Saskia Beer

Delft University of Technology

Urban area transformations – such as the redevelopment of outdated industrial estates or office sites – often take place in highly fragmented environments involving many different landowners and stakeholders. This makes collaboration both necessary and complex: underlying rationales such as efficiency, effectiveness and democratic legitimacy frequently clash. This PhD research examines how such tensions can be bridged in urban transformation processes characterised by a high degree of fragmentation and interdependence. The research demonstrates how adjustments to rules and governance arrangements can contribute to new shared norms, changing perceptions and more stable collaboration. Based on an in-depth case study of the transformation of Amstel III in Amsterdam, supplemented by a broader comparative case study, the research develops the concept of ‘effective legitimacy’: a situation in which effectiveness and legitimacy reinforce one another within complex collaborative processes.