'Building 10 cities in the existing city is faster and cheaper'

Build ten new cities in the existing city instead of in the green pasture. That is what architect Reimer von Meding presses D66, CDA and the VVD to do. His thesis: compacting is realistic, goes twice as fast as building in the green, and for society it is much cheaper.

Reimar is managing director at KAW, one of the largest architecture firms in the Netherlands. He has profiled himself as an "action architect" since 2012, and on several occasions he and his firms have produced studies aimed at dispelling "persistent" misconceptions about building within the existing city.

With a letter to Rob Jetten, party leader of D66, he again calls attention to densification. In the letter, Von Meding responds to the plan of the country's largest political party to build ten new cities in ten new places. The architect is no fan of this and comes up with a counterproposal: "The space for new cities is precisely where you least expect it: in the cities that are already built. And it is very realistic that we are going to use this space," Von Meding writes in a letter to Jetten.

The outspoken designer points in his letter to the potential of ten "poorly used" spaces in buildings and existing cities. Collectively, these would have hidden potential for the construction of hundreds of thousands of additional homes. As examples, he cites converting garage boxes, transforming dark corners in cities that are mostly food for squalor and splitting up corner houses.

Whereas the perception is that building outside the city would be faster and more sustainable, nothing could be further from the truth, according to the German-born architect. A new study "Space for the ditch," would even show that densification contributes to the water-holding capacity of cities. In addition, according to him, building in the city is faster than outside it. "Almost twice as fast even, although inner-city building still takes 10 years of preparation," Von Meding says in an interview about his letter to Jetten in the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer.

0.3 percent

The attention for opting, splitting and inner-city building increased considerably in the past year. Yet it is still barely happening, the architect said. "I estimate only 0.3 percent. Why is that? It's ignorance."

Another problem is that inner-city building is not fat, Von Meding acknowledges. He therefore urges support from The Hague and some sort of national densification plan. Construction-wise, he says, there are no obstacles. He does challenge market parties to invest in factories that can produce 2D elements for the smarter use of existing city and building. Van der Hulst Bouwbedrijf from Lisse is currently building a factory which seems to match Von Meding's expectations.

According to him, it is nonsense that inner-city building is impossible. His firm itself has never taken a step outside the city. "With KAW, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year. We are one of the largest architecture firms in the Netherlands, but we have never built on the green meadow. We successful with that. So that shows that it can be done."

Million letters

In Bureau Stoer he also gives examples. For example, he mentions a project in Vlaardingen. "Now that neighborhood consists of 700 housing units owned by a corporation. Soon there will be 1,000. That means a 30 percent increase and the public space there also increases."

D66, VVD and the CDA are in busy discussions to form a cabinet. Von Meding hopes that the three parties will use his letter to come up with good solutions to solve the housing shortage. He realizes that he is not the only letter writer in formation time. "I think Jetten gets a million letters," he says jokingly in the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer. "One for every house that has to be built. But I assume my letter will get attention. It just has to. Densification has to become mainstream."

In the podcast, Von Meding also discusses whether he wants to become the new Chief Government Architect. Indeed, that position will become vacant at the end of this year when the term of current Chief Government Architect Francesco Veenstra expires. The KAW director says he has been asked for this type of role more often. However, he thinks he is "not political enough" for the position. "I'm not such a political animal," Von Meding says.

The mission of an action-tect

Von Meding has long been calling attention to densification. According to him, that offers answers to numerous social issues of our time. In the podcast he explains how he sees this and substantiates his position.

Although KAW Architects is 50 years old and successful this year, the firm itself has never built outside the city. "So that shows that it can just be done and is realistic," says the German-born architect who jokingly called himself an "action architect" back in 2012."

"Why? Because I finished quite early a kind of one-sided focus on aesthetics (by architects, ed). I noticed that as an architect you can have a great influence on social issues. I think we all have that obligation as well. We have to make sure not only that everyone has a good home now, but that it is done in a way that people can still do it 100 years from now. And that the world stays good."

Bureau Stoer with Reimar von Meding

Curious about the whole story of Reimar von Meding and his letter to Rob Jetten? Then listen to the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer.

Curious about the letter to Rob Jetten? You can read it here.

Bureau Tough episode 12: 'Dear Rob Jetten, be realistic, build ten cities in existing city'
Table guests: Reimar von Meding, general director KAW, wrote letter to Rob Jetten recommending building 'his ten new cities' in the existing city.
Presentation: Thomas van Belzen
Montage: Kalynda Haaf (HaafVisual)

Also listen to previous episodes of Bureau Stoer.