Better Together: Collective housing design for the New Urban Middle- Income family in the Minervahaven of Amsterdam

Too many families are leaving the city because of the lack of affordable and suitable dwellings for them to grow and stay in the city center. Fragmentation on the dwelling market leads to the phenomenon that urban families are leaving the city center of Amsterdam because the rents are increasing. This is happening in such a way that the gap between social rent (low segment) and the high segment makes sure that families in the middle-class segment are shifting towards the higher segment. Because of this they are forced to search for better, suitable dwellings outside the city center. Therefore, solutions such as building more compact and with shared facilities can result in a more affordable and social resilient living environment that provides a stronger relation between neighborhood and city.Amsterdam is becoming a more exclusive city as housing prices are rising because of the overpopulation. As a result, the middle class has a hard time staying in the city. Earning too much for social housing but too little for free sector, the gap between social housing and high income dwellings is growing, driving the middle class out of Amsterdam. Both socially and economically it is of great importance for Amsterdam to maintain this group.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science