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Thesis Night Time Economies A Case Study
Thesis · March 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33781.63203
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Thesis
Night Time Economies
A Case Study
Date: 14-01-2019
Student ID: 500683141
Thesis supervisor: Núria Arbonés Aran
Assessor: Amelia Roman
CAREM/CEDIS
Iegor Trieshchov CAREM/CEDIS, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences 14th of January 2019
Night Time Economies and their influence on

Peripheral Areas of the City.
A Case Study of Amsterdam's Zuidoost
Trieshchov I.
500683141
Amsterdam, January 2019
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
AMSIB
International business and management
Thesis supervisor: Núria Arbonés Aran
Assessor: Amelia Roman
CAREM/CEDIS, project “Moving Amsterdam Zuidoost”
1
Contents
Executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1 Background of the research ................................................................................................................ 5
1.2 CAREM/CEDIS...................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Problem statement ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Narrowing down the matter. .............................................................................................................. 7
1.4 Cases ................................................................................................................................................... 8
1.4.1 Tel Aviv. Florentin. ....................................................................................................................... 8
1.4.2. Berlin. Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg. ............................................................................................... 9
1.5 Opportunity statement and research question. ................................................................................. 9
1.6 Thesis structure................................................................................................................................. 11
Chapter 2: Theoretical framework.............................................................................................................. 11
2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 11
2.2 Images ............................................................................................................................................... 11
2.3 “Imaginary” ....................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4 Place attachment and behavioural intentions .................................................................................. 13
2.5 Night economies ............................................................................................................................... 13
2.6 Images towards neighbourhood ....................................................................................................... 15
2.7 Creative class..................................................................................................................................... 15
2.8 Third place by Oldenburg .................................................................................................................. 16
2.9 Polycentric cities ............................................................................................................................... 17
2. 10 Conclusion. ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 20
3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 20
2
3.2 Research approach............................................................................................................................ 20
3.3 Data collection techniques ............................................................................................................... 21
3.3.1 Primary data ............................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.2 Secondary data .......................................................................................................................... 23
3.3.3 Sub- cases................................................................................................................................... 23
3.4 Sampling............................................................................................................................................ 25
3.5 Variables............................................................................................................................................ 25
3.5 Validity and reliability ....................................................................................................................... 26
3.6 Analysis of data ................................................................................................................................. 26
3.7 Ethics of the thesis and data collection ............................................................................................ 26
Chapter 4 Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 27
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 27
4.2 Policies concerning the night activities.............................................................................................. 27
4.3 Current and future situation ............................................................................................................. 31
Movie Festival “Metro Movies”. ......................................................................................................... 35
Heesterveld ......................................................................................................................................... 36
Oscam.................................................................................................................................................. 36
Amstel III development ....................................................................................................................... 38
4.4 International practices ...................................................................................................................... 38
4.4.1 Berlin .......................................................................................................................................... 39
4.4.2 Tel Aviv (TLV) .............................................................................................................................. 43
Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendation ............................................................................................ 47
5.1 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 47
5.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 49
Policies ................................................................................................................................................ 49
Connectivity ........................................................................................................................................ 50
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Internal mobility in the area ............................................................................................................... 50
Bike roads connected to the center.................................................................................................... 51
Connect Arena Boulevard with Heesterveld community ................................................................... 51
Signs of safety ..................................................................................................................................... 51
Work with young artists ...................................................................................................................... 52
Stimulating cooperation between initiatives...................................................................................... 52
Engage local community ..................................................................................................................... 52
Promoting already existing places ...................................................................................................... 52
Creating more entertainment services ............................................................................................... 53
5.3 Limitations......................................................................................................................................... 53
5.4 Further research ............................................................................................................................... 54
References: ................................................................................................................................................. 54
Appendices.................................................................................................................................................. 64
Appendix I photo material and field notes from observation in club “Jack” .......................................... 64
Appendix II Link after movie “Metro Bios” ............................................................................................. 66
Appendix III Field notes and photo material Metro Bios ........................................................................ 66
Appendix IV Field notes Heesterveld creative communities .................................................................. 69
Appendix V Photo material event at “OSKAM” ...................................................................................... 70
Appendix VI Field notes OSKAM ............................................................................................................. 71
Appendix VII Booming Bijlmer ................................................................................................................ 73
Appendix VIII Photo material from the event “Amsterdam 2050 Voor wie bouwen we de stad?” ....... 74
Appendix IX background of Kit Kat club .................................................................................................. 74
Appendix X background of Berghain club ............................................................................................... 74
Appendix XI Screenshots of online reviews about Kit Kat and Berghain ................................................ 75
Kit Kat .................................................................................................................................................. 75
Berghain .............................................................................................................................................. 77
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Appendix XII Interior in athmosphere in Kit Kat ..................................................................................... 82
Appendix XIII Clubers outfit in Kit Kat and Berghain .............................................................................. 83
Kitkat ................................................................................................................................................... 83
Berghain .............................................................................................................................................. 84
Appendix XIV Field notes from Berghain and Kit Kat .............................................................................. 85
Berghain .............................................................................................................................................. 85
Kit Kat .................................................................................................................................................. 87
Appendix XV Opening hours of center RAW........................................................................................... 88
Appendix XVI Field notes and photo material RAW center .................................................................... 89
Appendix XVII online comments about RAW ......................................................................................... 93
Appendix XVIII Walking route and some notes in made in Friedrichshain area..................................... 95
Appendix XIX Online comments about the area Friedrishchain. ............................................................ 97
Appendix XX Online comments about observed places in TLV ............................................................ 101
Mate florentin ................................................................................................................................... 101
Perla .................................................................................................................................................. 102
Hodna ................................................................................................................................................ 103
Berlin in Florentin.............................................................................................................................. 104
Appendix XXI Online comments about area Florentin ......................................................................... 105
Appendix XXII Time tables of the observed bars in TLV ....................................................................... 109
Appendix XXIII Bird scooter................................................................................................................... 109
Appendix XXIV Field notes and additional photo material from TLV` .................................................. 109
Appendix XXV Van Gogh path ............................................................................................................... 112
Appendix XXVI Interview with Naima Bouchtaoui (Bureau Broedplaatsen)Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Appendix XXVII Interview with Patricia (manager club “Jack”) ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Appendix XXVII Interview with Shamiro van der Geld (Nachtburgemeester)Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Appendix XXVIII Interview with Amir (owner of the bar Hoodna TLV) ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix XXIX Interview with Noukhey (OSKAM) .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Executive summary
Over the last few years, due to immigration and political restructuring in the EU, the population of
Amsterdam has increased significantly. Amsterdam is growing rapidly, and many areas which were
considered undesirable became residential and trendy areas to live in (Noord (North), Oost (East)
Amsterdam). However, some of the areas such as Zuidoost (South East) are still facing a high level of
prejudice on local and international levels due to the perception of them being dangerous. New
developments in that neighbourhood will bring in around 80.000 newcomers. They will most likely face
the same bias as their predecessors.
Zuidoost has a complicated history of evolution, which still creates a negative image for visitors and
residents of Amsterdam. This research will be focused on how the perception of Amsterdam Zuidoost
can be influenced in order for its image to become more appealing and acceptable in the eyes of visitors
and potential residents of the area alike. Subsequently, it could lead to a decrease of prejudice and a
better understanding of the area, faster socio-economic development on all levels due to increasing
national and international interests. This thesis will specifically dive into how the introduction of night-
time economies (NTE) could influence the peripheral area, in Amsterdam Zuidoost in particular. To
understand and study the phenomena of NTE and its effects on social-economic as well as cultural
developments of the vicinity, the researcher will consider two international cases. The cases were
selected based on the similarity of their history to that of Zuidoost. The examples which were studied
are cases of “no-go” areas in Tel Aviv and Berlin, which in the recent past became in the representative
areas of the city.
In last decade NTE has attracted a lot of attention from researchers and society. Some strongly believe
that these sorts of activities bring a “creative class” together and cause gentrification in the area. In
other words, the neighbourhood develops faster, there are new types of activities and businesses
established, and consequently new kind of residents move into the neighbourhood. Others argue that
NTE only brings noise, disturbance and increase in crime to the neighbourhood.
To be able collect data for this thesis, the researcher applied multi-method qualitative research
techniques. Both primary and secondary data were used in order to draw a conclusion. Additional
information was found through interviews, observations and nethnography. Trips to Berlin and Tel-
Aviv were made in order to get an understanding of how the areas developed and what type of activities
are available there. Moreover, observations in these places helped to gain insight of which factors
influence success of the area and who live in and visit the area. It also helped to gauge the atmosphere
of the area and observe the emotions of people who were there.
The research instruments helped the researcher to answer the main question of the research: In which
ways could the introduction of night time economies (such as bars, clubs, complex of activities) in
Zuidoost help improve its image and perception (on local and international levels), and also stimulate
the local economy? Theories of “creative class” “third place” “place attachment” and “images” helped
the researcher to understand how the image of the area can be influenced in a positive way.
During this research it was found that indeed NTE can attract international and local attention to the area.
The places which are performing NTE activities can help its visitors to create and develop place attachment
feelings and therefore encourage them to come back. The NTE users can be described as young, creative,
1
international oriented people, who wants to enjoy their life. The wide range of interest to the NTE places
stimulating a new activities around them in the area which are trying to meet people’s demand for a
services around visited NTE activities. It helps positively develop socio-economic environment of the area
and create an appealing association with places and area
2
Acknowledgements
This thesis is the final project for the Bachelor degree of International Business and Management
at the Amsterdam School of International Business.
The thesis was written in close collaboration with Dr. N. Arbonés Aran, who gave me the opportunity
to write this thesis as a part of research group Cities & Visitors “Moving Amsterdam Zuidoost”. She
helped me expand my ideas through continuous feedback and support. Her kind support and interest
in my topic helped me go through some down periods of my writing experience. I also would like to
thank my colleague Diana Mueller, and my partner Yannick Vauloup for their continued support. A
special thank you I would like to say to my friends Johann, David, James and Jose who helped me a
lot in the last stages of writing this thesis. Also, I am indebted to the people who were interviewed
for their time and voluntarily participation. I would love to give my gratitude to all teachers who I
had during my study years for their hard work and knowledge which they gave me, which eventually
helped me to write this thesis. Last but not least, I would like to thank Dr. Amelia Roman for her
honest feedback and guidance through the process. She was a great support to me during my study
years, and I am grateful that she was my assessor since she is one of my role models and her opinion
about my work means a lot to me.
I hope that everyone who reads this thesis will enjoy it as much as I did writing it, and hopefully it
will help to bring some real changes to the area Zuidoost,
Iegor Trieshchov
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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background of the research
This thesis is the final assignment for the IBMS (International Business and Management Studies)
program at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) and Amsterdam School of
International Business (AMSIB), located in the Southeast district of Amsterdam (Amsterdam
Zuidoost)(AMSIB, 2017).
This thesis is focused on the notion of prejudice and underdevelopment of peripheral areas within
each city. The research project focuses on the image of Amsterdam Zuidoost and how this image can
be changed positively by applying “night time economies”. Going forward, we will label this NTE (see
more in section 2.5). The findings within are examined with the help of theories such as “creative
class” as defined by R. Florida, “third place” as defined by R. Oldenburg and “soft and hard factors”
and others as discussed in section 2, and applicable research methodologies (discussed in section
3.3).
This thesis aims to construct appropriate recommendations and design a plan of actions on how to
create a further favourable image of Amsterdam Zuidoost amongst the visitors and potential
residents (discussed in chapter 5). It will focus particularly on how the NTE might affect the
reputation and image of Zuidoost. Scholars Roberts and Turner (2005) defined NTE as: “a diverse and
high-quality provision of different leisure, entertainment and cultural services outside the 9–5
period”. NTE includes: restaurants, takeaway, cafes, bars, pubs, clubs, night theatres, cinemas and
clubs, live music and entertainment events. This thesis will mostly focus on HORECA (hotels, bars and
restaurants) type of NTE, and their combination in the area.
1.2 CAREM/CEDIS
This thesis is in collaboration with CEDIS (The Centre of Entrepreneurial Dynamics and International
Strategy). CEDIS a research group based in the Amsterdam School of International Business (AMSIB)
established in 2016 to increase and align research projects with AMSIB. CEDIS is a part of the Centre
for Applied Research on Economics and Management (CAREM). CAREM has five research groups:
Urban Economic Innovation, Corporate Governance and Leadership, Differentiated HR, Online
Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship (Hogeschool van Amsterdam, 2018). This thesis will be
governed and written through a research project which is part of the Urban Economic Innovation
research group.
5
1.3 Problem statement
Like an organism, a city is constructed of different parts, each with a different purpose. For instance, every
big city has a financial district, a city centre, and residential areas. Nowadays, in most cases, the main
functions and meanings of city areas are determined by city planners and developers. However, these
plans are not always successful. One example is the area of - Amsterdam Zuidoost. Scholars Salvatore,
Chino and Fantini (2018) claimed that peripheral areas are usually characterised by a low level of
autonomy in planning ability, with reduced access to and from markets. Apart from its geographical
“isolation”, the term “periphery” itself carries social, political and economic associations, frequently
becoming a synonym for marginalisation, economic disadvantage, lack of technological infrastructure and
political weakness (Salvatore,Chiodo,Fantini, 2018). However, the history teach us that the peripheral
areas which considered to have a negative reputation can be given a chance to reconsider their position
in the future to more appealing. The very same attributes that were previously considered to be
disadvantageous are now being valued as new opportunities (Brown & Hall, 2000). Nowadays, isolation
and remoteness have come to represent peace and distinctiveness, rurality is considered to be a way of
getting in touch with nature, and traditional lifestyles are the basis of a heritage experience (Salvatore,
Chiodo, Fantini, 2018).
In the report “Koers 2025” the city hall clearly expresses a future plan to make Amsterdam a polycentric
city. To decrease the impacts of agglomeration diseconomies emerging from high density in urban (sub)
centres, a polycentric structure which highlights the balanced redistribution of population amongst urban
(sub) centres is regarded as a practical approach (Fujita and Thisse, 2002). More specifically, it is argued
that polycentricism could change urban productivity at least by reducing transaction costs within cities
such as traffic congestion (Zhang et al., 2017).
NTE activities enhanced some significant changes in many neighbourhoods around the globe. For
instance, the neighbourhood of Florentin in Tel Aviv, the case of which will be discussed further in this
work (chapter 3). In this study, the potential effect of NTEs on Amsterdam Zuidoost will be studied by
taking into consideration two particular examples of Tel Aviv and Berlin, two places which had the same
conditions in the past but became vibrant and interesting places and doing an explorative study in
Amsterdam Zuidoost, Limited options of night time leisure activities in Amsterdam Zuidoost make our
research lab question what are the obstacles in the area for enhancing NTE.
In the early 50s, Amsterdam’s city centre experienced a housing shortage which lead to the decision of
planners and policymakers to expand the boundaries of Amsterdam and create an efficient way to solve
the lack of housing. Therefore, as of 1968, the Bijlmer, became a part of Amsterdam. Recently the Bijlmer
became a part of Amsterdam Zuidoost together with another four neighbourhoods: Venserpolder,
Gaasperdam, Driemond and Bullewijk (Swamy, 2016).
The idea behind the Bijlmer sounded perfect for many Amsterdammers in the 1960s: large homes in a
green, safe environment not far from the centre of the city. As a compensation for the lack of a backyard,
green big shared spaces were implemented next to and between apartment complexes. The municipality
of Amsterdam promoted the city of the future with several films and slogans on TV (Bleumink, 2017).
From the beginning, Bijlmer was designed as a residential area for middle-income families (Bleumink,
2017). However, the population did not increased as foreseen and many families were not interested in
moving to the area due to a lack of shops, undeveloped infrastructure, and an underdeveloped transport
6
connection with the centre of the city, a lack of feeling of social community in the area as well. All these
factors lead to a less appealing image of the area, and the majority of the targeted audience by the
developers, looked at apartments in other cities close to Amsterdam (Hootsen, 2006). At the same time,
when Bijlmer strived to find residents for high-rise apartments, the Dutch government was negotiating
the independence of its colonies (Swamy, 2016). When Suriname became independent in 1975, many
people came to live in the Netherlands and majority of them end up in the Bijlmer. Because of that, many
pioneers which were living in Bijlmer moved out to smaller cities close to Amsterdam. It was the beginning
of the end of Bijlmer. Empty buildings were consequently broken into and inhabited by illegal migrants
and junkies (Bleumink, 2017).
In the 80s Bijlmer was characterised as a “single-income, single (low)-class, non-white enclave”. The
alleyways which were supposed to be a place of social interaction became “blind spots” occupied by
homeless, diallers and all sorts of criminals (Blair & Hulsberg, 1993). The government did not try to
stabilize the situation and local and national press frequently mentioned that the steady flow of
immigrants into the Bijlmer caused a rise in illegal activities there (Swamy, 2016). Consequently, its
unfavourable image in the media and the absence of a possible government solution caused massive
underinvestment into the area. The area was left for a few decades without proper management or
financial support from investors or the government. These factors created underdeveloped infrastructure,
a lack of entertainment venues and places for socializing. For a quite long period there were properly
established businesses like cafes or bars in Bijlmer. However, underground and illegal activity flourished,
and consequently, some houses were transformed into bars and restaurants.
Since the beginning of the 90s, the government of Amsterdam heavily invested in the infrastructure and
connectivity of the area in an attempt to make the area more accessible and therefore more interesting
for potential residents. Moreover, big entertainment venues such as the Johan Cruijff Arena (1996) and
later Heineken Music Hall (2001) and Ziggo Dome (2012) were opened in the area. However, all these
efforts did not influence significantly the image of the area as a whole, as it is still perceived as a dangerous
and unattractive part of the city. According to Swamy (2016) this is how local Bijlmer residents talk about
their area and the changes which took place after 1990:
“The Bijlmer is not unsafe anymore, the Bijlmer is for a long time one of the better places to be. It is
just accidents - that are happening all over - sometimes they happen in the Bijlmer, you see it
[reports of crime] in the newspaper and your hidden knowledge of the Bijlmer comes up - 'oh, the
Bijlmer Again!', but you never say 'oh, this is the city centre of Amsterdam again!' ... In a way your
brains have saved that the Bijlmer is unsafe ... [But] it is one of the safest places. I walk through the
streets in the morning, in the evening and I've never felt unsafe.”
This statement clearly describes the problem of Zuidoost. Zuidoost changed significantly, however, people
have a strong image of it as a “Ghetto”.
1.3 Narrowing down the matter.
Despite the fact that Amsterdam Zuidoost (especially close to the Bijlmer station) has all the possible
features to be more appealing such as an easy train and metro system, partly developed internal
infrastructure and some available day activities related to “A brands” (Research group cities and visitors,
7
2017) such as biggest concert venues. However, it is still does not have a good appreciation from visitors
and Amsterdammers (Swamy, 2016). The area of Amsterdam Zuidoost has a high density of students’
residents and the biggest entertainment venues of The Netherlands. Nevertheless, after 23:00 hours in
the evening the area seems to become "very quiet and boring" in the eyes of visitors and the younger
generation of residents (Research group cities and visitors, 2017). These factors do not help to improve
the already damaged image of the area from the past, people are still have a strong idea that it is unsafe
during the night and streets due to the poor developed night life.
For example, the Ziggo Dome and Arena are visited by one and two million people per year, respectively
(Plan Amsterdam, 2014). However, those who are visiting the area leave right after the events, since
"there is not much to do after"(Research group cities and visitors, 2017).
Knowing the area’s problems, City Hall attempts to make the area more alive and create events which can
attract a different part of society. For instance, on September 15, 2018, City Hall organized an event
“Amsterdam 24 Hours Zuidoost”. Yet, the event information brochure about the event indicated that the
majority of places to visit would close around 23 PM hours in the evening (photo of the brochure can be
found in chapter 4.3) which does not correspond to the idea of the event during which visitors can enjoy
the area for 24 hours.
Nevertheless, there are some creative ideas that exist in the area. While they are not fully embodied yet,
there is a healthy evolution in Zuidoost with places such as Heesterveld and the new club ‘Jack’, which
might be the beginning of a historical change in the nightlife of the area. However, most of these places
are disconnected from each other and in some cases they operate only for a short time as pop-up places.
In chapter 2 the positive and negative aspects of NTE will be discussed further.
All in all, there is a strong evidence that innovative night economies increase the attractiveness of places.
Increasing night economies activities might keep people longer in the area and give them more present
memories and images of the area as a place where they can have a great time out. Therefore, the goal of
the research is to understand the influence of night economies for peripheral areas and which mix of
activities should be applied for a successful outcome.
1.4 Cases
In this thesis, two distinct and successful cases in two different cities will be examined to complement the
case study of the particular area of Amsterdam in question here. Observation in these areas will be carried
out during the day and night time to better understand what exactly has made these areas with a
previously negative reputation into the “place to be”.
1.4.1 Tel Aviv. Florentin.
The neighbourhood of Florentin was a vivid working-class neighbourhood located in the weak southern
quarter of Tel Aviv. Over the years the neighbourhood acquired a gloomy reputation which turned
Florentin in a place where the majority would not want to live. Much of its population had left by the mid-
1990s (Rozenholc, 2010).
8
Nevertheless, today Florentine is seeming as a dynamic, young and vibrant neighbourhood. There are
plenty of bars, cafes, workshop, night shops and clubs. The area became a favourite spot of locals , visiting
artists and Bohemia (Gilad, 2018).
1.4.2. Berlin. Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg.
The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg area was formed in 2001, and consists of Friedrichshain (former East Berlin)
and Kreuzberg (former West Berlin). Historically, the Friedrichshain area was part of the city occupied by
the industry workers in the Soviet times, while the Western Kreuzberg was populated by “guest workers”
(Gastarbeiter – mainly Turkish migrant workers) and other less privileged groups arriving in the city, such
as students and artists. In the 1970s Kreuzberg became one of the epicentres of Berlin’s radical and
alternative subculture and squatter movement.
Currently, this area has become a trendy outgoing area where "new bars, restaurants, cafés, bicycle shops,
small art galleries and independent fashion labels opened at a weekly pace" (Füller & Michel, 2014). This
wave of nightlife, entertainment and art facilities began to attract an increasing number of artists and
students and established the area as a cultural and entertainment centre of Berlin. Now it’s a symbol of
“creativity, diversity, tolerance, vibrancy, and hipness” (Füller & Michel, 2014).
1.5 Opportunity statement and research question.
In previous sections, it was mentioned since the 1990’s, the government started different programmes
and activities to enhance the liveability in the Zuidoost and change its image. Many of the projects were
sponsored by local and city government, private entities and funding from the European Union (EU). The
area gained better facilities for living, transportation, work and leisure. New socio- economic environment
was created by building the biggest concert halls in the Netherlands, shopping centres in Arena Boulevard,
and attracting new companies to establish their business. These activities changed the area for the better
and helped to create more new opportunities for locals in terms of self-development and employment. It
seemed like the area had potential to bloom.
However, many surveys conducted by the government concluded, that the area is "very boring and there
is not much to do" (Research group cities and visitors, 2017). There is a noticeable lack of entertainment
activities such as night restaurants, bars and clubs. For the last few years, the amount of hotels increased
from 3 to 12 (Research group cities and visitors, 2017). The visitors staying in the hotels also gave feedback
that the area has not much to offer in terms of dining and evening entertainment (Research group cities
and visitors, 2017). Moreover, it is planned by the government to build around 35.000 new houses in
Zuidoost (Research group cities and visitors, 2017) so there will be a big amount of people with the need
of spending their leisure time in the area with pleasure and comfort.
In the last few years there was also a noticeable increase in the number of cultural and evening activities
in the area of Zuidoost. Places such as OSCAM (Open Space Contemporary Art Museum), Kleinburg, No
Limits, Heesterveld , Krainnest, Word of Food and club Jack are contributing to making the area more
liveable and creating a "better ambience" (Research cities and visitors, 2017).
However, they are all spread out across the area in very different locations, and so it is difficult to attract
people to spend time there and encourage them to stay around due to the lack of options nearby. For
instance, the Heesterveld creative community and club Jack, are two good examples of places that are
9
located in close vicinity to each other, and indeed they can provide people with some options to spend
leisure time there. Unfortunately, these places are not well connected, and it is not easy to get from one
place to another, like from club Jack to a World of food (Research cities and visitors, 2017), particularly
during night time, this can undoubtedly discourage visitors and plays against local economies.
To be sure, some of these places are indeed created as pop-up places, lasting only for a short time. For
instance, OSCAM was just planned to be open for three weeks; later it was decided to keep it for one year
on occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Bijlmer.
The problem is that with existing established entertainment places and activities, the area still has a
negative image and is associated by many with being tedious and unsafe. This dilemma is the necessary
statement that helped to formulate the following research question:
In which ways could the introduction of night time economies ( such as bars, clubs, complex of activities)
in the area of the Zuidoost could help improve the image and perception of this Amsterdam
neighbourhood (at local and international levels) and in the process also stimulate the local economy?
Sub Questions:
What are the current policies concerning night time activities in Amsterdam and particularly in
Zuidoost?
The aim of the question is to understand what are the policies and regulations of NTE in Amsterdam, and
in which ways they influence NTE. How they were conceptualized and implemented, and what type of
functions they currently have. As well as how the government can help to develop NTE with the help of
these and/or new policies.
To what extent can foreign practices be used to make the image of Amsterdam Zuidoost positive?
The goal of this sub-‐question is to learn from the experiences in Tel Aviv and Berlin. By observing different
cities, useful information can be found which could be applied on Zuidoost. Consequently, it will
help Zuidoost to gain a better image. To obtain more information about this sub-question, a trip to Tel
Aviv and Berlin is planned. Areas previously mentioned will be extensively observed in order to
understand the trigger of the changes.
Is there a need for such activities in the area? If yes, what type of activities should be applied?
The intention of this sub-‐question is to understand whether these activities will be appreciated by the locals
and the visitors.
What is the right mix of activities provided by NTE in order to achieve positive interest among public?
The answer to this sub-question will provide a clear understanding of which activities should be applied
to be able to make people more interested in the area and spend more time there. Since previous
researchers claim that to be attractive to visitors a place needs to have factual appealing assets.
10
1.6 Thesis structure
In this paragraph, the content of each chapter of this thesis will be briefly mentioned. It will have five
chapters and will have the following structure.
Chapter 1 is the introduction to this research where main information about the research topic about
Zuidoost can be found.
Chapter 2 consists of the theoretical framework which is relevant to this research such us “images”,
“perceptions”, “imaginary” and “peripheral” linked to the purpose of this research.
Chapter 3 dives into the research methods which were applied during the research process, in particular,
it will give the reader the understanding which techniques were applied with the reasoning.
Chapter 4 contains analyses of collected data from different sources using multiple data collection
technics.
Chapter 5 presents the results which were derived from the thesis and translated into a conclusion and
recommendations.
Chapter 2: Theoretical framework

