CHARLOIS RESEARCH
09-10.2022
As a part of IABR22 exhibition, Ministerie van Maak has invited 100 designers to contribute to development of 100 urban locations in the Netherlands, in the aspects ofthe housing shortage, the energy transition and the consequences of climate change. With a group of students from spatial design in WdKA, we have been assigned the area of Charlois in South Rotterdam.
SEE THE DESIGN IABR
SEE DESIGN CO-LIVING
RESEARCH
The area of Charlois is now facing a lot of challenges. Many consultations with residents and activists have shown multiple ‘weak spots,
of both built and social tissue, which ultimately labels the place as ‘troubled’.
Cultural and recreational places
& Initiatives
In general, the cultural infrastructure in Charlois is in good shape; everywhere there are anchors, pearls or rough diamonds. But not every neighbourhood has them all and some neighbourhoods also have (much) more than others. There is also a lot of difference per district in terms of spaces; one district has them in (almost) all shapes and sizes and the other district only has a few. Charlois needs to look more creatively at what a place for cultural programming can be.
ANCHORS, PEARLS & ROUGH DIAMONDS
The culture director works together with many art and culture initiators. From established parties, anchors you can rely on, to (more or less) hidden gems that can be preserved/fortified and rough diamonds; exciting newcomers with potential.
SUPPORT BASE
In Charlois, the initiators are for the most part local cultural parties or cultural professionals. There is, however, a nuance to this: a large part of the local cultural parties or cultural professionals are also residents. Art and culture are in Charlois' DNA, but this does not apply to all residents, because the challenges in areas such as poverty, low literacy and unemployment are great. There are plenty of non-cultural parties in Charlois to work with when it comes to art and culture, and that is what is done a lot. There were few initiatives in the past but because of lack of funding they had to close down.
Main problems that are stopping the cultural development:
· Lack of (financial) continuity initiators.
· Many young cultural entrepreneurs are active in many places, but not necessarily in their own neighbourhood.
· Insufficient space to create/experience culture.
· Little room for growth in cultural offerings due to the constant LCP budget.
In general, the cultural infrastructure in Charlois is in good shape; everywhere there are anchors, pearls or rough diamonds. But not every neighbourhood has them all and some neighbourhoods also have (much) more than others. There is also a lot of difference per district in terms of spaces; one district has them in (almost) all shapes and sizes and the other district only has a few. Charlois needs to look more creatively at what a place for cultural programming can be.
ANCHORS, PEARLS & ROUGH DIAMONDS
The culture director works together with many art and culture initiators. From established parties, anchors you can rely on, to (more or less) hidden gems that can be preserved/fortified and rough diamonds; exciting newcomers with potential.
SUPPORT BASE
In Charlois, the initiators are for the most part local cultural parties or cultural professionals. There is, however, a nuance to this: a large part of the local cultural parties or cultural professionals are also residents. Art and culture are in Charlois' DNA, but this does not apply to all residents, because the challenges in areas such as poverty, low literacy and unemployment are great. There are plenty of non-cultural parties in Charlois to work with when it comes to art and culture, and that is what is done a lot. There were few initiatives in the past but because of lack of funding they had to close down.
Main problems that are stopping the cultural development:
· Lack of (financial) continuity initiators.
· Many young cultural entrepreneurs are active in many places, but not necessarily in their own neighbourhood.
· Insufficient space to create/experience culture.
· Little room for growth in cultural offerings due to the constant LCP budget.
INPUT LCP (licensed professional
counsellor)
In Charlois there is a € 130,848 program budget to be distributed. Approximately 55% of this is used for structural programming, 45% is reserved for incidental programming and the experiment.
NPRZ (The National Program Rotterdam South):
In the period 2018 to 2025, there will be an acceleration in five themes, for which an integrated approach will be pursued in order to achieve the greatest social effect:
NPRZ was necessary because the socio-economic problems are unprecedented in size and intensity for the Netherlands. The committee also pointed to the importance of sufficient perseverance in the neighborhoods in Zuid and to a message that is in line with the perceptions of residents. Finally, Deetman and Mans stated that residents and entrepreneurs should explicitly play a role in solving the problems in Zuid.
