Leiden University Student Repository

Brinkman, Anna (2024)

From Grey to Green: A content analysis on the barriers and solutions in Dutch Industrial Estates

Bachelor thesis | Urban Studies (BA)

This thesis used content analysis to focus on the challenges experienced during the greening of industrial estates, with a specific focus on the case study done on the Grote Polder in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands. An interview and policy documents were used on top of this. The study categorizes the challenges into economic constraints, regulatory challenges, and stakeholder engagement. It analyzes the implications that these factors have on sustainable transformations. Firstly, economic constraints such as expensive and time-consuming procedures, Economic constraints such as expensive and time-consuming procedures conflict with the majority of business models and hinder voluntary corporate social responsibility. Secondly, the regulatory challenges originate from fragmented policies, a lack of national frameworks, and legal hurdles, limiting the potential contributions of industrial estates to sustainability goals. And finally stakeholder engagement, that is complicating collective green...Show moreThis thesis used content analysis to focus on the challenges experienced during the greening of industrial estates, with a specific focus on the case study done on the Grote Polder in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands. An interview and policy documents were used on top of this. The study categorizes the challenges into economic constraints, regulatory challenges, and stakeholder engagement. It analyzes the implications that these factors have on sustainable transformations. Firstly, economic constraints such as expensive and time-consuming procedures, Economic constraints such as expensive and time-consuming procedures conflict with the majority of business models and hinder voluntary corporate social responsibility. Secondly, the regulatory challenges originate from fragmented policies, a lack of national frameworks, and legal hurdles, limiting the potential contributions of industrial estates to sustainability goals. And finally stakeholder engagement, that is complicating collective green investments, encountering obstacles in the form of collaboration, divergent interests, and inadequate representation. The study concludes that to promote lasting changes in industrial estates, tackling these complex issues requires a coordinated strategy at the levels of stakeholders, regulations, and the economy. Future directions for study include effect evaluations, policy analyses, stakeholder engagement tactics, and cross-national comparative studies.Show less

: industrial estates, urban green spaces, Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainability, greening

Author

Brinkman, Anna

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Sustainability

Supervisors

Dr K. Mehmet Kentel

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en