If you have walked in any other shopping street in The Netherlands the increasing vacancy rate and the monotone supply are a familiar sight. At the NOVI conference (in Dutch), on March 31, in Pakhuis de Zwijger, partner Jasper Nijveldt will discuss the major challenge Dutch inner cities face in the aftermath of Covid-19.

The city center is in danger of losing its most important destination value when the vacancy rate rises and the pleasure of staying diminishes. Many programs that are being developed are aimed at short-term symptom relief. Fundamentally, consideration must be given to the long-term function of the city center, the (shopping) streets of tomorrow and the functions that can be incorporated into them. This is to safeguard the character of inner cities as a place to be, stay and meet.

The transformation of the shopping streets, monocultures in inner cities is a theme that Karres & Brands has been working on for a long time for, among others, the Grote Straat in Almelo, the shopping street in Schiedam, Stationsstraat Amersfoort and Hindenburgstrasse in Mönchengladback. Want to watch the NOVI conference? Register via: https://www.noviconferentie.nl/