Liveable, but for Whom? – Perceived Liveability and Citizen Participation in Amsterdam's Red-Light District

Abstract

Popularly known as Amsterdam's Red-Light District, De Wallen is one of the Netherlands' most well-known yet controversial areas. This politicised neighbourhood has witnessed years of gentrification and touristification. Many contemporary debates concerning De Wallen, and the municipality's policy interventions have been around the topic of liveability. This case study examines the neighbourhood's liveability from the eyes of diverse local stakeholders and analyses how their perceptions of liveability get reflected, or not, in the citizen participation mechanisms. De Wallen's stakeholders, apart from the municipality, include residents, business owners, sex workers, socio-cultural institutions, and employees of various establishments. By interviewing some of these diverse voices, the study highlights the plurality in the liveability perceptions of the local stakeholders. Thus, this research builds onto existing theoretical and empirical work by underscoring the importance of analysing liveability from a contextual lens and evaluating whose liveability perceptions are given primacy while creating policies for an urban area.