2.1 Introduction
This chapter will explore some of the existing theories and concepts that are relevant to this study. First
of all, the terms such as “images”, “perceptions”, “imaginary”, “peripheral”, “creative class”, “”third
place” will be explained. This chapter will help to understand which type of research methods should be
applied.
2.2 Images
According to Kevin Lynch (1960) the city is perceived by people as temporal art. The majority of people
experience cities through unique brief moments which are reversed, interrupted and intersect with
experiences of others. In the long run, the uniqueness of people’s urban environment experience might
enhance some alternative forms of inequality. Interpersonal contrast is not only evoked by differences in
income, but rather by differences in the encounters evoked by various neighbourhoods.
Kotler, Haider and Rein (1993) highlighted the way in which minds simplify the process of destination
image formation. According to them: “Images represent a simplification of a large number of associations
and pieces of information connected with the place. They are the product of the mind trying to process
and analyse huge amounts of data about a place”
Beliefs and accumulated knowledge of the physical attributes of the place are the main factors of the
cognitive components (Maher & Carter, 2011). Observed external information and experiences in a place
or destination result in the development of beliefs and judgements, which are cognitive components (San
Martín & Rodriguez del Bosque, 2008). The human brain generates images through active and cognitive
11
domains. The domains affect each other conversely to produce various different representations of
services, goods, situations, places and intangible products, which in turn trigger intention to return to a
specific place (cognitive domain) (Martin,2017).To add, perceptions are generally integrated by activities
of exposure and understanding of the external environment. The activities are depended on the
individual’s internal factors and their explorative character (Hawkins, Best & Coney, 2003).The idea of
how images are perceived according to Beerli & Martin (2004) is illustrated in table 2.1.
Table 2.1: Perceived image
Source: Beerli & Martín (2004)
2.3 “Imaginary”
An ‘imaginary’ would be ‘the creative and symbolic dimension of the social world, the dimension through
which human beings create their ways of living together and their ways of representing their collective
lives’ (Arbonés Aran, 2017). In other words, it refers to the way places, experiences and the social world
can be perceived through the eyes of the beholder (Arbonés Aran, 2017). Imaginaries help detect the
places which have positive images and contain important features of the neighbourhood or place. This
theory also operates in specific time and with taking into consideration changes in the environment
(place, people, time etc.) (Arbonés Aran, 2015).
In the work of Moya (2015), it is mentioned that the scholar Moll interprets imagology as the study of
images, prejudices and stereotypes transmitted from other people and cultures. Meaning that “images”,
as they are defined, go beyond our imagination. Persistent images are influenced and create patterns of
thoughts, reflecting on a particular discourse (Moya, 2015).
Imagologists distinguish three types of images: auto-images/self-image (understanding own cultural

values), hetero-image (attitude towards the others) and meta image (understanding how others perceive
you). Any representation of cultural relations is a representation of a cultural confrontation; and the
author's own cultural values and presuppositions are inevitably involved in this confrontation. There is,
in other words, always a degree of subjectivity (auto-image) involved in the representation of another
12
culture. This unavoidable degree of subjectivity is one of the main differences between an "image" and
objective information (Leerssen, 2017).
2.4 Place attachment and behavioural intentions
Place attachment can be described as the emotional and sensitive connection of an individual to a certain
place (Mazumdar, 2005; Tsai, 2012). Lewica (2011) argues that place attachment helps citizens to
increase life satisfaction feeling through advanced connections with members of community, which is
considered as one of the main social impact of any sort of social event (Inoue & Havard, 2014; Kim &
Walker, 2012). The place attachment can be defined as an attitudinal variable of inhabitants toward their
city. Usually, attitude describes the psychological reaction by the positive or negative evaluations of
people when they are involved in a particular behaviour (Ajzen, 2001; Schiffman & Kanuk, 1994). Place
attachment can be perceived as a positive psychological evaluation of residents.
Place attachment has become an engaging topic (Tsai, 2012). The relationship between a city or an area
image and place attachment has a high correlation factor, because the cognitive model is used as a
variable for predicting citizen’s attitudes (Fan & Qiu, 2014). Several tourism scholars have discovered the
connection between visitor area image and their attitudinal evaluation of the area of the city, including
place attachment (Jalilvand, Samiei, Dini, & Manzari, 2012). Even in the context of the city image
literature, the image can significantly influence residents’ attitudinal reaction, such as pride in living in
their city (Merrilees, Miller, & Herington, 2013; Merrilees, Miller, & Herington, 2009). Thus, it is reliable
to apply place attachment as an outcome variable of city image.
The relationship between city image and behavioural intention is supported by several perspectives:
tourists’ (Bigné, Sánchez, & Sánchez, 2001), residents’ (Schroeder, 1996), and multiple (Papadimitriou et
al., 2015). Moreover, some studies support the relationship between place attachment and tourists’
behavioural intention (Prayag & Ryan, 2012), residents’ behavioural intentions, such as event-related
behaviour (Inoue & Havard, 2014), and pro-environmental behaviour (Scannell & Gifford, 2010;
Stedman, 2002). However, despite substantial efforts to investigate the influence of place attachment
and city image on consumers’ behavioural intention from the tourists’ perspective, few scholars have
done so from the residents’ viewpoint.
2.5 Night economies
Over the last three decades, social and economic restructuring triggered a growth of more active
economic activities in the night, which is defined by gathering young adults in bars, clubs and pubs in the
cities (Chatterton & Hollands, 2002).
Metaphorically and socially, the NTE has become an essential component of the global leisure industry, a
recipient of disposable income and a more critical part of the overall national and local economy.
Partaking in specific night life activities is also a statement of lifestyle. Night-time activities function as an
expression of both group and personal identity. Specific actions become analogous to different
socioeconomic, age and gender groups. Nevertheless, for those seeking symbolic capital (i.e. a value one
holds within the culture) through consumption, but unable to participate in the night economy, it has also
become a region of exclusion (Chatterton & Hollands, 2004). On the contrary, Grazian emphasises how
nightclubs, bars and music venues contribute to public life and overall social capital. Both parties gain
13
benefits from the growth, intensity and variety of interpersonal relationships and connections distributed
among fellow citizens and their social network (Grazian, 2009).
An initial response is to recognise and cheer such a development as a positive example of “urban cultural
revival” (Landy, 2000). It is proven that in many cities the night-time economy has become an established
part of extensive urban regeneration strategies and is seen as a vital source of income, employment and
civic “image-building” (Chatterton and Hollands, 2001, 2002).
Continuous developments and upgrades of the centres stimulate young professionals to go in search of
the latest cool, chic, fashionable places outside of the city centres. Nowadays, much of the new nightlife
economies is about being “cool” (Chatterton & Hollands, 2002). According to Poutain and Robins (2000)
"coolness, as a consumption strategy, is mostly an individual identity strategy rather than a collective
political response".
The city, especially at night, holds many conflicting components that cannot always be understood or
related. Nightlife is transgressive and segregated at the same time. It is also emotional (enhanced through
alcohol, drugs, dance, sex) and rational (planning, surveillance) which are not always understood and
reconciled. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting, to quote Thornton (1995), that “the seemingly chaotic
paths along which people move through the city are remarkably routine.”
The night time economy is playing an important part in contemporary entertainment infrastructure
through popularisation and growth of upmarket style, bars and nightclubs. For instance, the
Maremagnum complex in Barcelona which was mentioned by Timeout in 2001 as the place which: “draws
in huge crowds both night and day”. This place became a “mainstream” nightlife space for young people,
tourists and the city’s migrants and working-class communities.
The rise in incomes among the urban professional class has aroused demand for gentrified and “safe”
night entertainment in the cities. Additionally, previously marginalised groups such as women,
homosexuals and ethnic populations are brought into the arena of entertainment consumptions, they are
either absorbed into mainstream or gentrified sectors, or simultaneously separated into entertainment
ghettos such as gay villages, ethnic entertainment zones, women only nights (Chatterton & Hollands,
2002).
Night time economy becomes a central element of the local economic restructuring of the areas. While
the city at night was historically regarded as a time for crime-ridden and liminal activities (Lovatt, 1995)
since 1980, nightlife is often promoted as the idea of a “24-hour city” and became an acknowledged part
of urban growth. Young adults have a particular role to play here, as they are often identified most strongly
with the changing relationship between work and leisure, and the growing demand for specialised lifestyle
goods and services (Miles, 2000).
Nevertheless, many scholars argue about its benefits of this theory for socio-economic environment.
Firstly, any experiences in public-urban spaces are intensified at night compared to day-time because
“perceptions of the ‘hours of darkness’ as a time of danger, fear, crime and sin seem to be persistent and
deeply embedded components” in our culture (Hobbs et al., 2003). Moreover, districts with NTE activities
are taking place often emotionally charged at night-time and offers explicit opportunities for the
transgression of social-cultural norms that are acknowledged during day-time (Hubbard, 2005, Williams,
2008). Secondly, excessive drinking, substance use, uncivilised conduct and dysfunction have increased
14
considerably over the past decade in the areas with NTE activities, pointing to facilitate concerns over
safety and the intensification of, among others, CCTV surveillance and on-street policing (Crawford and
Flint, 2009, Roberts and Eldridge, 2009). It has also been convincingly argued that a failure to consider
culture, and specifically drinking culture, contributed to the failure of the idea behind NTE (Jayne &
Holloway, 2011). Scholar Hadfield et al. (2001) maintained expressive comment, the “Mass Volume
Vertical Drinker has assaulted the concept [24-h city] and all its good intentions, leaving it for dead in
streets splattered with blood, vomit, urine and the sodden remains of take-aways” .
2.6 Images towards neighbourhood

