Amsterdam, Netherlands - SEO Economisch Onderzoek

The VU likewise develops research programs aimed at the social programs of the Amsterdamregion like social cohesion and security. To this purpose it co-finances with the city council achair in security issues and cooperates with the city’s statistical department (Amsterdam O+S) tomaintain a civilian monitor. A special facility is the VU Center for International Development(CIS). CIS has partners in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe and aims at makingknowledge, experience and expertise accessible to institutions and individuals in developingcountries and countries in transition, and by doing so, to contribute to national developmentprocesses in those countries. The institute offers expertise in the following areas:• Development of education and training;• Management and organizational of educational institutions;• The use of ICT in teaching and research, management and organization;• Management and conservation of natural resources in rural areas.A final initiative that should be mentioned is hosted by several (social) housing associations, cityboroughs and the HvA. It is called the City Academy (Academie van de Stad) which developsprograms to tackle social problems at a neighborhood scale. The programs consist of research, butalso initiate and support bottom-up initiatives by local organizations or citizens in a more handsonapproach.5.2.4 Infrastructures and volunteering servicesThe physical infrastructure offered by HEIs in the Amsterdam region to foster social developmentis limited to several of the initiatives already mentioned, such as the Karthuizer research centerwhich is also a platform for cultural activities, and BOOT, the neighborhood shops of HvA andUvA. HvA and UvA also cooperate with the city council in outreach projects, offering studentsthe opportunity to learn ‘on the job’ in social programs. An example involves teaching programsto aid homeless youth in financial budgeting. The Amsterdam Center of Conflict Studies (ACS)also offers students volunteering jobs in fields associated with social conflict in a cityenvironment.5.3 Cultural development5.3.1.1 Economic impact of the cultural complexCultural development is another area where the knife may cut both ways. On the one hand,culture has intrinsic value and is one of the defining characteristics of regional identity. On theother hand, cultural development is increasingly seen as part of the competitive framework of aregion and a factor that may attract creative talent and new firms to the region. The culturalcomplex fosters creativity which through the work of Florida (2002, 2005) is nowadays seen as abasic driver of innovation and regional economic growth.In the metropolitan region of Amsterdam cultural development plays a role in all three channels.First, there is an extensive offer of cultural activities in the Amsterdam region. Amsterdam alonehouses 37 museums of various sorts; three concert halls for classical music amongst which therenowned Concertgebouw, three concert halls for popular music and 70 theaters staging 19,000performances on a yearly base. And the number of cultural stages is rising fast. Gerritsen et al.(2008) has calculated that in the period 2005-2015 the number of seats in Amsterdam theaters andmusic halls will increase with 45% to a total of 88,000. Three-quarter of this increase is due toprivate investment, expanded capacity in the non-subsidized part of the cultural sector.Secondly, this offer of cultural activities meets a rising demand. The community is becomingincreasingly aware that culture is a competitive advantage to reckon with. The Amsterdammetropolitan area ranks itself in 5 th place in a list of European city regions (PRES, 2009: 5). Oneof the determinants for this competitive ranking is the quality of living. On this rankingAmsterdam also scores a 5 th place, after Zurich, Geneva, Frankfurt and Munich. The report from110