Bob Hartman

Een stad met status

 A city with status

How the housing of status holders in the existing urban structure can contribute to their integration and acceptance

Last year, the asylum crisis dominated the news, with around 400 people sleeping outside at its worst. This crisis is caused partly by the fact that some 15,000 residence permit holders ('statushouders', or status holders) are still living in asylum seeker centres (AZCs) due to the lack of available (social) housing.   

These status holders need to be accommodated elsewhere in the country. Countless examples, like the asylum hotel in Albergen and elsewhere in the country, demonstrate that the current method of 'spreading' does not offer a solution. For this reason, I have designated regions that are promising for the reception of status holders, using several criteria. Accommodating them within cities is an absolute must.   

With my graduation project, I want to demonstrate that accommodating status holders in cities contributes to better integration and acceptance. For this purpose, it is crucial to unmix status holders on the basis of age, family composition or sexual orientation. These different groups are then excellent to mix with local residents. For instance, single young persons mix well with students, single-person households, first-time buyers and families. As a result, besides housing for status holders, I also add housing and facilities for the locals of Eindhoven. This makes the alternative accommodation location of added value not only for the status holders, but also for Eindhoven. 

I then designed an urban plan for a site in Eindhoven, showing how the various residential areas fully match the needs of the relevant target groups, providing every opportunity for optimal integration and acceptance. 

With my graduation project, I want to show that the asylum crisis in the Netherlands is a spatial challenge and that, as an urbanist, I can contribute to the discussion on alternative ways of accommodating people. 

Graduation date: 14 November 2023 
Graduation committee: Martin Aarts (mentor), Bram Jansen, Hans van der Made 
Additional members for the exam: Hein Coumou, Ania Sosin