Dakpark Rotterdam (photo credits: http://www.rotterdamarchitectuurprijs.nl/dakpark-1.html)
Context
Multifunctional projects combine various functions and activities in the same area. Through multi-functionality, actors attempt to realize various societal demands simultaneously (i.e. housing, recreation and leisure, ecology, transport, flood protection, etc.) and achieve the complementarity of integrating the resources, expertise and knowledge of multiple actors.
However, the path to achieve complementarity has two main obstacles. First, integrating functions requires the coordination of actors that belong to different disciplines and sectors. Consequently, actors often have different interpretations about the project. This diversity of interpretations leads to diverse views about what is at stake, and what should be done in the decision-making process. Second, integrating functions in the same area often leads to dilemmas. Actors need to make choices among various functions to satisfy different demands, entailing trade-offs. Consequently, actors are often encountering situations of ambivalence in which it is not clear which functional combination should be implemented.
To support the exploration of functional combinations that help to achieve complementarity, there is a need for approaches that allow surfacing different interpretations about the project, and creating awareness about dilemmas.
However, the path to achieve complementarity has two main obstacles. First, integrating functions requires the coordination of actors that belong to different disciplines and sectors. Consequently, actors often have different interpretations about the project. This diversity of interpretations leads to diverse views about what is at stake, and what should be done in the decision-making process. Second, integrating functions in the same area often leads to dilemmas. Actors need to make choices among various functions to satisfy different demands, entailing trade-offs. Consequently, actors are often encountering situations of ambivalence in which it is not clear which functional combination should be implemented.
To support the exploration of functional combinations that help to achieve complementarity, there is a need for approaches that allow surfacing different interpretations about the project, and creating awareness about dilemmas.
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Research focus
The focus of this research is twofold. First, we gain insights into the influence of multiple interpretations (or “frames of reference” (Goffman, 1974)) on the decision making of multifunctional projects. Second, we identify the dilemmas that actors encounter while defining and selecting functional combinations. Based on our findings, we develop a workshop tool that helps to surface different interpretations to create awareness about the dilemmas that actors encounter in decision making in multifunctionality.
Case studies
This project has evaluated three case studies in the Netherlands: the Dakpark, Grevelingen Volkerak Zoommeer, and the Grebbedijk.
- The Dakpark is a multifunctional project located in the harbor area in Rotterdam. The project combines a shopping mall with a park on top of it. In the project area, there is a flood defense structure.
- The Grevelingen Volkerak Zoommeer is an integrated area development project located in the South West Delta in the Netherlands. The project involves more than 18 stakeholders, and integrates an improvement of water quality, and flood protection with various sectors namely real estate, agriculture, fisheries, recreation, transport, energy, and nature.
- The Grebbedijk is a flood defense located next to Wageningen, in the Netherlands. Due to a change in the flood protection norm, there are plans to combine the Grebbedijk with various functions. At the moment (summer 2015), various public agencies are exploring potetnial functional combinations.
Utilisation Plan
Our research results are of value for public and private organizations that operate in multi-actor contexts, and require exploring options to satisfy multiple demands simultaneously. We bring insights and guidelines to apply while exploring functional combinations at early stages of the decision-making process.
References
Goffman, E. (1974) Frame analysis, an essay on the organization of experience: Harvard University Press.
