City centres in the Netherlands have become increasingly lively over the past four decades. Visitors go there for entertainment and relaxation. At present, a reverse development is threatening, partly due to the increasing popularity of online shopping. If this development continues, it will be a loss for both the public and the entrepreneurs. How can the tide be turned?
Since the 1970s, city centres have changed significantly. The working city has argentina phone number list become a fun city. City centres are now areas where people go to have fun and enjoy the proximity of others. They are places with a mix of shops, restaurants, events and culture. This change has been caused, among other things, by the fact that people have more time and money at their disposal due to increased prosperity and because families have moved to the suburbs and more single-person households have ended up in city centres.
For a long time, researchers have been engaged in research and theory development around the cold and impersonal sides of city life. The book “The Warm City” by Thaddeus Müller from 2002, focuses on the new urbanity. This book shows that contacts in the public domain also have personal, friendly and intimate dimensions.