In Charlois there is a € 130,848 program budget to be distributed. Approximately 55% of this is used for structural programming, 45% is reserved for incidental programming and the experiment.
NPRZ (The National Program Rotterdam South):
In the period 2018 to 2025, there will be an acceleration in five themes, for which an integrated approach will be pursued in order to achieve the greatest social effect:
- SCHOOL
- WORK
- HOUSING
- RESIDENTS
- CULTURE
- SAFETY
NPRZ was necessary because the socio-economic problems are unprecedented in size and intensity for the Netherlands. The committee also pointed to the importance of sufficient perseverance in the neighborhoods in Zuid and to a message that is in line with the perceptions of residents. Finally, Deetman and Mans stated that residents and entrepreneurs should explicitly play a role in solving the problems in Zuid.
MAP OF CULTURAL INITIATIVES IN CHARLOIS AREA:
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TRAFFIC ARTERIES BIKE PATHSIN RUSH HOUR
land subsidience chart of Charlois
ISOLATION
This area is very poorly connected by public transport, as well
as for both car and bike traffic. This accounts for the isolation
of Charlois, making it difficult to exit from or arrive to.
Accessibility is reduced to what is available in close proximity,
in terms of schools, workplaces, shopping, and leisure.
The only tram line does not reach north Rotterdam directly,
there are two main arteries connecting to enter Maastunnel,
always stuck in the traffic jam, leaving no choice but to go
by bike, if you are an owner of one.
STATISTICS
Charlois, inhabited by a rather young population, brings both
bright perspectives and disadvantages together. One of
the lowest income areas in Rotterdam, going head in head
with low education (and education opportunities) of inhabitants,
high crime rate and isolation from the city center.
The problem of Charlois amongst others has been recognized
by political scene, which resulted in the Rotterdam Act,
which alienates the area even more by introducing housing
permit policies, that both discriminate and deprives people
of a fair start. Forcefully adjusting the criteria of
who is allowed to live in the area, city officials aim to
rebrand Charlois's character. What if the movement would
be less of reducing symptoms, but addressing of
the causes of malfunction?
However, there is hope in the amount of bottom-up movement,
from culture centers to co-operatives that give opportunities
and help people that fell victim to the system [MAP]. This,
reflects the willpower of the inhabitants to maintain the character
of this -historical- area.
ENVIRONMENT
Needless to say, Charlois as a harbour area in the Netherlands
is prone to the effects of rising water levels and climate change
-in general-. Additionally, because of the water pipe system
along the riverside accompanied by oil deposits underground,
the area is currently experiencing alarming levels of
land subsidence, comparable to those in the area of Groningen [MAP].
FUTURE
Charlois is facing big changes in the coming years, as it
is starting to go get recognized. The new Culture Campus is going
to be built just by the entrance to Maastunnel, bringing around
both students, and with those, commerce.
The area is awaiting a painful process of gentrification, which
accompanied by a housing crisis will, (and in fact already is),
successively change the social tissue. Long-awaited urban renewals
and better connection to the center will be there for a warm
welcome of new residents.
HOUSING CRISIS from the beginning, reasons
Stef Blok - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ug2aA0b_dI
The arguments behind the reforms in laws introduced by Minister of Housing base on the economic crisis of past years.
Owner occupied housing – previously high mortgage loan, 120% loan to value, 6xannual income without amortisation, interest only loans. Difficult for new entrance on the housing market. Declining housing pricing (20%).
CHANGES: New mortgages have to be 30 years amortizing loans, at max 104% loan to value (to be decreased to 100%). Reducing the tax deductibility of the interest and give it back in a lower overall tax rate on income.
OUTCOME:
You can loan only as much as the remaining value of the house dictates, so that the buyer does not have any extra money from the loan to fix remaining costs. As indicated, this can be saved up while renting.
