as well as major investments in integrating infrastructure
networks. The reviewers also proposed low-cost ‘process projects’
intended generally to strengthen the ‘software’ of civic society
and shape attention to critical issues, and specifically to build a
sense of common purpose and collaboration around the Randstad
project.
In answer to questions, VROM gave assurances that evaluation of
past and current interventions is high on the agenda, though it
does not figure prominently in Randstad 2040. The research com-
munity in universities and funding agencies can help by sharing
relevant research agendas and working around a common knowl-
edge agenda. TU Delft intends as a first step to work with other
partners to provide a compendium of relevant research, informa-
tion and analysis of the Randstad.
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Randstad 2040 represents a move towards selective
planning with a focus on structural problems. It
should focus on ways for implementation: both bottom
up and top down. [Louis Aelbrechts]

The problem lies in the translation of a spatial con-

cept in a physical plan. The final outcome of Randstad
2040 shouldn’t be a map. It should focus on themes
that make (inter)nationally a difference. [Bert Mooren]

Work with product projects and process projects.

[John Worthington]

Planning is the software and should evolve. Rands-

tad 2040 is version 1.0. You need an version 1.1, 1.2, 2.0.
[Michael Schwarze-Rodrian]

The Randstad is not just four cities but probably for-

ty places. Ask every individual to define the Randstad
in its own way. Draw a thousand mental maps on what is
your city, resulting in a 1000 cities. That would be the
typical process project: changing perceptions, to un-
derstand better a thousand different places. Give the
Randstad back to the public debate. [John Worthington]

Put the picture first, create the composition, the ar-

chitecture. Put the landscape first, its desired qual-
ity should be clear. Create a plan in three steps. As-
semble all the majors and go to the press the same
morning. One week later you meet all the ministers. The
third week you repeat this with all the CEO’s. Organise
an open discussion without an agenda. [Michael Schwarze-
Rodrian]

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Next
The international reviewers have made four key suggestions on actions
that can effectively expand the success of our first meeting:

1] the process project: draw a thousand cities [John Worthington]

2] apply the ‘pressure cooker’ model [Michael Schwarze-Rodrian]
3] combine climate adaptation and mitigation [Virna Bussadori]
4] comparative study of polycentric planning models [Vincent Nadin]

Authors: Prof.dr. Vincent Nadin (TU Delft-BK), Prof.dr. Wil Sonneveld (TU
Delft-OTB), dr.ir. Frank van der Hoeven (TU Delft-BK), Ir. Wendy Tan (TU
delft-BK), Ir. Herman Rosenboom (TU Delft-BK)

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