EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Living above commercial premises in Amsterdam

Living above commercial premises in Amsterdam

Introduction

In 1985, the Council of Amsterdam gave the green light to stimulate "Wonen boven bedrijven" (Living above commercial premises) by, for example, granting subsidies. Since then, approximately 600 residences have been realised.

Problem

How can the many empty floors in the centre of Amsterdam, especially the central shopping area, be given a residential function?

Description

In the centre of Amsterdam, the space above shops is rich in living space, but opening up of this space is in many cases problematic. Access to these floors, which are often left empty or are used as storage space, is often only possible via the shop. Moreover, owners are put off by the high costs of conversion and the legal consequences of its occupancy, such as division and right of way. Fifteen years ago, the Municipality of Amsterdam started encouraging living above commercial premises and gave the project a new boost in 2001.

Approach

Kalverstraat/Nieuwendijk is currently the focus of attention in Amsterdam centre, where creative solutions are being sought in cooperation with owners for making the floors above shops habitable. Because access is often only possible via the shop, new ways are continuously being looked for to make these floors accessible.

Results

To date, about 600 residences have been created in the centre of Amsterdam.
An additional effect was that not only were extra residences created, but functional purposes of buildings became more mixed and safety and inhabitability in the city centre were promoted.
In the near future, ten new premises will be completed. An interim inventory of the municipality indicates that there are about 140 empty premises in the Kalverstraat and the Nieuwendijk alone.

Things learnt
The support of the owners and looking for creative solutions are vital for opening up the empty floors in city centres.

Resources used

To ease the step towards conversion for the owner, the Municipality of Amsterdam offers, if required, a technical-financial feasibility study and a subsidy is available to contribute towards the costs (22,689 euros). To date, the municipality has paid out approx 7 million euros in municipal subsidies for just 600 residences.

Contact info

Municipality of Amsterdam, Central District, tel. +31 20 5524556

Project start date

01/01/2001

Links

Municipality of Amsterdam, Central District (in Dutch)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing policy

Keywords

Housing need