Over Morgen was asked to map the potential for transformation of business sites in the province of Utrecht by means of a digital map.

 

Our solution

In spite of the attractive state of the economy, vacant properties remain a pressing issue in the Netherlands. There is a great mismatch between supply and demand in the market for office space and business parks. The Utrecht Development Agency (OMU) plays a fundamental role in improving, renovating and making business sites more sustainable in the province of Utrecht. Therefore, these tasks were also central in the development of the Transformation Map.

 

The Transformation Map is divided into five main categories: Building, Use, Area, Sustainability and Vacancy. For each business site in the province of Utrecht, the map provides information on the categories above for each and every building. By using open data, the information is quickly made visible in an online GIS-platform. Information such as energy label, year of construction and type of use is available for every property. The map includes a link to the Provincial Employment Register (PAR); it shows which businesses are registered in a certain property, what they do and how many people they employ. We have also carried out specific analyses: by combining open data in a smart way, we have been able to sketch the sustainability task for the business sites, the accessibility of the locations from residential centres or facilities and to make estimates on the remaining planned capacity for all business parks in the province.

 

OMU’s investment managers use this information to identify chances to improve or change the location of businesses. The map is interactive; it is therefore possible to browse quickly between all layers of information and discover links and connections. This map gives a good overview of the topic and is a great tool for applying knowledge efficiently and sharing ideas and perspectives in an easy way. OMU also makes use of the map to give an overview of their own projects and for their own communication purposes. Part of this information is public, see the map below.

 

 

Over Morgen combines their expertise in sustainable urban development and real estate development with competence in data analysis and geo-information. We develop implementation-oriented information products that identify opportunities and are a valid support tool for tasks, programmes and projects. The results are presented in form of digital maps that are used for specific development processes. Digital maps have a connecting effect and are surely a catalyst for cooperation.

Gepubliceerd: 03-07-2020