Coping with collective interests in a self-organised planning regime: a critical analysis of the Oosterwold case (Almere, NL)

Self-organisation is a prominent concept in the field of urban studies, yet its application to planning practices is still minimal. In this regard, the Dutch Organic Development Strategies (ODS) stand out for being one of the few practical attempts to provide a legal framework for an incremental and open-ended urban development. Among the ODS, the Oosterwold case distinguishes itself for further exploring autonomy and decentralised decision-making. Few years following the project’s inception, a fieldwork analysis was intended to find a link between the self-organising processes that have taken place in Oosterwold, and their potential to cope with collective interests. The results have shown that stressing autonomy and incrementality undermined efficiency, feasibility, and compliance with the public interest. The case study analysis suggests that planners should not consider self-organisation as a goal per se and, when it comes to delivering collective infrastructures and services, self-governance, along with public support, might become necessary.