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Final Report available Network analysis Hart van Zuid

The publication of the Network analysis Hart van Zuid is available from today. Hart van Zuid strives to become the centre of Southern Rotterdam that does justice to the opportunities and possibilities of the area. Hart Sociaal wants to reveal the social component and the potential of the area and subsequently strengthen it with all the relevant parties.

Hart van Zuid

In September 2011 Veldacademie was assigned by Stadsontwikkeling to research the use and appreciation of the public space in the vicinity of shopping mall Zuidplein by the inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhoods (Article ‘Towards a beating heart’). The research was done in the scope of the tender for the revitalization of Hart van Zuid.

One of the goals of the development Hart van Zuid is to improve the atmosphere of the area with its buildings and public space. To this end an attractive and coherent urban fabric is needed that connects programs, areas and as a result especially connects people. As such, socially oriented programming is a vital part of the revitalization of Hart van Zuid. Hart Sociaal wants to reveal the inherent social component and the potential of the area and subsequently strengthen it. The development of local talent and an increased liveliness form the crux for a stronger Rotterdam South. With Hart van Zuid the area and the Southerners will receive a quality impulse on the social, the cultural and the economic level. Hart Sociaal strives to reach this in cooperation with all the relevant.

From the social program a first onset is given for various collaborations between active and involved partners. In spite of the various parties whom are already successfully collaboration in Hart van Zuid, there is still a lot of untapped potential in the area. A first step towards carrying out the program is exploring and assessing the potential partners and connections in the area. The desire for a better insight in the potential partners and the opportunities in the area has led to a commission for the Veldacademie to propose a method by which the potential network partners can be mapped; subsequently, the research focus can then shift towards the potential connections with parties in the area, which till this point have remained inconspicuous. The Veldacademie has conducted this research in two phases; creating a livingfields analysis and a network assessment.

The commissioner, Liese Vonk – Municipality of Rotterdam has provided a list of organizations/contacts, the so called first layer, which consists of parties which are currently active in the area or which are known from previous collaborations. The potential of these organizations has been additionally assessed and visualized on though desk research and interviews.

The network assessment is based on the information obtained through interviews with the organizations of the first layer. The interview consisted of the following parts; general data (quantitative), network (qualitative) en the social program (qualitative)