EUKN - Netherlands - Neighbourhood-oriented working and security

Neighbourhood-oriented working and security - Maastricht, Netherlands

Introduction

The city of Maastricht is working successfully on improving the quality of life in neighbourhoods through projects such as neighbourhood-oriented working and security. By taking an area-oriented approach to maintenance and at the same time through management and oversight in the city's neighbourhoods Maastricht is emerging as the Netherlands' second safest city.

Problem

A sense of insecurity and lack of safety leads to avoidance behaviour: people stop seeing public space as belonging to them, which effectively means that their social freedom is restricted. To some extent these feelings of insecurity are attributable to the way public space is managed. This is where neighbourhood-oriented working comes in. Within the municipal organisation an active effort is made to look at working at the level of the neighbourhood: a development that accords well with area-based policing. Neighbourhood-oriented working helps reduce unsafety.

Description

How does one work at neighbourhood level on greater security in a district?

Maastricht is divided into five boroughs in an arrangement which is also used by the police. Housing associations and welfare organisation Stichting Trajekt have likewise elected for neighbourhood-oriented working. Each of the five boroughs consists of a number of neighbourhoods. Based on a range of characteristics having relevance to quality of life, these neighbourhoods are divided into clusters, each of which is a district.

Approach

The main points of the action programme are:

Only one residents organisation will be recognised per neighbourhood;
Object, function, methodology and accountability must be evidenced by statutes or rules drawn up by the residents organisation;
The residents organisation must be a negotiating partner with sufficient public support in the neighbourhood on matters and city policy intentions relating to the neighbourhood;
The financial administration of the organisation must be such as to give a clear picture of the way grant monies are spent;
The extra neighbourhood budget represents added value in the solution of acute problems.

Results

In the borrow of Itteren a start has been made with a village Broad School. De Sterkenberg primary school offers extra facilities: a library support point, a play school and the computer project Netschool;
In borrow of Borgharen much work is being done on the further details of the centre plan: this includes a large number of new homes, particularly for senior citizens. Here too, development towards a Broad School is proving a success. De Kinderköpkes primary school on the new village square has been revamped and modernised and the play school and a library support point are now also located in the school building;
In both Borgharen and Itteren play amenities have been improved and expanded, and some added provision has been made in public space;
Following the example of the small centres, from the inauguration of the new Maastricht council and cabinet coordinating cabinet members have been appointed for the neighbourhoods covered by central government urban policy and these will have regular meetings with neighbourhoods regarding a range of neighbourhood projects and activities;
The establishment of the Borgharen and Itteren district team has likewise contributed to strengthening the relationship between city and neighbourhood.

Contact info

City of Maastricht
post@maastricht.nl
Michel Detisch (coordinator integrated security), tel. +31 43 3504353

Project start date

31/01/2005

Links

City of Maastricht

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Keywords

Community development