Neighbourhoods often differ in their demographics, such as the income and ethnicity of the people which
inhabit them, and they also differ on how safe they feel, and how clean and lively they are among many
other evaluative dimensions. Indeed, many of these dimensions will correlate with measures of income;
income will not necessarily be a complete proxy for all of them. Therefore, it is essential to create means
of cities – and their neighbourhoods – which incorporate the evaluative aspects of cities which income-
based measures are unable to fully capture (Salesses & Schechtner, 2013).
Ethnic/racial group sizes are not the only neighbourhood characteristics that are being linked to social
cohesion. Previous research confirmed that inhabitants of socioeconomically disadvantaged and crime-
prone neighbourhoods are less likely to display significant levels of cohesion than residents of wealthy
and safe parts of the city (Letki, 2008; Laurence and Heath, 2008; Oliver and Mendelberg, 2000). Some
authors even show that economic deprivation is much more consistently related to lower levels of social
cohesion than the ethnic/racial makeup of the neighbourhood (Fieldhouse and Cutts, 2010).
2.7 Creative class
The creative class can be defined as people who are employed or involved mostly in emerging new
technologies or any other forms of innovation work (Florida, 2002). The creative class includes scientists,
engineers, artists, social scientists, and intensive knowledge-based professionals (Boschma and Fritsch,
2009, Florida, 2002). The underlying hypothesis of Florida's theory is that a region with a larger share of
creative class people should have greater economic performances (Boschma and Fritsch, 2009, Florida,
2002).
Although much of Florida's exposé on diversity and the creative class has focused on the city region, he
has also made clear references to variety on the neighbourhood scale. From his work, he concludes that
creative class workers “… gravitate to the indigenous street-level culture found in Soho [in New York City]
… They look for places with visible signs of diversity – different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations,
income levels, and lifestyles” (Florida, 2005). Following the creative city paradigm, creative class workers
are thus expected to exhibit a distinct preference for older, established neighbourhoods that offer an
urban lifestyle with stimulating experiences and diversity of both people and the built environment
(Florida, 2005, Lloyd, 2002)
Florida assumes that creative class workers may be drawn to diverse communities for two primary
reasons. Firstly, diversity may be interpreted as a sign of a community's acceptance and tolerance for
difference (Florida, 2012) which may be a particularly valuable consideration among creative class workers
migrating between neighbourhoods, cities, regions.
15
Secondly, diversity may improve the vibrancy of a community regarding the potential for exciting and
productive interactions, and the number and variety of cultural products and facilities available for local
consumption. Florida suggests that creative class workers crave: ethnic restaurants, diverse music scenes
and venues; all of which are expected to benefit from a diverse population and a healthy ‘people climate’.
He also suggests that these particular type of workers are more attracted to places with dynamic and
lively night activities: “They need to have options around the clock… the highest-rated nightlife options
were cultural attractions and late-night dining” (Florida, 2002). Similarly, Zukin (2011) argues that diversity
may play a key role in establishing authenticity and a sense of place.
However, both claims are undermined by later research. Several studies have shown traditional models
are better predictors of economic health than Florida’s measures of technology, tolerance and talent
(Hoyman and Faricy, 2009). While diversity, as a representative for tolerance, has proven to be a
comparatively weak pull-factor at the inter-metropolitan level, the potential role of neighbourhood-level
diversity in the residential location of creative class workers have not been examined empirically (Heyuan
& Chenmeng, 2017). Furthermore, the creative class is not unique in their residential choice (Frenkel et
al., 2013), mobility (Hansen and Niedomysl, 2009), or facility use (Bille, 2010). Bille (2010) was the first to
test Florida’s claims about facility use by the creative class. Bille finds that the creative class enjoy its own
self- expression and perform active ways of living not remarkably different from others.
2.8 Third place by Oldenburg
Third places are defined by Oldenburg (1989, 2001) as social surroundings options to other social
environments such as homes and workplaces, which are identified as “first places” and “second places”.
Third places represent physical or "imaginary" spaces and institutions valued by individuals externally.
Many third places work as incubators for broader relationships and activities, either formal or informal,
by making community gather together in the same physical space (Urry, 2001). Moreover, third places
give great environments for the origination and sense of societal forms and draw frames for individuals
and societies (Crisp, 2013). In neighbourhoods, places such as local shops, bar, restaurants and pubs help
to expand and shape social capital within the communities they serve, with social capital being the degree
of social interaction and networking (Putman, 2000). Social capital represents a propensity for collective
action for the mutual benefit of the community that obtains from the spirit of relationships within the
community (Jones, 2017).
Higher levels of social capital can expedite the flow of knowledge and information, making it available and
more trustful, and driving to positive impacts on community cohesion and engagement (Granovetter,
1985). Moreover, social capital and social networks affect economic well-being as they help maintain good
market order through reward and punishment mechanisms, fostering trust which facilitates economic
actions (Fisher, 2013).
In neighbourhoods, places such as bar or nightclub provide physical spaces for the development of
bridging and bonding social capital, generating other positive outcomes for residents and communities in
terms of community cohesion and economic growth (Maye et al., 2005). Moreover, like many small and
medium enterprises (SMEs), public places such as clubs or bars essential generators of part-time and
casual employment, particularly in local communities where work-opportunities for some categories of
people (e.g. students, women with families) are significantly reduced.
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2.9 Polycentric cities

To begin with the concept of polycentricity as one of the main concepts for this study, it is important to
note that despite the recent popularity of the idea of polycentricity advocated by both scholars and
policymakers, the reality is that the concept itself still remains vague and stretched according to several
authors (Burger and Meijers, 2012, van Meeteren et al., 2016). In fact, polycentricity can indeed have
various different meanings as it is looked from several distinct analytical perspectives, for instance
morphological versus functional polycentricity; and it is observed at different geographical levels.
Indeed, van Meeteren et al. (2016) recommended the studies on polycentricity at the intra-city, inter-city
and inter-regional scales can be associated (Li & Phelps, 2016). However, the intra-city or intra-urban scale
is more specifically where the concept of polycentricity theoretically begins. Thus, polycentricity appears
as a response to the rising challenges of Burgess’s (1925) monocentric model in describing urban
developments in a spatial way, such as the growth of suburbs (Phelps, 2010) and edge cities (Lee, 2007)
among other phenomena. Ultimately this thesis will ascribe by the idea that the dimension at which
polycentricity is analysed does not influence the result, since polycentricity commonly relates to the
degree to which the ‘importance’ of centers (cities) is evenly distributed (Figure 2). As Green emphasizes,
this ‘importance’ could be approximated by demographics and information exchanges (Green, 2007).
Figure 2.2. The two dimensions of urban spatial structure (adapted from Meijers and Burger, 2010).
Source: Meijer and Burger, (2010)
As the precedent figure shows, the concentration-dispersion dimension of urban spatial structure refers
in this case to the degree to which the population is clustered or concentrated in urban (sub)centers (Lee
& Gordon, 2007). This notion is relevant for this study since the concept of concentration-dispersion as
analytical dimension is associated with the dimension of monocentricity-polycentricity, in the sense of
degrees of dispersion in which polycentricity would depend on the number of residents in urban
(sub)centers. However, as noted before in figure 1, the two dimensions are distinctive and do not
necessarily change in the same direction (Fig. 1; Meijers & Burger, 2010).
17
Therefore, it is possible to find a dispersed polycentric urban structure that results from high-level
evenness of population distribution among urban subcenters with a low-level concentration of population
in these subcenters. Basically this means that the population is dispersed over non-center areas of a city.
Over time, the scholarly debate on the impacts of the two dimensions of urban spatial structure on
economic performance has been largely driven by the (relative) proportion of agglomeration economies
and diseconomies in urban centers. Authors, such as Scott and Storper (2015) argue that all cities can be
understood within a theoretical framework combining the dynamic process of agglomeration/polarization
and the interactive process of land uses. Thus, from a micro-economic point of view, the concentration of
people and firms in urban (sub)centers, for instance, could enhance urban productivity through the
dynamics of sharing, matching, and learning, as Duranton and Puga point out. (Duranton & Puga, 2004).
Indeed, agglomeration economies and therefore improved economic productivity can certainly emerge
from the concentration of people in urban subcenters, due to human capital externalities and
complementarities of skills. This phenomena has been widely analyzed in recent studies (Fujita and Thisse,
2002, Krugman, 1991, Liang and Lu, 2017). Furthermore, it is commonly accepted and understood that
the economies of scale in providing public services and infrastructures, for instance, can only be achieved
when there is a considerable amount of people in urban (sub)centers. This study follows this line of
thought.
Thus a more concentrated distribution of population means larger urban subcenters and therefore,
greater economic outputs, with everything else being equal. However, as Ciccone and Hall explained in
their early studies, too much concentration of people in urban (sub)centers could also cause
agglomeration diseconomies. This has driven many scholars to find a theoretically optimal size of cities
(Ciccone & Hall, 1993). That being said, in reality discouraging the concentration of people in urban
(sub)centers is not proven to enhance economic performance of certain cities and actually it has been
criticized by some scholars. Overall, the relationship between size of urban centers and economic
productivity remains debatable. For example, most recently Frick and Rodríguez-Pose (2016) suggest that
such relationship may vary between developed and developing countries (Liu & Wang, 2016). This is
something worth taking into consideration.
Several different research hypothesize that polycentric structures improve economic performance
through at least two channels. On the one hand, the center separation diminishes the negative
externalities of agglomeration; while on the other hand the “borrowed size” cuts losses of positive
externalities. Fujita and Ogawa's (1982) model simulation supports the center separation channel, while
McMillen and Smith's (2003) study of 62 American metropolitan areas provide empirical evidence for it.
This thesis takes these previous studies into account and builds on them theoretically. These authors
found that the number of employment sub-centers rises with population and commuting costs.
Theoretically, according to some other authors, this increases in things such as traffic congestion,
environmental pollution, and high land prices resulting from urban expansion would lead to appropriate
dispersion (Henderson, 1986, Hansen, 1990, Lindsey et al., 1995). Thus, the transformation from
monocentricity to polycentricity is regarded as an effective way to reduce agglomeration diseconomies
(Krugman, 1996, Fujita et al., 1997). This is a key theoretical element to take into consideration for this
research.
18
The second channel operates through the concept of “borrowed size” (Alonso, 1973). The term refers to
the mechanism by which smaller cities that are part of large-scale urban complexes have much higher
productivities than self-contained cities of similar size. Authors Phelps and Ozawa (2003) also raise the
idea that crowding effect usually emerges inside the city, while agglomeration effects can be shared
between neighbouring cities.
Unlike scale of agglomeration, empirical studies have not reached an agreement about the circumstances
under which urban polycentricity will improve economic performance. While some studies such as those
of Meijers and Burger (2010) find a positive relationship between polycentric spatial structure and
economic performance, interestingly many other authors rebut the argument and find contrary evidence.
Indeed, Lee and Gordon (2007) find that spatial structures, polycentric or monocentric, have no effect on
population or employment growth of American metropolitan areas. Even Meijers (2008) points out that
polycentric urban areas have fewer cultural, recreational, and sports events than monocentric areas;
while Cervero (2001) argue that compact cities have higher labour productivity, based on the research of
47 US metropolitan areas at the macro scale and the San Francisco Bay Area at the micro scale.
2. 10 Conclusion.
Mentioned theories gave the researcher an idea about how the image can be influenced, it is illustrated
in the table 2.1, more description about it can be found in the chapter 3.5
Table 2.1 Image building.
Image
Auto image
Poli-image
Hetero image
Beliefs, physical attributes of the places, stereotypes , place attitude/psychological

evaluation from the deferent prospective of local and tourist/visitor
Feeling of safety Transportation/mobi Experience obtained

