Utrecht

increase liveliness in the neighborhood” (Interview 6, higher education institution). Student housing in this specific case was used as a social impulse for the neighborhood.

The impulse that student housing creates for neighborhoods goes hand in hand with the idea of urban renewal through student housing, as described in the Coalition Agreement of Amsterdam (Municipality of Amsterdam, 2022). Temporary student housing is used as a means to gradually bring about urban renewal (Interview 2, housing association). One respondent noted that temporary student buildings are frequently placed in urban areas that are still under development (Interview 3, housing association). According to this respondent, the expectation of the municipality is that placing students in this area will attract leisure and retail services through supply and demand principles. One respondent from a higher education institution disagreed:

It's not just about living; students also need to have facilities. This of course applies to any target group, but the distance to facilities is simply important. So how far is it to walk to a supermarket? How far is it to the shops? (Interview 6, higher education institute)

For this reason, housing associations and higher education institutions take the available facilities into account in advance when choosing a location to build on.

neighborhoods and neighborhoods, where there is room for everyone. (Municipality of Utrecht, 2019b)

During the interview with the municipality representative, it was discussed how student housing fits into this picture. An area was cited as an example where more than 70% of social rental housing was previously located. To ensure more mixing, many student residences were built there. This example raised the question of why student housing, despite the fact that this was also social housing, was seen as a mix for the neighborhood. The following explanation was given:

Regular social housing and social student housing are different. We think that the addition of students can also simply be an impulse for that neighborhood by breaking through that one-sidedness. It is also another new group that uses that part of the city.

(Interview 11, local government)

Despite the fact that student housing is also social housing, students are not seen as regular social housing tenants. Their deviant lifestyle could change the demographic composition of neighborhoods, according to this respondent.

Before realizing student housing in certain neighborhoods, the housing association and higher education institutions look at the safety of the area, including connections with the inner city for bicycles and pedestrians (Utrecht University, 2018). Public transport is not yet sufficiently connected to the city center and appears to be a continuous point of discussion between the municipality and other parties (Interview 5, higher education institution).

Distinct lifestyles of students

The housing association and higher education institutions in Utrecht argue that students have a distinct lifestyle and therefore require distinct facilities in their neighborhoods. The housing association therefore does not rely on supply and demand for leisure, recreational and retail services in rural areas where student housing will be realized. The presence of facilities is something the municipality recognizes as important, but not as a requirement for their location selection (Interview 11, local government). For example, during a negotiation between the municipality and a higher education institution about a specific student complex in a rural area, the latter party set the requirement for specific facilities in the neighborhood:

We really said there: if we build 1,000 student residences here, we definitely want a

whether that is allowed and then you build it in your own building because there is nothing else nearby to build in. (Interview 2, housing association)

Even though the housing association had to demand facilities for students in this specific case, there are examples in which the municipality accounted for the distinct lifestyle of students in the urban development plans. For example, one respondent indicated that if there are residential areas with single-family homes, the municipality cannot immediately place a student complex next to them, because they “also look carefully at which target groups mix best” (Interview 11, local government). According to this respondent, the mixing of different groups with students can cause issues, for example, because of “times when students are active.”

In another case, the municipality itself approached a higher education institution with a specific group of students (art students), because their lifestyle would fit well within an area that was still under development. The higher education institution received a land position from the local government that was located next to the “culture strip of Utrecht.” According to a respondent, this action was “surprising,” because it normally goes the other way around: the higher education institution approaches the municipality because of its interest in potential land (Interview 15, higher education institution). According to the respondent, artistic students can be an addition to a neighborhood that is developing culturally. In addition, the area, which is not close to a residential area, was extremely suitable for musical students who want to rehearse for their performances without noise nuisance (Interview 15, higher education institution).

Healthy urban living around student buildings

A requirement of the municipality of Utrecht is that their vision for “Healthy Urban Living” is well adhered to by the collaborating parties for student housing. The housing association was therefore given the task of tackling the public space around student complexes for new projects.

This means that the housing association takes into account the layout of the public space around their student complexes. However, the housing association does not have the choice not to participate in the realization of tackling the public space, because otherwise it would not be given land positions in the relevant areas. One respondent described how the housing association gives substance to the ambition of the municipality by realizing an accumulation of facilities in public space (Interview 12, housing association). Although the housing association initially resisted this demand from the municipality, it has put a lot of effort into fleshing out the concept of “Healthy Urban Living:”

There will be a pond, benches, greenery and a space for outdoor sports. All kinds of facilities will be placed in the plinths of the buildings that will be there, so probably something with catering, something with food and drinks. Small entrepreneurs who are going to settle there, so it will just be a lively area. (Interview 12, housing association) The housing association seems to be meeting expectations and thus also fulfilling the agreement with the municipality. Furthermore, the housing association is responsible for proper management and safety of the public space (Municipality of Utrecht, 2019b). The housing association speaks out against these ambitious goals of the municipality. According to the respondent, management is very difficult because it concerns the public space and not just the buildings (Interview 12, housing association). This commitment is not only a financial investment, but also means being present and approachable in neighborhoods in order to proactively respond to livability issues. The respondent therefore stated that they are not sure if the housing association is able to fulfill these tasks.