Social rental sector – 1/3 dutch man lived in a house owned by a social housing corporation. Entered the middle income segment of the market, unlevelled playing field. Social housing corporations work with the state guarantee so they can land very attractively. Rent was only allowed to increase with inflation, so attractive prices kept tenants in one property for decades, increasing the waiting time to get a social housing for others.
CHANGES: Allowing rent increase. Bringing back social housing corporations to their primary task – social housing for people with lower income. Commercial parties will not be confronted with unlevel playing field, no social housing in liberalized rental sector.
OUTCOME:
More regulations on social rental, freedom for rental corporations to establish the prices in the area.
New law will introduce more room for temporary rental contracts, which will create more flexibility.
OUTCOME:
AirBnBs are taking over the cities, which does not provide long-term housing which is desperately needed, but alternative for hotels in tourism sector. Short-term rental as for 3-6 months makes the issue of housing instability even bigger, forcing people to move more often and allowing for rent increase.
ASSUMPTIONS:
People at the start of their career will turn to the rental sector, to take time to save money needed to buy a house or obtain mortgage. Therefore, larger demand for rental housing is expected.
OPPORTUNITIES in Dutch real estate, for both Dutch as well as foreign investors.
WOONMANIFEST.
WOONOPSTAND.
https://woonopstand.nl/
Problems:
|
Demands:
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GENTRIFICATION
City as an earning machine
for real estate
developers
rather than dwelling opportunity
for residents.
Art initiatives start by inhabiting certain areas, which are affordable and in close proximity to big cities. By creating connections and starting communities, they feel the responsibility over the area, developing it, repairing and simply caring. The chaos is in order, social tissue is growing stronger and closer together. This attracts people around to visit and experience the self-made, self-sustained environment. The problem begins, when investors start making money off of the long worked for success.
CHANGING
THE CHARACTER
Fast track gentrification, opposed to the long process of revitalising the area by bottom-up parties, is influencing human factor in play. First step in is introducing subtle changes to the neighbourhood – inviting people to recognise the area, which is usually low cost, includes the initiatives which innocently work for district re-branding for a good cause. If the process would stop there, those areas could be at the same time playful and inhabitable, as well as affordable. But there’s no profit for outside parties in there. That’s when big figures come to play, only accessible for investor companies. Buying out land and displacing people who can no longer afford fresh, high-end housing and expensive services. This shuffles the social tissue in the area, causes evictions and demolition. Next thing you know prices in the whole district rise, character changes into luxury, houses are available only for sale, so no rental is possible anymore and no middle class man can afford even spending time there. Gated communities, undifferentiated society isolated from outside world, scared of previous residents of the area. Lastly, speculation.
SPECULATION
In some cases, real estate speculation won’t provide homes for anyone at all. A real estate investor may buy a residential property with no plan to rent the units. Rather than investing the capital to renovate or manage a building, a speculator may determine that it is more profitable to simple hold onto a building until the neighbourhood housing market heats, reaping profits from the property sale itself. Thus, there is a tight connection between real estate speculation and residential vacancy. Economists have long been concerned with the economic consequences of speculation and the real effects of asset bubbles. Housing market became a national phenomenon in the low interest rate environment of the mid 2000s, with purchases of non-owner-occupied homes.
ROTTERDAM
ACT
Article 8 of the Rotterdam Act gives the municipality the option of banning certain people from selected neighbourhoods: Tarwewijk, Oud-Charlois, Carnisse, Hillesluis or Bloemhof. Anyone who has no work or income from pension or student grants, and who has lived in the region for less than six years, may not settle in these neighbourhoods. The Rotterdam Act is intended to improve the quality of life in deprived areas. The one-sided population composition caused an accumulation of problems, especially in some neighbourhoods in South, at the beginning of this century, according to the Rotterdam city council. A relatively large number of poor people and people with a migration background live in these neighbourhoods. Anyone who climbs the social ladder moves to a 'better' neighbourhood. In order to break this vicious circle, it is necessary to intervene in the composition of the population, according to the municipal council. Not by placing the underprivileged in better neighbourhoods, but by banning them from the worst neighbourhoods.
PHOTO RESEARCH