lity during the visit
Source: Conceptualized and designed by researcher based on the theory of Chapter 2.
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Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
The following chapter will describe and analyse the research methods applied in order to answer the main
and sub-questions of the thesis. Moreover, it will introduce case studies, which will help to discuss further
research methods and the way of collecting data.
3.2 Research approach
This research has been conducted with a qualitative approach. This type of approach was chosen because
it gives complex textual description and understanding of the researched issues. Qualitative approach is
mostly focused on the “human” side of a problem and it is sensitive to details. In other words, opinions,
emotions, beliefs and contradictory behaviour of individuals play a major part in drawing the conclusions
and help to understand the intangible factors of the research questions. This approach has three main
qualitative methods: observation, in-depth interviews and focus groups. This research employs two of
these methods: observation and in-depth interviews. The tool of observation will help to understand
naturally occurring behaviours in their natural environments, while the in-depth interviews will help to
explore personal stories, perspectives and experiences while going deeper into certain aspects and
acting as a complimentary element of validation for the observation carried out by the researcher
(Bryman, 2012).
Although findings from qualitative data can often be extended to people with characteristics similar to
those in the study population, obtaining a deep and sophisticated understanding of particular social
circumstances or phenomenon typically takes priority over eliciting data that can be generalised to other
geographical areas or populations. In this sense, it makes qualitative research slightly different from
scientific research in general. The types of data these three methods generate are field notes, audio (and
sometimes video) recordings, and transcripts (Bryman, 2012).
To understand the multifaceted issue of the problem, this thesis will contain two case studies which are
explored and provide more insights into the matter (Gulsecen & Kubat, 2006). They will enable to analyse
the data in a specific context. For case studies, mostly a small geographical area is selected. Case studies
in most cases have an explorative character. Yin (1984) defines the case study research method “as an
empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the
boundaries between phenomenon and context are not evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence
are used.” Data gathered through detailed analysis of a limited number of events or conditions, and their
relationships.
However, the case study method received a lot of criticism concerning its lack of robustness as a research
tool. A common criticism of the case study method is its dependency on a single case exploration making
it difficult to reach a generalising conclusion (Tellis, 1997). Yin (1993) call case methodology ‘microscopic’
as the result of the limited sampling cases.
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3.3 Data collection techniques
In order to understand the problem and find the answer for sub and main question, both primary and
secondary data has been used. A combination of data sources has been used: various written materials,
on-site observations, participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Such a diverse type of data
collection increases the validity of research outcome. To capture the data, field notes and audio recording
will be used. That will help the researcher to validate and back up observations and interviews.
3.3.1 Primary data
The data collected by the researcher first-hand from the original source and for a particular purpose is
called primary data. Primary methods give the researcher the possibility to collect information for specific
purpose of the study and design the questions in a way that benefits the outcome. Data collection is
mostly through surveys, in-depth interviews and direct observations (Bryman, 2012).
3.3.1.1 Interviews
The interviews have been conducted in a semi-structured way. The pre-determined set of open questions
that are prompt for a discussion were designed before meetings. It helped the respondents to give more
personal and full opinion on the topic. It also gave the chance to dive deeper into particular issues which
might be interesting for the researcher since the interviewee might have good knowledge of it. Moreover,
it gave space for discussing and exploring views and ideas.
All interviews with experts were recorded and transcribed, in case of observation and interviewing people
on the streets or events field notes were used to capture the most important highlights of the
conversation. In-depth interviews were conducted with club managers, government representatives,
experts, night mayor of Amsterdam and visitors of the areas of Florentin, Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg and
Zuidoost.
A semi-structured interview with the manager of a club which is located in Zuidoost; the manager and one
of the hosts of one of the most popular clubs in Amsterdam (which is also located in a suburb); and
government representative responsible for the night activities, were conducted to understand how the
nightlife could enhance and influence the image of the areas. It gave the understanding of codes of the
nightlife and provided the understanding of who are the people which take part in the night activities.
Another semi-structured interview with representatives from Zuidoost municipality and Bureau
Broedplaatsen (responsible for the 24 hours licensing) were conducted as well. The conversations were
focused mainly on governmental policies toward night-time economic activities concentrated within
Zuidoost and also on overall rules of 24 hours licencing. It helped to understand the position of the
municipality towards NTE activities in the area and in Amsterdam in general.
In addition, semi-structured interviews with the head of marketing in Zuidoost, representative from
contemporary art museum and a board member of creative community in Zuidoost were conducted in
order to understand deeper problems which already existing initiatives are facing and how these
initiatives are supported (or not) by local authorities. It also helped to gain insights of the situation in
Zuidoost concerning the 24-hour activities, problems these activities face and how they can be overcome.
21
Moreover, the researcher interviewed 15 people who were attending events in AFAS live (Zuidoost), 12
people in Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg (Berlin) and 10 people Florentin (Tel Aviv). These brief interviews were
conducted in informal settings where the interviewees gave their opinion on questions about the area.
During casual conversations with those people fields notes were used. The interviews around AFAS life
helped to understand whether there is a need for night activities in the area of Zuidoost. The interviews
in Tel Aviv and Berlin helped to gain more insights of why people like to go to the aforementioned areas
of the city, and what makes them like those areas. All these interviews were conducted between 21:00 -
05:00 and in real settings using unstructured interview techniques.
3.3.1.2 Observations
Naturalistic observation (i.e. unstructured observation) involves studying the spontaneous and
uncontrolled behaviour of participants in natural surroundings. The researcher simply records what he
sees in whatever way he can perceive it (Mcleod, 2015). This type of observation took place during the
events in AFAS life, “24 h Zuidoost” and entertainment venues and their surroundings in Tel Aviv and
Berlin. Three events in AFAS life were observed. The main goal was to understand what people do before
and after an event. Observing places in Tel Aviv and Berlin helped to compare places with Amsterdam in
order to find similarities in areas and to draw a recommendation, since these places had a similar history
to Zuidoost but improved their image significantly in the last decade.
To get more insights of the club culture, participant observation took place as well. Participant observation
is a variant of the above (natural observations) but here the researcher joins in and becomes part of the
group he is studying to get a deeper insight into their way of behaving and see and hear unfiltered
information. This type of observation was applied during the visits to club Jack, De School (Amsterdam),
clubs Berghain and KitKat in Berlin, and cultural centre RAW in Berlin. In Tel Aviv, the observed places
included bars Hoodna, Berlin in Florentine, Perla and Mate Florentine. All these places were selected
because of their location in the cities, and after studying online information where the users mentioned
these places as venues which need to be visited during the trip.
In addition, observations were also made before, during and after the interviews. Meaning that the
behaviour of the respondents as well as the area where they were at was observed and taken into
account for this study.
3.3.1.3 On-line observations (netnography).
Another research method that was used to test the perception of tourists is netnograhy. Netnography is
a qualitative research method to examine online communities and interactions. Comments made online
on forums, social media and blogs are often crucial since the writer wants to share his own experience
and therefore, more honesty behind the screen (Kozinets, 2002). Moreover, it helped to study concepts
such as performativity ( the interaction of people within a given context, expressed through their actions
and maneuvers in social situations), non-representational modes of thought (a mode of thinking which
seeks to engage itself in daily habits of consumption and is reflected through different expressions),
embodiment (behaviour of the body before reflexive or cognitive thought used to reveal the mental
processes related to an experience) by applying methods of auto-netnography and observant
participation(Kozinets & Kedzior, 2009). Netnography, similar to ethnography, catches researchers’
personal experiences in the field that in this case is the online platform. The observant participant method
22
requires the researcher to actively engage as part of the group as an insider so that their perceptions are
shaped accordingly (Roy et al., 2015).
The netnography method was executed by using relevant keywords in Google to find related websites,
blogs and forums which may have meaningful information for the research also website such as
TripAdvisor can give a more definite opinion of people about the places. For all observed places more than
300 reviews were read and analyzed. This method was useful to understand feelings of the people who
visited the areas and find of what are the motives of coming back to the same places.
3.3.1.4 Informative real time events
To understand further the situation in the Zuidoost and enlarge the network, researcher visited events
related to the urban development and urban challenges at Spui 25 and Pakhuis de Zwijger. At Spui 25,
three events were attended:
• The role of street-level practices in renewing urban democracy;
• Filmvertoning en Q&A “Smart city – op zoek naar de slimmer burger” (translaton from Dutch
“Smart city- searching for smart citiezent”)
• Why we cycle: documentary screening and discussion
These events gave the general overview about mobility and safety in Amsterdam. Mostly they helped to
meet people which are interested in alternative ways of mobility in Amsterdam, and discuss with them
possible alternatives for transportation in Zuidoost.
In Pakhuis de Zwijger, two events were attended, they were related to urban planning and city
development of Amsterdam and Zuidoost:
• Amsterdam 2050: Voor wie bouwen we de stad? (translation from Dutch “Amsterdam 2050: for
who we are building the city”)
• Booming Bijlmer
These events helped to understand the future development of Amsterdam and its specific areas. Booming
BiJlmer gave rich insights about new development projects which are taking place in the Zuidoost and
what the locals think about this fast changes. Booming Bijlmer was particularly interesting since main
development plans were explained, and also it was useful to hear different ideas of the public about
developments in Zuidoost.
3.3.2 Secondary data
Secondary data can be defined as data that is already collected by other researcher and available for
the public (Bryan, 2012). Literature and previous studies were accessed through the database of
Mendeley, Scientsdirect, university library and government reports for this particular research.
3.3.3 Sub- cases
This method of study is mostly used for trying to test theoretical models by using them in real-world
situations. A case study is an in-depth study of a particular situation rather than an extensive statistical
23
survey, which cannot always give in-depth information. This method narrows a vast field of research into
one easily researchable topic (Yin, 2005).
The case study design often applies qualitative methods, such as participant observation and unstructured
interviews. These methods are viewed as particularly helpful in the generation of an accelerated, detailed
examination of the case. Therefore, they were extensively applied for this study (Bryman, 2012).
While it usually does not answer a question completely, it gives some indications and allows further
elaboration and hypothesis creation on the subject (Yin, 2005).
The two cases described below were selected because they illustrate the dynamic changes in a city area
in past decades and have a lot of similarity in the history of area development with the researched area.
3.3.3.1 Tel Aviv
The neighbourhood of Florentin is a neighbourhood located in the southern quarter of the city of Tel Aviv.
The neighbourhood was built around 1920. Nevertheless, after the creation of the State of Israel and the
conquest of Jaffa in 1948, the neighbourhood was “withdrawn” from the city map. From the 1950s it
started half a century of divestment regarding public investments and social infrastructures. Florentin
area was even set for evacuation in 1954 by one of the city planners. Back then the area supposed to
serve only industrial activities and therefore was officially perceived as an inappropriate area for living.
However, this plan was never put into action (Rozenholc, 2010).
The combination of such factors and the gloomy reputation the neighbourhood acquired over the years
quickly turned Florentin into a place where you wouldn’t want to live. Much of its population had left by
the mid-1990s.
Combined with the municipal understanding of the potential of the neighbourhood and its unique
architecture – Florentin is the only place in Tel Aviv to be planned with low buildings straight on the street
and to combine commercial, industrial, leisure and residential activities (Rozenholc, 2010).
3.3.3.2 Berlin
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg area was formed in 2001, and consist of Friedrichshain (former East Berlin) and
Kreuzberg (former West Berlin). Now this area is a symbol of “creativity, diversity, tolerance, vibrancy,
and hipness’’ (Füller & Michel, 2014), however, it was not always that way.
Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, are two of the biggest working class districts in Berlin were established in
early 20th of 19th century. Both areas had high numbers of factories and plants. After the Second World
War these parts of Berlin were heavily damaged by bombing because Russians and American troops were
specifically targeting the areas due to a high concentration of different industries there. After the war, the
Friedrichshain area was under Soviet Union influence, therefore, the area kept its industrial purpose and
was mostly populated by workers which served the industry. The area of Kreuzberg became a part of
Western Berlin. Houses there were mostly occupied by “guests’ workers” (Gastarbaiter – mainly Turkish
migrant workers) and other less privilege groups such as students and artists. In the 1970s Kreuzberg
became one of the epicentres of Berlin’s radical and alternative subculture and squatter movement.
24
After the fall of the Berlin wall, both areas faced new opportunities and challenges. From the mid-1990s
onward Kreuzberg was a synonym of a “Ghetto” populated by violent groups of Muslim youths and activist
leftists (Best and Gebhardt, 2001). Despite a negative image, the relocation of small and major media
corporations (Universal Music, MTV) triggered alive ambience in the area (Bader and Scharenberg 2010).
Also because of a perceived authentic, lively urban lifestyle attached to the district of Kreuzberg-
Friedrichshain, area start to have more positive associations (Füller & Michel, 2014). At the same time,
these neighbourhoods resembled much of what Richard Florida (2005) described as the natural habitat of
a “creative class” or a “neo-bohemia” (self-employed workers in creative and media industries often with
small economic but with significant cultural capital) (Lloyd, 2002). The image drawn in regional and
international newspapers described Kreuzberg as a diverse, cosmopolitan and liberal neighbourhood, as
the most interesting place to be and “the epicentre of cool” (Dyckhoff, 2011).
Currently, this area became a trendy outgoing area "new bars, restaurants, cafés, bicycle shops, small art
galleries and independent fashion labels opened at a weekly pace" (Füller & Michel, 2014). With this wave
of nightlife, entertainment and art facilities the area began to attract an increasing number of artists and
students and established itself as a cultural and entertainment centre of Berlin.
3.4 Sampling
A combination of several sampling methods was applied to obtain reliable and diversified information.
First of all, the non-probability sampling method was executed. In other words, the samples were
gathered in a process that allowed to select particular individuals in the population (Bryman, 2012).
Samples, in this case, were experts in the entertainment and leisure industry, such as Nachtburgemeester
(translated from Dutch: night mayor) of Amsterdam, club proprietors and managers, government
spokespeople, and experts in the area Zuidoost.
Secondly, convenience sampling was applied, meaning that arbitrary individuals were asked earlier settled
questions during the observation. The researcher did it in the area Zuidoost during big events in AFAS life
and the observed areas in Tel Aviv and Berlin. The sample in this case includes people who visit Zuidoost
for events in concert hall AFAS live, and people who attend rooftop terrace at new club Jack (Amsterdam).
In Tel Aviv and Berlin it is people who go out in the researched areas. These places were chosen because
they represent an entertainment part of the area and attract a population which can give a positive input.
Qualitative sample sizes should be significant enough to collect enough data to adequately explain the
aspect of interest and address the research questions (Bryman, 2012). Different scholars recommend
different amount of respondents for obtaining an appropriate sample size in qualitative studies (Statistics
solutions, 2017). However, the researcher relied on two scholars Creswell (1998) and Morse (1994). They
recommend having 5-25 and at least six respondents respectively.
3.5 Variables
Previously discussed theories helped to identify variables for this research. As it was mentioned in chapter
2, images can be three types: auto, hetero and meta-image. All of these are generally composed of beliefs,
physical attributes of places, stereotypes, attitude and/or psychological evaluations from the different
perspectives of locals and tourists or visitors (people visiting for events or leisure specifically). These
components are mostly influenced by experiences which are obtained in different ways (personal or
impersonal), like safety feeling and what are the feelings of the people.
25
Safety, transportation and experience were examined by this study with the help of the depicted variables
of empirical observable representations. For instance, how diverse is the service offered in the area, like
mobility factors (night transportation), quality of products, time/period of stay in the area, feelings and
emotions of visitors during their area visits, and the way visitors approach and interact with the places in
the area.
3.5 Validity and reliability
According to Bryman (2012) it is difficult to measure validity and reliability for qualitative research.
Concerning data collection in Zuidoost, the research was conducted during the celebration Bijlmer 50
years. Therefore, some of the data might not be replicable due to the fact that some events were
especially made for that celebration and they are not annual and not usual for the area, like for instance
24 hour Zuidoost. However, these events gave an idea about how they could affect the area if they were
applied more. Nevertheless, the data collected in Tel Aviv and Berlin are valid and replicable, since the
researcher has been visiting these places roughly three times per year over a period of four years, and the
ambiance of the places did not change much. It can also be supported by nethnography since some of the
reviews were made in 2015. Concerning the interviews, the data is relatively reliable since the different
stakeholders and interested parties which were interviewed stated the type of benefits which NTE could
bring to the area and named same problems which NTE could face in Zuidoost.
3.6 Analysis of data
The data was analysed by grouping according to their relevance to each variables which were established
during and after the research process. The researcher used the same set of prepared questions which
helped to group and discover opinions of respondents on the researched topics. The used topics were
related to the main topics of the theoretical framework. In regards to the empirical observation part of
this research, the researcher coded the behaviour and responses of the observed subjects, and drew the
conclusion from it.
All interviews were recorded and transcribed to get a better understanding and to be able to revive the
information. The data was first reduced, meaning that irrelevant information was excreted. It was done
by listening to the recordings and reading the transcripts and highlighting valuable information in different
colours. Each topic had a different colour which helped afterwards to group findings from different
interviews about predetermined topics such as policies, safety, night mobility, opinions about NTE
influence. The data was later elected based on purposes. After it was categorised based on the variables
and grouped into meaningful units. Consequently, generalizable outcomes was involved in the holistic
conclusions, described in the chapter of analyses after the processing of gathering information.
3.7 Ethics of the thesis and data collection
The research and writing was done following research ethics principles discussed by the American
Psychological Association. Besides, the researcher was also concerned regarding collecting and using
online data.
26
According to Smith (2003) there are five crucial principles which researcher have to take into
consideration during his research. These principles are impartiality, transparency, respect for people's
rights and dignity, confidentiality.
Integrity: all the provided data is accurate and related to the topic. During data collection reliable and
relevant sources were used.
Impartiality: during collecting the data and writing this thesis researcher stayed objective without taking
any sides or leading research to a specific result.
Transparency: all steps are explicitly described, and all relevant information was used.
Respect for people's right and dignity: all interviewees were treated with respect, all questions which were
asked were related to the research topic. Besides, all rights for intellectual property are strictly respected.
Confidentiality: the data gathered in this research will stay confidential between the researcher and
CAREM. The thesis uploaded without appendixes, which can be provided on requested. In the thesis itself
no particular names were used.
To add, the big part of the data was extracted from online sources that lead the researcher to pay more
attention to ethics of using online data in research. Nethnography became a powerful tool in the latest
research process. The information posted on the internet enables researchers to understand the fluidity
and intensity of human social interactions in any given context. Usually, it is very explicit and gives the
clear opinion of the person about topics which researchers are interested in. However, this method raised
many ethical issues concerning definitions of private and public (Roy et al., 2015). When people post their
thoughts they are not aware that their thoughts and feeling will be used for research later on. There is no
solution to this issue. However, the data posted on the platforms are publicly available.
Chapter 4 Analysis
4.1 Introduction.
All data collected using data collection methods mentioned in Chapter 3 are analyzed in the following
chapter. Analysis of this data will help the researcher to draw a conclusion and give a recommendation.
4.2 Policies concerning the night activities
According to the representative from Bureau Broedplaatsen (the bureau within the municipality of
Amsterdam, which is creating affordable creative spaces, incubators), Amsterdam never had a well-
developed 24 hours economy. In the past, all clubs had to close at 4am. In her opinion, this approach was
developed because of an increase in unrest and unsafety in Amsterdam. She also mentioned that this
decision was also indirectly influenced by gentrification processes (wealthy people who moved into the
city and did not want too much noise). These extremely limited working hours frustrated the creative
process of people who were working at nightlife since they had no time for experiments and networking.
27
The Nachtburgemeester at that time, Isis van der Wel, said that “Amsterdam became “vertruting” (Dutch
expression), meaning the place is not exciting anymore because of all the regulations and rules.” (Bureau
Broedplaatsen, 2018).
Therefore, she decided to take action and spoke to the former mayor Eberhard Edzard van der Laan, and
they decided to see how they could make nightlife in Amsterdam more alive and create new initiatives
in the non-central areas (Bureau Broedplaatsen, 2018). Their ideas resulted in Horecavisie 2011-2014
where the administration expressed the desire to enhance the night activities in the city by providing 24
hour licensing for interesting initiatives outside the Amsterdam ring (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018).
According to the Bureau Broedplaatsen representative, Isis was working in a direction which would help
to create additional chances for businesses to make nightlife more artistic and expressive by introducing
longer working hours. As can be seen in figure 4.1, in 2012 there were places in the Zuidoost which were
planning to operate with extended hours. However, according to a representative from Staadsdeel and
Bureau Broedplaatsen, entrepreneurs did not respond in the desired way: “Municipalities gave a green
light for 24 hours initiatives, but not many entrepreneurs were enthusiastic about this idea. The reason
given for their disinterest was mainly economics. They thought that 24 hour working wouldn’t add to their
revenue because they believed that not many customers would come at night, especially in areas which
were not in the centre” (Bureau Broedplaatsen,2018).
Figure 4.1 Map of possible 24 hour businesses
Source: Vpronl.
To create new regulations, the major asked Bureau Broedplaatsen to come up with a plan. However, he
also created restrictions immediately, such as there could be only ten places in the whole of Amsterdam.
From these ten, only three could be dance/club venues. According to the Bureau Broedplaatsen
representative, the number of licenses were good enough for Amsterdam since entrepreneurs were not
interested in operating extended hours. Broedplaatsen created and issued the necessary licenses for
which they are still responsible. After entrepreneurs request a license, two teams are responsible for
managing their applications. The teams consist of municipality employees (knowledgeable about safety,
28
law, urban development) and creative team (creatives and people who are working in entertainment). To
be able to obtain a license, applicants have to convince both groups that their project adds something to
the city positively and uniquely. So far there were five rounds of submitting applications. The interviewee
from Broedplaatsen mentioned a few other criteria which applicants should meet:
- the license should be available (at the moment only one license for the whole of Amsterdam is open);
- the concept must be an interesting addition to the existing culture offer in the nightlife;
- the location is outside the traditional entertainment areas;
- the place should be in harmony within the vicinity and not disturbing for residents;
- there should be a good parking and clear routes to the location, also easily accessible for cyclists;
- the permit is temporary and given for up to five years;
Amsterdam Zuidoost had a place which had this license. It was a very successful club called Pand 14, which
unfortunately had to close as the lease came to an end. As the interviewee from Bureau Broedplaatsen
mentioned, it is tough to sustain long-term leases with owners of the properties since they want, in most
cases, to sell their assets in about 6-7 years, when its value has increased due to activities which are taking
place there. These type of problems are prevalent in the Amsterdam area and especially in Zuidoost.
However, Nachtburgemeester believes that even such short-term opportunities can help to influence the
opinion of the young population about the area: “For example, Garage and Skate cafe in the Noord which
are very cool spots, created by young creative entrepreneurs. They got a permit for five years at a cheap
rent because in the future all buildings will be redeveloped. These initiatives attract young people to these
areas who think afterwards “oh yeah it is pretty cool here”’’. (Nachtburgemeester, 2018).
This idea also is shared by the managing director of one of the leading nightclubs in Amsterdam. She was
part of two successful projects related to the nightlife in Amsterdam. Both these projects have a five years
life span. She said that the fact that these projects are short-term projects generated interest from the
public who live in Amsterdam, people were curious and tried to go there at least once to see what is there
because they might never experience it at all. Also, she believes that employees are working much harder
to achieve a better result because they are trying to perform their best in a short term of time. When the
first project was closed, everyone was extremely excited about what will be next. When they started a
new project in one of the peripheral areas of Amsterdam, they also knew it would be only for five years.
She believes that both projects influenced the neighbourhood in a way that people start to come there,
see what happens there and realise that it is not as bad as they thought. Also, it helped to develop some
other activities in the area like dining and pre-drink places.
Both projects were very engaged with local artists and DJ's. It created a connection with the local
communities and people who live in Amsterdam. She also mentioned that many people are travelling
from London for instance, for one night to go out in their club (also was confirmed with one of the hosts
of this club during the interview with her). It became very common due to low-cost carriers; she even
named Berghain club as an example of club tourism. The club where she works and Berghain both are
open long hours; it gave the option to stay there as long as you want and go straight to the airport.
29
Regarding temporary places, it is worth mentioning the Contemporary art museum OSCAM (Figure 4.2),
which is located around Ganzenhoef subway station. From the words of the person who works there as
an event manager, this place was created to celebrate the 50 years jubilee of Bijlmer. At first, this museum
should have only operated for three months. However, the significant interest of the public in this
museum and the idea by the municipality of creating a polycentric city, created a greater desire to extend
the life of this museum for longer. Even though the district council very much supports this museum, they
still experience effects of policies which are applied in Amsterdam.
Figure 4.2 OSCAM (Contemporary Art Museum)
For instance, they had the initiative to have a small bar inside to generate some revenue and attract more
attention from outside by selling some beverages and alcohol during expositions (at the moment they
offer it for free). It took them almost a year to get it sorted. From the words of the OSCAM’s event
organisers, this partly caused by fear of local municipalities to make wrong decisions based on the past
history of Zuidoost. According to Nachtburgemeester (2018), this is also a reason why only in 2018 the
first coffee shop (where visitors can smoke weed) was opened in the area: “Zuidoost is like a bad son or
bad daughter. No, you won’t get a coffee shop because you did not behave well before”
Another case is during the summer management in OSCAM wanted to put some tables outside and have
a little terrace which again might help to grab the attention of passing people, the local municipalities did
not support this initiative since all HORECA activities are already planned in Horecavisie, and it is tough to
change it.
OSCAM is not the only organisation which had some issues with the district council about more flexible
working possibilities. During the interview with the management of the club located in Zuidoost it was
said: “Zuidoost is upcoming……..My thought was to create a club outside the ring with different
purposes….…….then I started to work on it, the local municipality told me they really would love to do this
project together…... However, then they said oh no you couldn’t do a rooftop because it is higher than it
should be. So it was more than one year of talks before I managed to get a rooftop terrace approval. Then
they said that it is not possible to operate 24 hour because of licensing. Currently, I am working on getting
the licence.”
30
The interviewed management of the club located in Zuidoost believes that the district council has much
interest in the development of the area. However, the bureaucracy of the processes makes decision
making very slow. Her idea is to get the 24 hour licensing to be successful in her business and make some
changes in the area, explained by the interviewee from the Bureau Broedplaatsen. The interviewee
believes that to survive, a club in Zuidoost has to have a 24 hour licence, same as earlier club Pound 14
had: “The club located in Zuidoost must have a 24 hour licence to survive. People could stay in the club
till 6 in the morning and after they can take public transport.”
4.3 Current and future situation
Since the beginning of its existence, Amsterdam Zuidoost was lacking places for socialising such as cafes,
bars and nightclubs. Now Zuidoost has some places like that, however, as can be seen on the figure 4.3.
compare to other areas of the Amsterdam, Zuidoost does not have as many HORECA places.
Figure 4.3.HORECA activities in Amsterdam (2018)
Source: Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018, Amsterdam.nl
That was confirmed during observations of events and talking to people on the streets in Bijlmer. During
the events in AFAS (three concerts) 15 people were interviewed in informal settings during and after
shows, everyone mentioned that the area is changing and there are places close to the concert halls which
are interesting. However, there is a lack of cool, affordable places which would work after 23.00. Also,
they mentioned that since the area is not close to the center, it is hard to get there by bike, and the
majority is using public transport to get there, which makes it difficult to get out from the area.
Interviewees mentioned that right after the event they would go directly to the metro station because
the metro works only until 00.00 and the taxi is expensive. In figures 4.4 it is seen that all people are going
to directions of metro Bijlmer Arena and Strandvlied, and figures 4.5 and 4.6 shows the HORECA place
31
(JinSo Lounge Bar & Restaurant) before and after events. As can be seen before the events a place is full,
and after an event the place is empty. However, they also mentioned if there were a possibility to do
some activities such as a lounge with long hours and club afterwards, most likely they might stay for a
night out in the area, especially if it would be on a Friday or Saturday. To add, after a concert on 22
November, the researcher went to one of the bars in the centre (Rembrandpleine) where he met people
who were at the same show. They came to this bar after the show because it is located in the centrum
(close to their home) and is open until 3 AM.
Figure 4.4 After Kylie Minogue concert, people are walking directly to metro Arena and Strandvlied
22.11.2018, 22:40
Figure 4.5 Before the Chemical Brothers concert, JinSo Lounge Bar & Restaurant, 2 October 2018 20:00
Figure 4.6 After Kylie Minogue concert, JinSo Lounge Bar & Restaurant, 22.11.2018, 22:45
32
The issues with transportation were also mentioned by interviewees from Bureau Broedplaatsen,
Gemeente, Stadsloket Zuidoost, Club in the area, OSCAM. They all admitted that one of the biggest
problems of the area is still the connection with the city centre. Quoting representative from Bureau
Broedplaatsen:
“If Zuidoost had a better connection with the city centre, it would give some positive influence. Moreover,
more things would be possible. Connection and infrastructure are vital for anything you want to do
outside of the city….. I don’t know the reason why Amsterdam do not have 24 hour metro; I think it is
essential to start a discussion about it especially in Zuidoost case.”
It looks like transportation and lack of places is not the only problems which are Zuidoost NTE might
experience. During the interview with representatives from Heesterveld and OSCAM both mentioned the
fact that there is not cooperation between initiatives. Quoting one of the interviewees:
“We really would like to have more cooperation with local initiatives, we do have some already, but it was
not easy to establish, and sometimes impossible like with “No Limits” (a cultural centre located close to
the metro Ganzenhoef, which mostly work with young creatives in the area) for instance.”
During the talk with the interviewee from OSCAM, he mentioned that this lack of cooperation might be
caused by the fact that every initiative supported by local authorities is carrying its own project and afraid
to lose its monetary support, which causes slower development of the area since each one are trying to
do their own thing without creating synergy, which might benefit everyone in the end.
According to the interviewee from the Gemeente responsible for night life activities, it is vital to
communicate with the community as well, and try to see their needs, make them involved in the projects
and complement the initiatives of the young local entrepreneurs and talents in the area, for instance like
club de School and Radion do. In his opinion the new club in Zuidoost (Jack) so far did not succeed to
connect with the community of the Zuidoost. This might cause a lack of customers in the future and a less
appealing image in the eyes of residents. He thinks that more diverse programmes (not only electronic
music) and dialogue with the local communities can be beneficial for the club and image of the area in
general. He thinks that places like club Jack and such can influence the opinion of the outsiders by
promoting and showing the unique DNA of the area. He mentioned, for instance, group SMIB, which
started as a music band in Zuidoost and then opened a clothing line and shop on Zijdijk, introducing and
promoting local culture to a broader audience. According to him, this initiatives might strongly influence
33
people’s perceptions about the area and show them a different Zuidoost, not the one they are used to
seeing in the media.
To see how the new club in Zuidoost is operating and who its customers are, the researcher went to the
club on Sunday 7 October to observe one of the day roof top parties, observations were done between 3-
6 PM. During that time there were around 60 people, all Caucasian and not one attendee looked like a
resident of Zuidoost. However, the atmosphere was nice and friendly. The music and surroundings
reminded the researcher of the feeling of the summer terrace in Berghain, mostly with the hard factors
such as quality techno music, industrial view, and affordable drinks however, there was a distinct
difference in the attendees. The attendees were mainly between 20-30 years old, and did not have an
alternative look. The crowd which the researcher used to see in places which club Jack wanted to be
associated with, such as Berghain, were not there. Everyone was casually dressed, no tattoos, no other
piercings than earrings, nothing extraordinary or bohemian (artistic people who live in an unconventional
way (Collinsdictionarycom, 2019) meaning they looked nornal no leather, no latex, no accessories- more
photos and field notes in Appendix I. In the researcher’s opinion these type of attendees looked like
middle class young professionals. The manager of the club confirmed this was one of the demographics
they wanted to attract. This observation was a very good confirmation of one of the previous statements
that club Jack does not do much to engage with the local community. Nevertheless, during the talk with
the management of the club they expressed their desire to target not only local and Amsterdam people.
They did some research and discovered that citizens of Utrecht might be also their target audience. Area
Zuidoost is only 20 min away from Utrecht and there are many direct trains during the day and night. So
the management is particularly targeting Utrecht citizens through social media. They think that in the end
it might be also a positive initiative to attract people from Utrecht to Zuidoost, and let them experience
something new.
Talking about positive initiatives which are taking place in Zuidoost, it is wise to mention an event
organised by the local authorities on 15 September 2018, called 24 hour Zuidoost. This event consisted of
many different events in the area with the aim to introduce visitors to what the area has to offer and
make them familiar with the places and initiatives which are taking place there. During 24 hour Zuidoost
3 locations were observed: Movie festival “Metro Movies”, OSCAM and the creative community
Heesterveld. Similar to what was noted in TLV and Berlin (more will be described in next subchapter),
events during that 24 hour Zuidoost attracted a very diverse public regarding age race and gender. Figure
4.7 illustrates a map which was a guide for the visitors who attended the initiative. It also shows the
number of events, in total 48 different activities took place that day in Zuidoost, despite the name 24 hour
Zuidoost none of the events operated after 00.00.
Figure 4.7 Map activities during Zuidoost 24 hour.
34
Movie Festival “Metro Movies”.

