A Competitive Rotterdam

Rotterdam is considered to be an important source of revenue for the overall Dutch economy. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and is celebrated around the globe for its efficacy in all port--? related sectors. The issue is, however, that the city economy and overall urban quality are outshined by the port, and are thus gradually failing to meet the new multifaceted demands of its users. Changes in the world order define cities as the new economic, political and social spearheads, ergo Rotterdam must improve its conditions and compete for higher status with other cities in the system. To obtain higher levels of competitiveness, cities work hard on their overall attractiveness and appeal to visitors, companies and investors, and on forming as many connections to other cities and economic sectors that would help expand their city economy, their market share and ultimately provide all of the city's users with more opportunities and activities. Looking at some of Rotterdam's competitors--? in this case Hamburg and Frankfurt--? is an important step towards reinvigorating its image as a global city. Hamburg and Frankfurt each have their own story of how they generate and maintain the allure that brings clusters and investors, as well as improve the overall quality of life in the city. In order to get an insight into the mechanics of all three cities, it is important to consider current trends in the global market, urban competitiveness, the networks that cities form in order to strengthen their positions, and ultimately the existing hard and soft factors that attract users and convince them to stay. Therefore, highlighting investment flows was the first step in identifying the locations where Rotterdam, Hamburg and Frankfurt agglomerate their economic clusters, after which further qualitative research was conducted to conceptualize the attractiveness of these cities. Furthermore, personal interviews were conducted with officials from all three cities, and material gathered from visits strengthen the study by providing first--?hand experiences, filling in the gaps omitted by hard, more tangible data. Hamburg and Frankfurt are much stronger competitors than Rotterdam, and they have both hard and soft facts to support this claim. The amount of their connections to other cities and economic sectors in the global market far outnumbers those that Rotterdam possesses. Rotterdam's economy is too narrow, too port--?oriented, and thus it lacks in capacity to expand its market share and establish more connections. This, however, is both a cause and a consequence of its current urban conditions; and despite the potentials, the city faces many issues that need to be resolved. The economy and urban quality are inextricably interlinked; ergo improving one will most certainly have a positive effect on the other. Rotterdam, like Frankfurt, has a hard exterior, but has potential to flourish in sectors that are more culture and leisure oriented, which Frankfurt has already succeeded in. This would humanize the city and improve its appeal to residents, propelling the city to work with investors so as to create more spaces where users could not only work, but also really live in, which would ultimately bring other economic activity into the area, and thus offer more vantage points. To find innovate ways of improving both market and residential quality, Rotterdam can also learn quite a lot from Hamburg. Finally, Rotterdam needs to transform itself into a city where living is the top priority.