I am partner at STIPO, I chair Placemaking Europe and Re:Kreators and am active in many organizations who work on better cities. I love combining working as a practitioner with building a knowledge network, connecting people with similar passions. Together we make cities better.
Which additional experience/skills can people of Placemaking Europe reach out personally to you for?
I like the diversity of what I do. I am process manager, advisor, trainer, moderator, speaker, developer. I do what it takes to improve cities I feel passionate about with people I like to work together with. I have a special like for my hometown Rotterdam; I love how many people unite in working hard to improve our city that was hit hard during the second world war, has been poor for many years, but has always been daring to do things differently.
Which experience/skills can people of Placemaking Europe reach out to your organisation for?
STIPO is a team for urban development. We are an interdisciplinary team that works on creating better cities. With co-makers, we link long-term visions to short-term actions. We work in cooperation with developers, corporations, municipalities, civic society organizations, cultural organizations and others. We often initiate projects we find important. For clients, my roles vary from process manager, advisor, concept developer to moderator.
Describe one of the projects you are most proud of
I am board member of the Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam. The most important cultural square in Rotterdam, surrounded by some of the main Dutch cultural institutions that attract over 2.6mln visitors a year. Together with these institutions, people living nearby, shop owners, building owners and the municipality we use all placemaking, city at eye level, sustainable and other techniques we know to change the square from a underused slippery square, into the vibrant heart of the city. We are succesful and now one of the leading cutural placemaking examples.