The movie festival took place in the unfinished tunnel A9, which gave a strong feeling of underground
movement and creativity. The area itself is located at metro station Bullewijk. The unit was observed from
13.34 till 16.00. In the opinion of the researcher, this event attracted what Florida calls a “creative class”,
young professionals and people related to art. Figure 4.8 illustrate the diversity of visitors, also the
bohemian way of dressing. By bohemian the researcher meant that clothes are colourful with specific
meaningful prints on it, stylish but comfortable, a lot of accessories which looks special, and it gave an
impression of craftsmanship. In general people who attended were very diverse by age and gender. The
majority were white. Only a few of the visitors were coming from the different cities or areas of
Amsterdam, mainly attendees were people who lives in Bijlmer. In Appendix II a link with a movie of the
event can be found where it shows what types of people were there and give an idea how this event could
create a positive feelings about the area, presenting the area as a place where art, creativity, diversity and
tolerance are celebrated. In the Appendix III the field notes which describe the atmosphere of the event,
can be found.
Figure 4.8 ” Metro Movies”. 15 September 2015 14.00- 15.00
35
Talking informally to a few people the researcher found out that some of them actually came from
different cities to see what is happening there, and they were positively impressed by the area, some of
them said they will go to multiple events during that day to understand the area better.
In addition, the organisers of the event created a bike parking area. Looking at the number of bikes, it
looks as if around 60% of people choose to come there by bike. A similar situation was noticed in other
places during that day. More pictures from the event can be found in Appendix III, where it can be seen
that this event was not only a movie screening, but also a place where some debates and workshops took
place and an exposition about life in Bijlmer. The organisers also thought about how to keep people to
stay longer so there was the possibility of buying freshly made pizza and have some soft drinks. It did
make people stay longer because they could eat or drink and have a little break between activities.
Heesterveld
The next place which was visited was Heesterveld creative communities. The place was packed with young
people. Music, drinks, food, discussions, friendship and a sense of enjoyment were in the air. Again back
to the theory of Florida and Oldenburg, the researcher can recognise the “creative class” and their need
of a “third place” where they could escape their regular Monday-Friday regime. Mainly it was a very young
crowd, they were wearing casual clothes and were mixed according to skin colour. The atmosphere was
friendly and welcoming, people were socialising, dancing, laughing and having fun. It was very noticeable
that people came there to have a good time, meet friends, make friends and relax. The majority of
attendees came by bikes, the number of bikes around the area where the event took place was bigger
than in normal days. Field notes could be found in Appendix IV.
Figure 4.9 Heesterveld creative community. 15 September 2018 16.20
Oscam
Last observed place was OSCAM, where an event related to a fashion and sustainable clothing took place.
This was observed from 17.00 till 20.30. As expected the crowd was very diverse, colourful, positive, and
consisted of artists, young designers, people interested in art and fashion (typical “creative class” by
Florida). There were approximately 60 people. Some people travelled from the centre just to take part in
that event. At that time the drinks were served for free (reason was mentioned by interviewee during the
interview), the atmosphere was very relaxed and cool. The invited DJ created an atmosphere in which
people could watch art but also dance with their friends. More photo material can be found in Appendix
V. Later, two hosts opened a discussion about prejudice regarding clothes. They lead the discussion and
36
everyone could voice their opinion about the host’s statements. Participants were very engaged, taking
part in discussions, and were relaxed and open to the discussion of other ideas. After these activities, the
party started, so participants could dance and socialise. In terms of clothes and looks, the majority were
wearing colourful and extravagant clothes, very interesting looks and haircuts as well. The figure 4.10
shows a bit of this event. Appendix VI contain the field notes which were taken during the event.
Figure 4.10 OSCAM.
Despite a great atmosphere and fascinating people attending, it is wise to mention that the place gave a
feeling of the “safe place”, that means all genders, sexualities and races are welcome. It is very similar to
the observed locations in Tel Aviv and Berlin (will be elaborated in the next subchapter). There were some
works presented which were focussed on a coloured and LGBT community. Figure 4.11 one of the art line
shown during the exhibition.
Figure 4.11 OSCAM. LGBTQ art during the event.
Back to the interview in OSCAM, the interviewee also confirmed that the majority of their visitors are
young and artistic people. According to him, events which are happening in OSCAM (presentations, new
exhibitions, and art projects) make some of the people come to the area and see it. He says that
sometimes they are quite surprised what they actually see, and afterwards telling him that they also want
to do some events in OSCAM, because of its design and location (very close to the metro). In addition, this
year they for the first time participated in the annual Museum Night. This event was on Saturday the 3rd
November 2018, this day more than 50 Amsterdam based museums are open from 7PM until 3AM.
According to him it was an amazing experience, they had more than 300 visitors that night, which he
believes is a good number for a new museum which is located so far from the center. He said one of the
37
biggest issues was transportation since after 00:00 the metro in Amsterdam finishes and night busses take
hours to go to the destination which is only 20 min away. However, management of OSCAM decided to
organize their own transportation which worked well. Another obstacle was to market this event, he said
that this area is not perceived as the area to go so see exhibitions during “Museum Nacht” (Museum
Night), so they have to do a lot of marketing and cooperate with other organizations which are
participating in this event, such as Heesterveld creative communities.
Amstel III development

