Rotterdam Neighbourhoods in Action

This research examines the 'Wijk aan Zet' (Neighbourhood in Action) initiative, a neighbourhood council model launched in 2022 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It focuses on the impact these councils have on urban policy and neighbourhood development. The main research question is: To what extent do neighbourhood councils under the 'Wijk aan Zet' initiative influence urban policy and contribute to transformative changes in Rotterdam's neighbourhoods? Written for the Global Markets, Local Creativities (GLOCAL) master program, this thesis explores how global challenges- like resident engagement, neighbourhood resilience and local governance- play out on a local level. Its findings are relevant for neighbourhood council members, municipal staff and neighbourhood residents in Rotterdam, while also offering insights for building effective neighbourhood council models worldwide. As the 'Wijk aan Zet' initiative is still relatively new, having existed for only three years, and with new elections scheduled for March 2026, now is an ideal moment to study these councils. The research uses a mixed method approach by combining in-depth interviews with neighbourhood council members and municipal staff with document analysis via topic modelling and thematic analysis with the use of RStudio. The key findings of this research show that neighbourhood councils primarily address hyperlocal issues. Their influence on broader urban policy remains limited due to institutional constraints and unclear boundaries between neighbourhood and city governance. However, neighbourhood councils do play a meaningful role in shaping their communities and have the potential to make transformative impact on their neighbourhoods. Key challenges they face include navigating the complex bureaucratic municipal system, managing unclear expectations and sustaining resident engagement. To unlock their full potential, neighbourhood councils need the municipality to provide more trust, improved collaboration, additional training, better tools, and-most importantly-a mindset shift: it is time for the neighbourhoods to take action.