AN EXERCISE IN WORLDMAKING 2009 - ISS

5 The Case of the Herman Costerstraat Market in The Hague 59
commitment of the municipality to the development of the area that initially
triggered and then carried on with the process that resulted in the
successful story of the market and the neighborhood that we witness today.
By providing services to the area that facilitated the starting of new
businesses, and creating a regulatory framework that allowed the different
actors to interact with each other with certainty, knowing what to
expect in the near and long term future, the municipality laid the foundations
for a peaceful coexistence that benefit all actors involved while creating
economic prosperity and space for social interaction and integration..
The synergy among the different actors present at the HCM is to a
large degree the result of a process in which the municipality has facilitated
and accompanied the development of the private sector while attending
the interests and the needs of the local community and other
businesses in the periphery. Furthermore, by being close in proximity to
the vendors, the municipality has been able to ensure understanding of
their needs and quick response to their demands in an efficient and effective
way.
At the same time, by creating the conditions for sustainable and continuous
incoming investment to the city and increasing economic activity,
the municipality has ensured a steady source of income that results
not only in profits and employment for the private sector but also in
taxes and income for the city from services provided to the different actors.
Having that sustainable source of income increases the available
funds that might be used to pay for current expenditures and finance
future plans.
When it comes to the limitations of the experience of the HCM, it is
important to highlight the lack of a body, representative enough, that
would effectively guarantee that all voices and interests of the vendors of
the market are included and considered when making decisions and taking
positions in negotiations. The lack of a structure or organization that
represents the interests of all vendors, regardless of their origin or the
type of products they sell, hampers the efforts to achieve common long
term benefits for all. More dialogue, at the market level, is required
among vendors and between vendors and the municipality. For that dialogue
to be productive, however, it should include the voices and interests
of all vendors and not only the few that are represented by the exist-