Another interesting topic which almost all interviewees mentioned is the development of Amstel III.
Representatives of Gemeente, clubs managers and representatives of Bureau Broedplaatsen, are
convinced that Amstel III can influence the area night time activities heavily. As the manager of one club
said despite the high population of students there is still not a lot of demand for NTE in the neighborhood,
but new residents might change it. Moreover, during the visited event “Booming Bijlmer” it was said by
developers that in the end of 2020 new 35.000 apartments will be built. It will definitely change the socio–
economical characteristic of the neighborhood. According to one of the presenters it might create a big
demand for new Horeca and leisure activities. Photo material of the presentation and debates can be
found in Appendix VII. However, during the panel discussion it was seen that representatives of the local
population are not very happy with new houses and new people in the area. Interviewed experts have an
opposite opinion about it, they think that development of Amstel III will trigger more NTE activities in the
area and therefore would make people feel more comfortable in the area. Here are some quotes from
them:
“I hope when Amstel III will be build it will change the area, because to be able to live there you should
have some money, so the people who will move there will bring a diversity in income. And after they move
I am sure a lot of initiatives such nice cool places or clubs like Jack will follow. There will be a demand for
it for sure” (Bureau Broedplaatsen,2018).
“There is a lot of projects going on close to the Arena Boulevard , which will influence the area in many
senses” (Staadsdeel Zuidoost,2018)
Despite the big interest of the city council in building and developing Amstel III (Koers 2025) during the
event in Pakhuis de Zwijger “Amsterdam 2050 Voor wie bouwen we de stad?” the researcher noticed
different ideas from the public about future development of Amsterdam. During the working session, the
researcher was a part of the group of 11 people who had to draw how Amsterdam will grow in the future,
also provide some solutions how to connect the areas to the center. The group consisted of mostly
Caucasian Dutch people. After working on it for 30 min, the group come up with the drawing. In opinion
of the group the city should grow more in the West, South west and East, they were even suggesting to
build a bridge between Amsterdam North and Almere. The main argument why they would like to develop
this destination is the fact that they think that culturally and ethnically Almere is more similar to
Amsterdam than Southern parts of Amsterdam. The drawing can be found in Appendix VIII.
4.4 International practices
This chapter will introduce the reader to the data analyses of data collected in Berlin and Tel Aviv. To
collect the data the researcher spent six days in the observed areas in each city to observe and understand
the area and get the experience of living as a local.
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4.4.1 Berlin
During preparation for the observation in Berlin the researcher found that the observed area in Berlin has
multiple similarities with the area in Amsterdam. In figure 4.12 (Berlin) and figure 4.13 (Amsterdam) in
yellow highlighted places which was observed during this research or like in case of Amsterdam food court
“Word of Food” were studied in previous studies with which is researcher familiar.
Figure 4.12 Places in Berlin.
Figure 4.13 Places in Zuidoost
Circled in red are places which in both areas carry a similar purpose. For instance:
- Sport, show : Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin VS Johan Crujff Arena Amsterdam;

