'Data-driven area development leads to better homes and fewer objections'

Parametric Designing. Data-driven area development. What will AI bring to the future of building? 'A lot,' predicts Nicole Maarsen, who is driving digital building on behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning. 'But then the industry still has to overcome a few hurdles. The most important one? Fear.'

Developing areas today is no easy task. Space is mostly limited and the challenges in terms of nitrogen, logistics, CO2 savings and noise pollution, are getting bigger and bigger. According to Nicole Maarsen, administrative booster of the national Housing Acceleration Table at the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, there is nothing to do but embrace the "new" building. 'Integral,' she says, can only be done 'digitally.' What's more, she says it even leads to fewer objection procedures, another 'shortcoming' of our time.

By the way, Maarsen prefers to talk about "data-driven area development. In Rotterdam, they are now gaining initial experience with this and the intention is that more areas will soon follow. But what does this phenomenon look like? What is going well and what are those involved still struggling with? Time for an interview.

'Data-driven area development helps us tackle major housing and livability challenges faster, smarter and more transparently,' Maarsen begins her story on a weekday in an Amsterdam Café.

'It's not about technology for technology's sake, but about making better choices for people and their environment. With data, we can calculate scenarios, work together more integrally and give administrators and residents more control over the future of their neighborhoods.'

There's nothing else in it?
'Indeed. We not only have to build better and healthier, but also faster. That's no longer possible using the traditional way of planning, developing and building.'

You're talking about data-driven area development. What is that in Jip and Janneke language?
'The smart combining of different data to make better choices in housing and livability. Traditionally, many different analyses during the planning phase now take place sequentially (one after another in time, ed.). Tooling now exists to use large amounts of data simultaneously and integrally to analyze areas and plans for opportunities and bottlenecks and to calculate scenarios. What is the impact or effect on an area if we do this, this or just that? And best of all: we can visualize it too.'

In Rotterdam, you are now gaining initial experience with data-driven area development. What are the results?
'Faster processes, faster issuance of permits and also better consideration and transparency towards residents and administrators. This in turn leads to higher involvement and faster acceptance: the more you can show the environment how new construction plans will turn out from different perspectives, the smaller the risk of objections to area development. 'Computer says no', is often accepted sooner than a decision by an advisor or board of mayor and aldermen. And it's fun too, because we also see that collaborations become more creative.

What does this approach deal with?
'With fragmentation and inefficiency. No, not so much with existing jobs, but with old ways of working.'

Is there also resistance?
'... Healthy reluctance, especially around privacy and democratic assurance of decision-making.'

How do you deal with this in Rotterdam?
'By working transparently, applying privacy-by-design and involving residents and administrators. Where is the cold feet? In the questions: Can we trust the data and what does this mean for my role.'

... 'But again: the first experiences are promising. Connecting systems, however, remains a challenge. In addition, culture change and technology simply take time.'

More pilots will follow after Rotterdam. What is needed to further scale up this approach nationwide?
'Standardization, training, administrative support and good digital infrastructure.'

Do data-driven developed areas actually look different?
'They do. It leads to neighborhoods in which housing, energy and mobility are better balanced.'

Digibouw 2025
Nicole Maarsen is one of the speakers at Digibouw 2025. During this event, which takes place at the Jaarbeurs on November 19 and 20, she will discuss data-driven area development in detail. You can be there. Register here for free.