Crime and social interactions in Dutch neighbourhoods
Some neighbourhoods are breeding grounds of crime whereas in others the number of criminals can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Neighbourhood differences in crime cannot be completely explained by social and economic differences between neighbourhoods and residents. Social interactions may offer an additional explanation: people get more easily involved in criminal behaviour…
International borders still limit local population growth in western EU
Decades of international economic integration in western Europe have not managed to stimulate population growth in border regions. In a recent article published in the Journal of Transport Geography, Chris Jacobs-Crisioni and Eric Koomen studied the relation between municipal population growth and transport accessibility over the past 50 years. Lack of cross-border transport supply has repeatedly been blamed for…
Housing market: Why are homes sold above the asking price?
In 2016, more than half of the homes offered for sale in Amsterdam were sold above the asking price. This percentage was also high in other Dutch cities. But why would one pay more than the asking price? Would one pay more in a supermarket for a candy bar than indicated? No. In fact, people…
Waterstaatskaart: Unique historical data source for the Dutch water system
Researchers from the Spatial Information Laboratory (SPINlab) are currently working on a project to explore the possibilities of the Waterstaatskaart, a 19th century map containing all kinds of information on the Dutch water system on a national scale. By analysing this historical map and translating the information into digital GIS layers, this unique historical source…
Air cargo: Identifying ‘white spots’ and ‘grey spots’
There is an abundance of research into the behaviour of airline passengers in the literature: willingness-to-pay for various services is a popular topic, also among students writing their final theses. Another research topic chosen by students in the last year concerns the ‘white spots’ and ‘grey spots’: the destinations not yet offered, and the destinations…
Amsterdam Metropolitan Area: A strong and resilient region
The department annually contributes to the Economic Outlook of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. This publication is intensively used as an evidence base for developing policies in the region. Presentations for diverse audiences of mayors and alderman, entrepreneurs, and local and regional policy makers contribute to a lively debate about the future of the region. The…
Parking policy: Do residents benefit from paid parking?
Nowadays it’s almost impossible to find a free parking spot in the large cities of the Netherlands. The main goal of paid parking is to reduce the demand for the limited amount of available parking space, which makes it easier for car drivers to find a vacant parking spot and leaves more space available for…
On air transport: Competing routes in civil aviation
The number of passengers increases rapidly at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. To keep up with this growth, the airport invests 36 million euro in a temporary departure hall. Low cost carriers, such as Ryanair and Easyjet, are largely responsible for this growth. Does the growth of low cost carriers cause more competition between airlines? As part…
Environmental policy: Monopoly, oligopoly, (shale) oil and climate change
Combustion of fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) contributes to climate change by generating carbon emissions. Because the effect of fossil fuels on climate change is not taken into account by the free market, government policy is needed to reduce carbon emissions. Optimal climate policy is simple, at least in theory: carbon emissions should be…
The mixed effects of Mixed Land Use: Impacts on firms in urban areas
A city is a thriving organism composed of high densities of people, mostly strangers, which live and interact in a complex series of direct and indirect exchanges. In the past urban policies often aimed to develop monofunctional neighbourhoods, where people and different types of jobs (e.g. manufacturing, business services and retail) were separated. However, in…