- Concert Hall: Berlin Astra Kulturhaus VS Ziggo Dome and AFAS live (Amsterdam);
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- Food court: RAW (it is not a really a food court , however, they have a very different types of cafes
offering different types of food ) (Berlin) VS World of Food (Amsterdam);
- Clubs: Berghain , Kit Kat, Matrix (Berlin) VS Jack (Amsterdam);
- Museum: The Wall Museum (Berlin) VS Bijlmer Museum, OSCAM (Amsterdam).
The researched area in Berlin is a very popular area in which to go out. In this area, besides
aforementioned entertainment activities, there are located the best and oldest clubs in the world, such
as Kit Kat (background of the club can be found in Appendix IX) and Berghain (Appendix X), which were
observed during the trip to Berlin. The clubs were established years ago when the area was not very
popular and prices for the property were very low. Today, clubbers from over the globe travel there just
to get this unique experience which these places can offer. These venues created a strong place
attachment for people who have been there at least once (screenshots and more reviews about these
two places can be found in Appendix XI):
“This year, I went back to Berlin and I couldn't resist to go there for the second time….. it was AWESOME
.…Everything can happen at Berghain” (TripAdvisor, 2018).
“I don’t want to say too much as once you get in you will NEVER forget the feeling, the place, the vibe,
forget ‘selfies’ forget giving a fxxx just leave your stress and inhibitions at the door and DANCE!!. Berghain
Berlin you will have my heart forever ❤�” (TripAdvisor, 2018).
Observing the Berghain and Kit Kat it was easy to see that people came there to relax and have a great
time, usually it is very young and alternative crowd, which do not afraid to que for 4 hours and open to
any experiences which might come along. The quotes of TripAdvisor users describes it all:
“I have visited a lot of clubs… this one is the BEST! Freedom, respect, fetish” about Kit Kat (TripAdvisor,
2016)
“Best place to enjoy freedom ……. Amazing location, friendly people and heaps of fun. It’s not a
mainstream place. You should inform yourself before you go. Me and my partner loved it and will be
back.” about Berghain (Google reviews, 2018)
Apparently the feeling of freedom is very important, this is what the researcher experienced himself. At
these venues no one cares about looks, shapes, status, political beliefs or sexuality. Everyone is equal and
that’s what makes these places unique and attracts creatives and alternative people from all countries
(Figures 4.14). During the observation in the clubs at least 7 different languages besides English and
German were heard. While reading the online comments it is easy to make a conclusion, that these places
are creating a better image not only for the area but also the city as whole. Of course there is around 10%
of negative comments mostly related to door policies. To create a unique atmosphere and experience,
clubs apply a very strict door policy. However, even the visitors are understanding why the policies are so
strict:
“Berghain's only door policy is attitude. Once you're inside, you understand how they don't filter by your
look - it's how you carry yourself. This place oozes sex and confidence. The "no picture" policy means
dressing and being your complete self. Hedonist heaven” (TripAdvisor, 2018).
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Concerning the opening time for instance Berghain starts from Thursday and stays open nonstop till
Monday afternoon. There are specific days when locals go there and when tourists do. Sunday afternoon
is the usual time when locals visit the club. During that time the majority of tourists most likely would not
get in because of the door policy which gets more selective in a sense. The time and day does not really
change the amount of people inside, as can be seen on the figure 4.14, where it can be seen that the
amount of people in the queue did not really change. The pictures were taken on the same day. First
picture was taken on Sunday 21 October at 13.40, second picture was taken the same at 21.49.
Figure 4.14. Queue to the club Berghain in different period of the day 21 October 2018.
Inside clubs Kit Kat (Appendix XII) and Berghain the researcher saw people which in most cases are wearing
comfortable running shoes or leather boots, sport shorts, leather, latex, leather harness, rubber, topless
(very common for men and women)(Appendix XIII). There all types body shaped could be seen (from
skinny to overweight), also in terms of colour of the skin it was very diverse, white, yellow, brown, and
dark. Most of the attendees had a lot of tattoos or piercings all over their body (nipples, noose neck, eye
brows, cheeks and genitals). Also in both clubs people showed a high level of tolerance and acceptancy.
Close to each other dancing LGBTQ people, straight, transgender, no one actually pays attention to how
you look and what you are doing with whom. In both clubs approximately 30% of visitors are LGBTQ
people. Most of the time they are easily recognized because of leather or rubber accessories or jocks
straps (type of underwear). In Appendix XIV field notes which were made in both clubs can be found.
Photography is rigorously prohibited inside Berghain, camera phones are closed at the entry with
particular paper sticks with glue, which can be removed after leaving the club, the security is checking it
very carefully and if they spot someone doing any pix the person will be removed out immediately from
the club and might be blacklisted. The club does not have any mirrors or reflecting surfaces.
Berghain has two dance floors, one with a techno music and the other with funky music. The main stage
is always techno music, inside is very dark so you can’t really see what is happening. The atmosphere is
41
very sexual, anyone can come and just start to dance with each other. During the dance there is a lot of
body contact and kissing, in most cases people do not know each other and enjoy sexual encounters
without any romantic attachment. The researcher went to Berghain with a group of friends (two
heterosexual females, two heterosexual males and a gay couple). Great to mention that one of the
heterosexual male is a captain in the French army. During our visit because of the general ambience, the
group started to mix with fellow attendees. Gay guys start to dance with the heterosexual girl, the
heterosexual male was paid attention by gay guys, everyone was kissing and no one actually cared who
kissed who. After we left the French Army Captain told me that this was his best experience ever, because
he was felt free and unjudged.
But the area has more to offer than only clubs. The RAW center grabbed the attention of the researcher
because this place works 24 hours, 7 days a week (Appendix XV). This place was organized by local artists
and the city hall in order to create a bridge between neighborhood and art. The RAW center has a lot of
activities to offer such as a climbing center, skate center, pin pong, movie screenings, plenty of bars, clubs
and cafes inside (Appendix XVI). While there, as during the observation of the clubs the researcher noticed
a lot of different languages around and a diverse young crowd. Inside the RAW Center the signs of “safe
place” (figure 4.15) were found, meaning all genders, sexualities and races are welcome and respected.
Figure 4.15 RAW center. 20 October 2018
Besides different types of activities, HORECA places there are offering wide range of drinks and food. It
was very noticeable that a lot of places were vegan or had a vegan menu, which is still not the case in
Amsterdam Zuidoost. People spotted there were very diverse in terms of age group, and look. Different
colors, languages and preferences. Everyone can find something for him/her. While we were walking I
met with a couple who are coming to the RAW often to do climbing activities and eat afterwards in a
vegan restaurant, which we walked to after. The waitress told me that before the whole area was a place
where trains were repaired and there was a circus as well. She also mentioned that the place where we
were sitting is the place where an elephant was held. The staff and visitors had an alternative look (label
used in schools for people who are nots chavs, goths skaters or emos (Urbandictionarycom, 2019)):
dreadlocked hair, piercings in their nose, eye brows, lips, also a lot of tattoos all over the bodies, and not
fancy but comfortable clothes. The customers were mostly international.
Online reviews about RAW were positive as well, people really appreciated the diversity offered activities,
food, different types of music, from Jazz to electronic (Appendix XVII).
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After the researcher left the RAW center he decided to see what’s going on around, Appendix XVIII
contains the walking route which was taken. Streets were full of young people, who were drinking and
talking. The streets had only bars and pubs, restaurants and clubs one after another. The crowd was very
diverse most people were in their 30’s and split by groups of 3-4 just walking from one place to another.
Some were just working on their laptops, others socialized with each other. Overall, my friends and I felt
safe and entertained during our walk at the observed area despite the fact that two dealers approached
us and proposed to help with drugs. There were so many different places to eat from affordable street
food to the fancy café and restaurants with Thai, and European food. Bars were also diverse pubs, cocktails
and just mixed bar with big assortment of drinks. People even had an option to buy drinks in the night
shops which are working 24 hour and drink simply outside enjoying the good weather and the vibe at the
place.
These information is also confirmed by internet users (more reviews about the area can be found in
Appendix XIX):
“…many bars, restaurants around, still quiet and peaceful area” (TripAdvisor, 2017).
“…excellent location for bars, restaurants and access to public transport” (TripAdvisor, 2017)
Online users describe the area as very alive and with a lot of activities for any personality or age. Some
going there with their families, some with friends and some just to have a look what area has to offer on
their own. International visitors planning to come back to the place when they will come back, which pulls
us back to a theory of experiences and place attachment. Many users also recommend the area is a “must
see” because of diversity in food, drinks, activities and overall experiences. Concerning transportation the
area and all observed places are easy to reach anytime especially at the weekend. The Berlin metro at
weekends works 24 hours. During a few informal talks with visitors of the club, the researcher figured out
that a 24 hours active metro helps to feel less stressed and maybe even visit few places during the same
night. For instance, during the observation in Kit Kat, researcher spoke to one visitor which was walking
towards the subway. The Kit Kat visitor told the researcher:
“4 AM it is not time for bed, it is time to go to Berghain”
4.4.2 Tel Aviv (TLV)
The observed area of Tel Aviv (further the abbreviation TLV will be used in the text), is much smaller than
areas in Berlin and Amsterdam. However, this area has quite similar history as areas in Belin and
Amsterdam. In TLV four bars were chosen: Hoodna, Berlin in Florentin, Mate Florentin, and Perla (Figure
4.16). The places were chosen based on online comments of internet users, these places were the most
recommended by them (Appendix XX). During the stay in TLV the owner of bar Hoodna was interweaved
as well.
Figure 4.16 Observed places in TLV, marked in yellow.
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As can be seen in figure 4.16, the observed area has a high density of bars and cafes. Besides cafés and
bars, the area has some art workshops and galleries, contemporary art museums (around four). Most of
these places are open until early in the morning. It keeps places alive even till late hours. According to
TripAdvisor users, this area of TLV is very similar to the researched area in Berlin as in Berlin there is always
something to do during the day and the night. The users of TripAdvisor are calling the area “bohemian”.
“Artistic student’s zone”, “Brooklyn of TLV” (from Appendix XXI), which gave the feeling of a dynamic,
young, creative, artistic and developing area. Indeed this type of associations comes to mind of the
researcher after observation in the area. Variety of shops, coffee shops (without weed), pubs, clubs which
are located very close to each other attract many locals and tourists to the area (more online reviews in
Appendix XXI):
“Location is the best ever if you want to “feel” Tel Aviv as it is . It’s like PrenzlauerBerg Berlin but more
relaxed ;). Shops ,coffee, pubs, clubs all near buy (TripAdvisor, 2018).”
“This is where the young, the hip and the artsy are at. The street are full of bars, cheap eats and art. It’s
one of my favourite places to be in TLV, any time of the day or night (TripAdvisor, 2015)”
As can be seen on the figure 4.17 the streets of Florentine are dynamic in the night time. Almost every
bar or restaurant is full of people. During the observation, the researcher had a feeling that he is in Berlin
but with warmer weather. People were mostly sitting outdoor drinking, talking, laughing, socialising and
just enjoying the place itself. The researcher was staying in the researched area for six days; it gave him
an opportunity to observe the same places during different days of the week. During the whole week bars
in the evening are very busy, especially on Thursdays since it is like a Friday in Europe. The young crowd
and tourists mostly occupy the bars and restaurants during the night. Besides the Hebrew, in that area,
you can hear Russian, Chinese, German, English, and Spanish. The group could be roughly divided among
70% locals and 30% tourists who came to this neighbourhood because of art and experiencing TLV by
night (from the talk with the group of tourist researcher met at the bar).
Figure 4.17 Streets of Florentine by night.
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Most of the bars, cafes and night shops are open till late, more information on openings time can be found
in Appendix XXII. Therefore, during the observation the researcher could see that people were relaxed
and not looking at their watch all the time, they enjoyed their time till late in the night. The transportation
factors usually do not bother visitors either, from the interview with the owner of the bar it was
understood that majority of locals come to the area by bike or scooter, it can be also be confirmed by
researcher observation. The "bird scooter", an electric scooter which the driver drives standing (Appendix
XXIII), is very popular with locals. They can easily rent them anywhere on the street using a mobile app.
Even though public transport was inadequately developed in TLV (there is no metro and buses not running
on Friday eve and Saturday day because of religion concerns), it is easy to get around because of privatly
owned buses which are driving on the most prominent roads of the city during the day and night. The area
of Florentine is 15 minutes walk from the street where these route taxies are circulating, which gives the
opportunity to travel from the area to the different parts of the city any time of the day and night (field
notes and addition photomaterial can be found in Appendix XXIV).
As in Berlin, the area has a lot of graffiti art which also indicates that this area is a safe place and everyone
can feel free there and be themselves (Figure 4.18). These types of signs give the visitor an unconscious
feeling of being at a place where he or she can enjoy the vibe without any danger of being bullied or
attacked. This area has clubs such as Haoman and Duplex , which are not exclusively for heterosexual
45
patrons. To create a sense of tolerance, they host some of the biggest gay party productions, such as “We
party” (Madrid), “Circuit” (Barcelona), “Forever TLV” and “FFF Shirazi TLV”.
Figure 4.18 Street art as a sign of a “safe place”
During the interview with the owner of the bar “Hoodna” it was understood that, ten years ago, the area
attracted a lot of “creative people” because of the feeling of freedom and affordable housing and working
spaces. His bar was one of the first bars in the area. He explained that ten years ago he had maybe three
neighbours, everyone could do what he or she wants. The locals started to do some raves for themselves
by putting speakers outside their windows. This free spirit living in the area attracted more and more
young and artistic crowds into the area, the population grew, and at some point, these unplanned raves
became a part of the neighbourhood identity. All neighbours were contributing their speakers and music.
Everyone was dancing, drinking and having fun. According to him, it attracted a significant amount of
people from the whole of Israel to the neighbourhood, people travelled there from other cities to have a
party, and it became a “cool place” to be and live. This attention also enhanced the local economic
activities, to meet the demand of partying people, a lot of bars, restaurants, snack bars, night shops
opened in the area. In a few years the number of bars increased significantly. These activities attracted
many visitors; the last spontaneous rave attracted around 40 thousand people. At that point, the
government stepped in and tried to control it. The main reasons why the government decided to step in
was security reasons and safety in the area. At one point, the crowd became uncontrolled, and there were
a lot of drunk people who were crushing things on their way or climbing on balconies, which created many
dangerous situations. The government tried to organise something similar to the raves from before,
however, according to the interviewee people did not have the same feeling about these events. The
sense of freedom to do what they want to do and how they wished was gone, so these raves stopped.
However, at that time the area was full of residents living there and well-established businesses which
were operating successfully.
In addition, he explained that with the years it became more complicated to work in the area regarding
regulation. To be able to operate till 3 AM the place should have an exclusive licence by law – after 3 AM
46
everything should be closed; however, all the bars are open till 6 AM. He explained that if there are no
complaints from the neighbours, bars can work till early morning. They were working that way for many
years. To avoid conflicts with residents, they created a “Noise watch”, which is run by the owners of bars
in the neighbourhood. Basically, if there is some noise, residents do not call the police, they call the “Noise
watch”, and they get in touch directly with a place to reduce the noise. From his words, it reduces negative
interactions between government, police, residents and businesses that are operating at night. He also
said that to get the licence is not easy (7 from scale 0-10, where 10 is very complicated). From his words,
there are a few departments which need to agree that a venue meets the standards. However, they do
not communicate with each other, and sometimes the decision of one cannot be made without the
approval of another. Also, they might come up with some requirements during their visits, which are costly
for business (for instance like change all surveillance system in the place).
According to him, the area has attracted a lot of attention from developers in the past few years, there
are already a few high rises in the area and he says that there are more to come. No one has associated
this area with a “no go area” for a long time. But the developers’ interest also triggered the movement of
artistic people to other places in TLV since prices for rent grew significantly.
Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendation
5.1 Conclusions
From the observation in Berlin and Tel Aviv it can be concluded that the observed areas and places became
references for a lot of international and local visitors. According to Kevin Lynch (1960) the majority of
people judge visited cities through unique brief moments which are modified and crossed with the
experiences of others whom they have met during their journey. This statement can be confirmed by the
number of online users of TripAdvisor and Google who have explicitly described their experiences of the
researched places. During their short visits, experiences received in clubs and during night adventures
created a general overview of the places and city. As Martins & Bosque (2008) acknowledge, visible
information and experiences at visited sites result in the development of beliefs and judgements about
them, which are cognitive components and help to convince people to come back to the visited place.
From the reviews it can be concluded that visitors of both areas in TLV and Berlin overall had a great time
and positive feelings, therefore they developed a favorable and stable image of the visited neighborhoods
and city in general. They, in a sense, became ambassadors for the places, promoting and sharing their
adventures and providing future visitors with tips of what is the best to do there to make the trip
unforgettable, and therefore encouraging potential visitors to visit these places.
All positive and negative comments create for the reader a subconscious image of the places and areas.
When studying reviews online about places in TLV and Berlin in most cases, the reviews were positive and
encouraging, creating a kind of imaginary understanding of the places. This helps to discover places which
have a positive image and explore them further (Arbonés Aran, 2017). In the end, it inspires people to
learn about places and experience them themselves by going there. There were a few reviews which
stated that people went to the areas after reading all the good reviews and they were not disappointed.
Positive feelings about the places usually create a strong connection between visitors of the area and
visited places, which also helps to evaluate the area and increase its image in the eyes of the visitor
(Jalilvand, Samiei, Dini, & Manzari, 2012). During talks with people on the streets as well as studying online
data, it was found that people return to the same places because they had a fantastic time and good
47
memories about the places and people they met there. Nostalgic feelings about a great time spent there
before are making them come back and search for the same feelings as they had in the past. One of the
interviewed experts mentioned that some people fly to Berlin (club Berghain) or Amsterdam (club de
School) just for one night to go to their favorite club. They feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging,
escaping their normal life (work, home) as described by scholar Oldenburg (2001) in his work about "third
place".
Nevertheless, the situation in Zuidoost is different. Events in the concert halls in the area are attracting a
significant number of people. Nonetheless, they do not seem to develop “place attachment” feelings
since, according to interviews, there are no “cool” and affordable places around Arena Boulevard which
could play the role of a “third place” and where they can have a drink after the concert. Bars there are
closed by 11 PM, which does not give people any choice to continue their experiences in the area, and
they have no other option than to go to the metro station. Because there is a massive problem to leave
the area after 00.00 and they need to keep track of time to be able to catch the last metro, it does not
give people a relaxing feeling, and they can’t enjoy themselves properly. After events, everyone is mainly
travelling to centre because of its diversity in places, extended working hours (3 AM) and easier access to
public transport at night.
During the observations in Berlin and TLV, it was noticed that observed areas and places draw mostly what
can be called a “creative class” and bohemian crowd (young, artistic, extraordinary, free-spirited, and
open-minded people). They are very interested in cultural and art activities (music, art installations, and
exhibitions) which can be performed in places such as nightclubs, galleries, art workshops, bars, concerts
halls. Therefore the observed areas in TLV and Berlin had a number of these places available during the
day and the night. Most of the bars, clubs art galleries or workshops were open till the early morning and
some of them 24 hours. It is good to recall the words of Florida (2002) about the creative class and their
needs in the area:
“They need to have options around the clock… the highest-rated nightlife options were cultural attractions
and late-night dining.”
Indeed, therefore they need more options during the night in observed areas. A wide range of night
activities were found from a 24 hour laundry shop in TLV to climbing activities available 24 hours a day in
the RAW centre in Berlin. This type of visitor makes entrepreneurs think about new services and products
which will create additional value for them and make them enjoy the area even more than they used to.
In Amsterdam, this type of person was recognised only in a few observed locations. It means there is a
way to attract them to Zuidoost by events such as “Metro Movies”, “Museum Nacht” or events in the club
“Jack” but at the moment there is no way to make them stay in the area due to the limited number of
services provided in the area in the night and the already mentioned problem with night transportation.
According to Chatterton and Hollands (2001, 2002), young professionals are more interested in new “cool”
fashionable spots outside of the city centre because the city centre is becoming more conservative and
less spontaneous. As a result, some areas outside of the centre have become popular places to go out in.
According to them, it also contributes a lot to developments in these areas and generates good income
for local communities, creating employment for locals and help to build a positive image of the
neighbourhood. Studied in this thesis cases of Berlin and TLV can confirm that people were attracted to
the area because of the feeling of having the freedom to do what they want there and express themselves
in different ways (through art on the street, workshops, raves). The TLV case is a good example because
only ten years ago there was nothing in that area apart from abandoned garages and empty buildings.
However, for many artistic young people, it became a “cool” place where they could create and be
themselves. This creativity attracted attention from other people, and the area started to bloom. To meet
48
the demand of people who live there and visitors, new businesses had to be created such as bars, art
galleries, contemporary art museums, clubs, shops, hotels. The Berlin case has a similar past of area
development. This developments of the areas in TLV and Berlin initiated a dispersed polycentric urban
structure which cause population distribution evenly among the city. For instance, some of the
interviewees were coming specifically to that area and were staying there during their whole stay, and
others were travelling from the city centres to that areas to spend an evening and night out there. This
type of areas is creating a polycentric urban structure which helps to unload busy touristic city centres
and helps to develop peripheral neighbourhoods of the city.
It is still not the case in Zuidoost. From interviews about Zuidoost with experts, it can be concluded that
the reason why there are no similar developments to those in international cases is a strict governmental
policy and how the government perceives the area in general. Because of the turbulent history of Zuidoost
the government is cautious with initiatives which can be linked to the use of substances and alcohol
(nightclubs, bars). For instance, the first coffee shop was opened only in 2018. This way of perceiving the
area and trying to control it does not give entrepreneurs a feeling of freedom to do what they want, and
all projects become very standard and boring in a way.
To add, because of government subsidies for initiatives running in the Zuidoost (for instance No Limits,
OSCAM, Heesterveld) the enterprises are not cooperating with each other because they consider
themselves as competitors. In other words, the government encourages the individualistic approach,
which in the end does not benefit the area. All these factors do not attract creative people to do something
artistic and unique in the area, and hence there is no interest from external people, and as we all know,
unknown is unloved. To add, the district of Zuidoost is still not perceived as a safe area for visitors. While
in Berlin and TLV everywhere researcher can see a signs that it is a safe place, in Bijlmer during the big
events close to the metro station a sign “Be careful pickpockets” is put up, no wonder that visitors feel
insecure in the area and prefer to go out somewhere else and not be out late in the area.
The situation could be improved by learning from the international cases mentioned in this thesis. NTE
has a significant economic and social impact on areas of cities where it is present. It stimulates new
businesses, attracts companies, generates new business ideas, creates local employment, engages locals
with problems in the area, attracts visitors, tourists and new inhabitants and makes people happier by
making it possible to escape their daily routine. It also creates places where people socialise with each
other and exchange ideas and thoughts. Especially in our digital age, where people do not see further than
their mobile phone, NTE can connect people and make them socialise with each other, express their
feelings and emotions and create something unique in real time. The areas in Berlin and TLV are good
examples of these changes. These changes in both cases happened naturally (without governmental
intervention), however, they can be studied and applied to another area, for instance, Zuidoost.
5.2 Recommendations
Policies
One of the most critical factors which are holding back the development of creativity is policies. The more
policies are applied, the less creative projects will be produced. Looking at the example of TLV, the area
was growing and booming till the moment the government stepped in with regulations about raves, the
sale of alcohol in shops and general rules in bars such as working hours. The area is still attracting many
49
visitors, but the people who created interest in this area are starting to move out to other places that are
less popular and therefore less regulated. In Amsterdam there are too many policies concerning HORECA,
opening hours, open public spaces, area planning. To be able to create something exciting and catch the
attention of the people, entrepreneurs have to have more freedom in doing so. Studying the regulations
of 24-hour licensing, the researcher found that they are limiting creatives and it is also hard to apply to
get one. Talking to interviewees from Zuidoost the researcher also understood that because of some
regulations it is sometimes hard or almost impossible to do some things in already established business,
or it might take a few years to achieve the agreement with the city hall.
Changing some policies to be less strict on the local level in Amsterdam Zuidoost should help and
encourage entrepreneurs to be more creative. An idea could be creating a dialogue with businesses which
are operating with extended hours or that want to do so, to listen to their needs and ideas concerning
policies and try to find a formula which will benefit both. Maybe creating exceptions for the area
concerning night time activities would be a solution, since the number of hotels there is growing and a
significant amount of new middle-income inhabitants will move there due to development of Amstel III.
The current policies can cause visitors and newcomers not to be satisfied with the area due to lack of night
entertainment. In addition, this political attitude contradicts "Koers 2025" where it is stated that
Amsterdam is willing to be polycentric. Following this idea of polycentric Amsterdam to attract people to
the area of Zuidoost, the district has to offer different and diversified options from the city centre for
visitors day and night. So far with existing policies, it does not look feasible.
Connectivity
In both international cases, connectivity to the other parts of the cities played a crucial role in creating a
positive image of the area in the eyes of the people who visited it at night. Available transport systems at
night made people more relaxed and gave the feeling of being in control of their journey, they were free
to go to any place they wanted. That feeling gave them the chance to enjoy their night until the end and
increases their feeling of satisfaction. Therefore, it is strongly advised to think about something more
convenient than a night bus which no one likes or wants to use. The solution could be running one metro
train every 30 min after 00.00. It would make people feel more relaxed about being in the area, less
stressed about their journey home after 00.00 and therefore they will have a positive and enjoyable
experience there. Also, this option will give a feeling of connection to the city center at any time which
might help to break the mental barrier (mentally many people do not associate Zuidoost with Amsterdam,
in some maps of Amsterdam for tourists Zuidoost is not even present) which some people still have
concerning Zuidoost.
Internal mobility in the area
The area of Zuidoost is as big as the city center of Amsterdam. The traditional way of getting around in
the city centrum is biking and there are more public transport options available at night. The same cannot
be said about Zuidoost. If people are going there by public transportation, they are unlikely to take their
bikes with them. That means that, to be able to connect already existing places such as “World of Food”,
OSCAM, and club Jack where visitors or locals can spend their evening or night, the local mobility system
should be developed. For instance, close to the metro stations Bijlmer Arena, Bullewijk, Ganzenhoef,
Kraaienist and places that were mentioned before (“Jack”, “World of Food”, “OSCAM”) stations with bikes
or standing scooters which can be rented any time of the day should be installed. That will help people
move more easily in the area, and be able to move from one place to another very fast especially at night.
That also might encourage them to cycle around to see what the area has to offer at any time of the day.
50
Bike roads connected to the center
Biking is the most popular way of transportation in Amsterdam. From an interview with the representative
of a famous club located in another peripheral area of Amsterdam, it was confirmed that majority of locals
still come by bikes. The same trend was noticed during the observations in TLV and Berlin. Many people
in Amsterdam are biking at any time during any weather. However, safety is a very important concern,
especially at night. At the moment, bike roads connecting Zuidoost with the center of the city are not
perceived as safe, mostly due to poor lighting and a sense of isolation. Developing bike roads between
center and Zuidoost with the use of "Smart city" technologies might be a solution. For instance, "smart
lighting" with sensors reacting to the movement of approaching bikes and lighting the next stretch of road
ahead of the biker, or installing light navigators on the road that indicate in which direction a person
should bike (the idea is the same as the Van Gogh Path , see Appendix XXV). And increase the number of
public surveillance technologies such as "smart cameras" which can report any cases of suspicious
activities immediately to the police department. These actions can make people feel safer on the road
and encourage them to bike to Zuidoost by day and night.
Connect Arena Boulevard with Heesterveld community
As it was already mentioned, performances in the concert halls attract a large number of guests to
Zuidoost in the evening. To divide the crowd between metro stations after concerts end and at the same
time encourage people to walk around, the pedestrian road between the Arena and Bullewijk metro
stations should be upgraded and used as a promenade. Along the way, there is a canal, and if colorful,
bright lighting and modern benches are installed and some art installations provided on both sides of the
road, it might attract attention of people. It takes 15 minutes to walk to Bullewijk from Arena metro
station. From Bullewijk metro station it is only two minutes’ walk to Heesterveld community. This
community is a creative hub with some art museum, bars and cafes. New club "Jack" is also located very
near to the Bullewijk metro.
Making these changes will make people curious about what is out there, might encourage them to visit a
creative community close to the metro and maybe afterwards to go to the club and experience the area
in a different way than they are used to.
Signs of safety
As it was mentioned before the researcher could see signs everywhere in the researched areas in Berlin
and TLV that can be perceived as signs of a “safe place”, which means all genders, sexualities and races
are welcome. This feeling of acceptance attracts a very diverse crowd which makes being in the area more
pleasurable and memorable. In the area of Zuidoost the researcher did not notice any similar signs which
could carry the same message. On the contrary, he saw signs which create a perception and feeling of
unsafety. For instance, statements close to the Arena metro station such as “Be careful pick pockets” and
“Use it, lose it” does not give positive and welcoming associations.
So first of all, signs in the area carrying statements which might create a feeling of unsafety and insecurity
should be removed. Instead, contemporary art stands where artists can express their vision of the “safe
place” through art or performance can be installed in the Arena Boulevard area. That would make people
51
who are in the area feel welcome and secure. Also, the artistic side will grab the attention and attract
creative minded people
Work with young artists
To be able to attract the creative class, special programs for young creatives who do not have enough
money to have work and/or living spaces should be developed. From the example of TLV it can be seen
that artistic and creative people established their ateliers and workshop in the area because it was
affordable and also not regulated very much by the government. Therefore, it would be advised to look
for possible solutions of engagement with already existing initiatives in the area, to enable affordable
facilities for creative people. For instance, some evenings during the week OSCAM, Heesterfeld
community and club Jack could host workshops and art exhibitions of local talent. It would help to engage
the local creative community and will give them a feeling of belonging in the area and to the projects they
work with. Also, master classes from already established Dutch or international artists for the young
generation can be organised. This development will attract the attention of a broad range of people to
the hosting locations and will paint Zuidoost in a different light.
Stimulating cooperation between initiatives.
As was found during the interviews, the way in which initiatives are subsidised does not contribute to the
end goal of creating a more positive image of Zuidoost. Therefore, it could be advised that subsidies should
be created for initiatives which will join their ideas and work together. It will produce a better exchange
of information and, instead of trying to compete for a subsidy in order to continue their existence, people
will work together towards one goal.
Engage local community
Even though Zuidoost will soon have new inhabitants of new buildings in Amstel III, it is still important to
engage with locals to establish a successful business in Zuidoost. An excellent example of high engagement
is OSCAM, which was supposed to be a pop-up museum for just three months, but because of their work
with the community they could grab the attention of locals and became a successful project. New club
Jack lacks this type of engagement at the moment. It is advisable that they engage local artists and
musicians to create a product which will attract the local population of Zuidoost. Alternatively, they could
host some evenings with music more related to the locals and slowly introduce them to the place. The
management also needs to think how to reach organisations such as HvA , RoC and the student houses
because students still do not know of their existence after almost half a year of being open. Club Jack
could become an excellent place for international students to go out to, and might change their
perception of the area as boring.
Promoting already existing places
The area of Zuidoost already have some places that have their own identity, but the problem is that not
many people know about them. Using the methodology developed by Dr. Núria Arbonés Aran “Mapping
the imaginary”, these places could be brought to the attention of and communicated to an external
environment. The idea of this method is to identify places with strong DNA and history and share this
knowledge with the broader audience to trigger a further interest in the places by them. Create a healthy
curiosity and let the audience explore the area further. In order to do so, it is planned to create a physical
52
– digital map with identified places (including night activities existing at the moment in the area). This map
should be also supported by a mobile application which will help to reach a younger population, and also
can be promoted by companies which are located in the area. This initiative will help people who work
and study here to get to know the area better. It will encourage them to explore the “hidden treasures”
of the area, will help them get around, and introduce them to the latest activities in the area as well as
give advice about what to do in the area after working hours. In the end, information gained about the
area’s places will influence the opinion of people and help to form a better positive understanding of the
area and its history.
Creating more entertainment services
Inspired by RAW-center in Berlin and analyzing the data collected there, the researcher made a conclusion
that creating places which can offer different sort of activities will attract a lot of locals and visitors to the
area. During the research in Berlin it was found that people are attracted to a diversity of options for when
they go out. They would like to eat, then drink, play, climb and dance and all these activities should not
be too far from each other.
In the opinion of the researcher an already existing project and place called “World of Food” can be
modified and upgraded to a new level. For the last few years, the project has not managed to get the
desired attention from visitors and locals. There was even talk that the place will be closed in the future.
Instead of closing it down “World of food” could be a basis for a new project which will offer a more
entertainment orientated service. It is advised to use 20% of the building for food and bar facilities, and
the rest for creating different types of services which would operate till late night. In the building could
be installed a gym, climbing activities, bowling, virtual reality rooms, bumper cars, skydiving. This type of
center would be unique and will create a lot of public interest. This project could make Zuidoost a main
entertainment area of the city where you can go and do everything what you want, from dining to flying
and clubbing. In combination with the concert halls, cinema and new club, this project would complete
the picture of Zuidoost as an entertainment centre of Holland.
5.3 Limitations
The reader should bear in mind that the study is based on research with limited sample sizes and within
a limited time frame. In order to improve their validity and reliability, the observations should be
performed in a more extended study, and more actors in the same industry should be interviewed.
Besides, only two city cases were studied, which make the research limited. The validity would improve if
more cities were investigated and observed with the same conclusions in the end. Moreover, the duration
of the stay in the observed areas was about six days which is a short term for drawing a valid conclusion.
During the trips to other cities, only one expert was interviewed, the rest of the data was collected during
chat on the streets with visitors to the areas. It can cause subjective opinion about places without the
actual validation of experts. Also, there could be participant bias meaning that the interviewee could have
provided the researcher with invalid information. The interviewer could also have influenced the
interviewee in such a way that it affected the answers of the respondents. In addition, it is not easy to get
in contact and conduct interviews with many specialists in such short period, and the end of the year also
made it hard to reach potential interviewees, since a lot of them were very busy in that period.
53
5.4 Further research
For more accurate data further similar research should be done using a large sample and different cities
to gain more in-depth information about the topic. The qualitative data accrued during this research can
be seen as an exploration for further research.
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Appendices
Appendix I photo material and field notes from observation in club “Jack”
Club JACK rooftop party
Club Jack
Club Jack one visitor came with a baby
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Observed unit: Club Jack

