Hees van, S. MA

Voor Elkaar in Parkstad

Summary

Content In Parkstad, a collaboration of municipalities in the south-western part of Limburg, an experiment takes place with a specific innovative intervention. The aim of this intervention called Voor Elkaar in Parkstad is to improve the care and the quality of life of frail elderly. Public and private services for elderly are working together in a participatory development of a lifecycle robust neighborhood. For the participants this innovation is a challenge because. It requires that local politics as well as care, welfare and public housing organizations change their style in relation to other organizations and to users from a planning-and-control style towards a more experimenting-and-learning style. To get insight in the process and the fruitfulness of this innovation from diverse perspectives I will study the process of developing a life cycle robust neighborhood. I will do this in a research design which is mainly based on the responsive methodology (T. Abma, 2006). Besides my documentary analysis I will monitor the process by participative observation in the field and by interviewing people of the target group and participants at all levels (strategic, tactical and operational). On a regular base I will give feedback to the participants on the basis of my observations combined with a scientific analysis. One of the main questions in my research will be how participants will overcome the internal and external boundaries, which will be necessary to reach the goal the participants have set.