Background: recently opened the nightclub in Zuidoost
Reason: observe ambience at the place and see who will attend it
Hypothesis: great friendly ambience which will attract young creative people, will give the visitors
a definite feeling of the area
Research role: observer
Date and time: 7.10.2018; 16.10-19.00
Sunny, warm, blue sky
Placemaking fact: close to the metro station, modern architecture, urban feeling
People: between 20-30 years old, white
Connectivity: Accessible by metro (during the day).
Activities around: café and gym downstairs, Heesterveld community
Atmosphere: chill, relaxed, friendly
That was a sunny Sunday afternoon when we arrived at the place. In the beginning, there were
not so many people, around 10 to be precise. Although the weather was perfect for a drink
outside especially at the rooftop. We ordered some drinks. Barmen were very friendly however
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he did not know how to serve a draft beer. After 10 minutes one of his colleagues helped him,
and we finally got a drink. The place was nice, atmosphere and music and surroundings (new
buildings) were reminding me Berlin. However, the crowd was not the same as you can see in
Berlin in such places. It was mainly white people between 20 and 30 years old, very casually
dressed without anything special which would attract the attention. One girl just came there to
work with her laptop another came with just born baby. No one was dancing, mostly chatting
with each other. It looked like everyone knows everyone in their groups. People were interacting
primarily with the same people; everyone was drinking beer and just enjoying their friends. Later
around 6 PM place became more crowded. People start to dance, and it begins to look more like
a rooftop party. In general, the atmosphere was friendly and cosy more reminding me of some
chill clubs in Ibiza, where everyone coming with their friends for a drink and chat.
Appendix II Link after movie “Metro Bios”
https://vimeo.com/291067182
Appendix III Field notes and photo material Metro Bios
Observed unit: Metrobios movie festival.

Background: The event created as part of 50 jaar Bijlmer and 24 hours Zuidoost
Reason: observe how does event goes and see who will attend it
Hypothesis: the creative class will attend the event
15.09.2018
13.34-16.00
Placemaking fact: Part of A9, Cool, Diverse, Unusual location for this sort event, Special Feeling
People who are present at the festival: Middle age, mostly white, a lot of young people, diverse
Connectivity: Accessible by metro.
Activities around: Not many activities around
Atmosphere: Cool, chill, relaxed, the majority concentrates on the event
Hard and soft factors: Easy to reach, free of charge, new, informative.
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The movie festival took place in the not finished tunnel A9 — a cool urbanistic place which gave
a strong feeling of unground movement and creativity. The area itself located at metro station
Bovendijk. From there I had to walk approximately 10 min to be able to reach the place. The place
was effortless to find because of the signs which showed the visitor away from the metro station.
When you are waking to the venue everywhere, you can see faulty construction and building
materials. It gives the feeling of coolness, and you already can feel that the movies which will be
presented would be an alternative. When you enter the tunnel, I had a sense of magic and
unknown because of string light behind me and tunnelled darkness in front of me. Before the
screen where movies showed, was a small exhibition of art related to the area (see pix). Also, the
visitors could have some food and drinks offered by a catering service.
The movie hall is big, great acoustic, big screen. The place could host around 200 people at the
moment of observation less than half of the chairs was busy. People attending the event are
quite diverse a lot of young people, some people with families a lot of older generation as well.
Additional observations: Some people behind at one point made a lot of noise, the smell of open
fire and food. The music behind which were quite distracting and took attention from the
speakers. Clean, friendly hostesses, you can grab food and drinks.
Summary:
As expected, the event attracted a quite diverse public. During the event, we met many people
whom we know and who are working to make Bijlmer image better (Dolores, Lamar). One
significant disadvantage is that inside of the tunnel was very cold, and people could not stay long
and therefore attend more activities.
Pizza track at the festival
Place where people can have some food and drinks between movies.
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Exebition which took place at the festival
Movie screening during the festival.
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Appendix IV Field notes Heesterveld creative communities

Observed unit: The Heesterveld creative community
Background: 24 hours Zuidoost
Reason: observe the atmosphere at the place and see who will attend it
Hypothesis: relaxing atmosphere which will attract young creative people, will give the visitors a
definite feeling of the area, friendly interactions between attendees
Date and time: 15.09.2018; 16.10-16-30
Placemaking fact: close to the metro station, modern architecture, colourful buildings, urban
feeling
People: between 20-30, diverse regarding skin colour
Activities around: club Jack, cafes
Atmosphere: chill, relaxed, friendly, engaging passing by people
During that day the Heesterveld community was full of people. The weather was warm; it
enhanced people to stay outside and enjoy the sun and drinks. That day was not a regular day,
out was installed a DJ place and speakers, so pacing by people could see and hear his
performance. Music attracted a significant amount of young people. Majority of them were from
20 to 30 years old; the crowd was decidedly mixed. Everyone was chilling on the sun, talking to
each other, dancing and have a lot of body contact with each. The atmosphere was relaxed,
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people were smiling and giving the impression they have a great time there. The majority of
people came by bike, the bikes were parked in a significant number close to the event attached
to the fences trees and just randomly parked on the street as can be seen on a photo below.
Appendix V Photo material event at “OSKAM”
Visitors socializing with person who was working at sample sale.
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Dj stand
Oscam during the normal exposition
Appendix VI Field notes OSKAM

bserved unit: Oscam X Closet Sale
Background: The event created as part of 50 jaar Bijlmer and 24 hours Zuidoost
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Reason: observe how the event will be held and see who will attend it, what will be the ambience,
behaviour of the people
Hypothesis: the event will be accompanied by a “creative class” or people who follow the
bohemian lifestyle.
Date and time: 15.09.2018 ;19.00- 20.00
The place was effortless to reach by metro or bike. The event itself combined clothing sale and a
little workshop. After we entered, we gritted by one of the hostess and were given tokens for the
drinks, which made us more relaxed and happier. The place was quite big, and with enough light,
there was a DJ who was playing very relaxed and playful music which created a happy
atmosphere. There were some art picture and also a sale of clothes. While I was there the event
attend around 50 people, they were mostly young in early 30th and younger with an
extraordinary and creative look. People were very relaxed and engaging with each other and also
with employees who were working on the sale. During the discussion which was organized
between all attendees, everyone was very active in expressing his or her idea; some people spoke
only English. Therefore, some part of the presentation was done in English. Everyone was dressed
unique and stylish.
Placemaking fact: Oscam, contemporary art museum, Cool, Diverse, Place for art
People who are present at the event: Mostly in early 30th, diverse, gave an impression of working
in areas related to fashion and art.
Activities around: some shops around
Atmosphere: Cool, chill, relaxed, friendly
Hard and soft factors:
Easy to reach, free drinks, DJ, sale
Cool, informative, friendly ambience.
Summary:
As expected, the event attracted a quite diverse public. During the event, we met many people
whom we know and who are working to make Bijlmer image better (Dolores, Lamar ). One
significant disadvantage is that inside of the tunnel was very cold, and people could not stay long
and therefore attend more activities.
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Appendix VII Booming Bijlmer

Presentation of developments in Amstel III
Discussion panel about future of Bijlmer
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Appendix VIII Photo material from the event “Amsterdam 2050 Voor wie bouwen we de stad?”
Brain storming session how would Amsterdam develop in the future
Appendix IX background of Kit Kat club
One of the most well-known techno club with the open-minded sexual spirit which was opened
in 1994 by Austrian pornographic filmmaker Simon Thaur. This club is very much for free spirit
type of people. It is also well known for its door policies. Few Berlin clubs have a dress code; just
about anything goes. However, this one has an "undress" code, in which guests are requested to
shed most of their clothes on entering. The club has a bar, lounge and disco. Also, all type of
fetish closes is welcome here such as rubber, leather, latex, provocative look (Gayweekendscom,
2018).
Appendix X background of Berghain club
Berghain is the rebirth of the "legendary" Ostgut club (1998–2003)and rose from a male-only
fetish nightclub called Snax, which found its permanent home at Ostgut. Ostgut became an
essential point of Berlin's techno subculture after the venue was opened to the broad public on
regular nights, while the exclusive Snax nights (only gays are allowed to get in) continued to be
held six to eight times a year, and now only two times a year.
Ostgut eventually closed on January 6, 2003. After the closing and renovation, in 2004 Berghain
opened its doors. The name "Berghain" consist of the names Berg and Hain which are the part of
the names of the two city quarters: Kreuzberg (formerly in West Berlin) and Friedrichshain
(previously in East Berlin) (Berghain, 2018)
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The building where the club is located in a retired power plant in Friedrichshain, near Berlin
Ostbahnhof railway station. The building has an industrial look and accommodates the 18m-high
dance floor and can host around 1500 guests. Interior of the place is very minimalistic and
dominated by steel and concrete.
Over the course of its existence, Berghain has become associated with decadence and hedonism.
A 2006 New Zealand Herald article describes "people openly indulging in sexual acts" inside the
club, with the building, at the time, containing several dark rooms specifically set for intimate
purposes” (Bluebadgestylecom, 2018). The Guardian writer Helen Pidd stated in a 2008 article,
"past the booths on the ground floor and you're sure to see a bare bottom or 10" (Pidd, 2008)
Jesse Rose, who had a residency at the club in 2011, explained his attraction of the club for DJ
Magazine's 2011 "Top 100 Clubs”: "Still the best club in the world for me because it doesn't care
about being the best club in the world. The guys do what they want, the way they want and it
continually works. No VIP, no mirrors in the bathroom, no expensive cocktails, just a good sound
system and the great crowd" (Djmagcom,2018).
Appendix XI Screenshots of online reviews about Kit Kat and Berghain
Kit Kat
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Berghain
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78
79
80
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Appendix XII Interior in athmosphere in Kit Kat
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Appendix XIII Clubers outfit in Kit Kat and Berghain

Kitkat
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Berghain
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Appendix XIV Field notes from Berghain and Kit Kat

Berghain
Observed unit: Berghain

Background: one of the best clubs with techno music in the world, which attract a lot of
international visitors
Reason: observe people feelings there and see what type of crowd is going to that club, check
how well this place connected, how the area looks like and what kind of businesses around this
club, ambience in the club.
Hypothesis: the creative class will attend the event, venue is well connected to the city centre,
surrounded by different activities (dinning, bars, other clubs)
Date and time: 21.10.2018;13.30-23.00
Sunday afternoon I went to the club Berghain, which is well known as the best techno club in the
word. Sunday afternoon is the time when all locals are going there; the line was insane some of
my friends were waiting for 4 hours and in the end did not even manage to get in. It is, as a rule,
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a special on Sunday Berliners starting to come at afternoon. During the summer Berghain’s
summer terrace is open, and everyone is chilling on the sun there, enjoying music, friends and
each other. At 7 PM the garden is closing, and everyone goes to a panorama bar where the party
continue until Monday noun. Locals are very often staying till 00.00 and then leaving home.
Berliners are easy to spot they directly go at the beginning of the line to skip the queue. Typically
they are dressed as they feel, and what makes them feel cool, it can be baggy pants, tight shorts,
or jeans, from my experience bouncer does know many people by face, and it does not matter
what you will wear as long as you feel good with yourself, you will get in. I saw many times when
they turned out people who were wearing some attributes of leather or fetish clothes, but you
can easily see that they do not belong to this place, they use this attributes to be accepted in the
tribe, however they do not feel a part of it, and probably will never will be a part of this particular
tribe. Also, the chances to get in less if you have an aggressive look or look like from the Middle
East.
Usually, on Sunday the line is way smaller however that Sunday was an exceptional line up of
Dj‘s. Surprisingly for me there were many tourists in the queue mostly French and Spanish. The
crowd was very mixed and varied, straight, gays, girls, boys, transgender, leather, fetish wear.
When you enter the club bouncer is put stickers on your phone cameras, any photo or videos
inside is strictly prohibited. If they noticed you doing it, you are directly out. Club also has
stringent policies against drugs, if they are found during the security check, you are out and
blacklisted. After I entered, I went directly to the second floor to see my friends. It was as usual
very dark and loud. The music system let you feel the music from inside. When I found my friends,
we were dancing, with each other. Between my friends were hetero girls and boys and gay guys,
everyone was enjoying music and each other. After maybe two hours in the club, everything
mixed gay guys with straight boys and girls were touching, dancing, kissing each other, which for
me was not a big surprise since it is not the first time I am at this club, so I know how it usually
goes. People just go to have a great time
People mostly drinking water and beer, also there is a possibility to have a snacks and ice cream
at the bar. It gives people a chance to stay longer because they do not have to go outside.
However if you even leave the club, you can be back and do not pay entry fee again.
Around the club is enough places such bars, clubs, dining places. Also, the club is located close to
the metro, so it is easy to go anywhere at any time.
After I left the club situation did not change the line was the same big and consist of a very diverse
crowd.
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Kit Kat
Observed unit: the club Kit Kat

Reason: observe who will attend it and what will be a behaviour of club visitors. Also to see
activities in the night around the club.
Hypothesis: young, bohemian, international, “creative class” will attend the event, easy to leave
the area
Date and time: 19.10.2018, 23.00-04.30
Surprisingly warm and dry for this time of the year.
The observation took place on Friday 19 October around Kit Kat club at 23.00 at night and 4.00
in the morning. The street where is the club located surrounded by other clubs and pubs. Also
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across the road 24/7 shop which offers drinks and snacks, on the side, you can also find places
with some street food, and it is all at 4 o’clock in the morning
The atmosphere before entrance were relaxed and friendly everyone is talking and laughing,
drinking alcohol which they purchased a minute ago from the shop across the road. Everyone is
pleased and excited, good vibe. People are talking to the other ones who are staying in the line
and share their experiences about their day. Everyone is smiling. A lot of young or middle-aged
visitors, and queueing you can hear a lot of English, French and Spanish.
When I enter feeling that you can do what you want were very strong. People who were there
were enjoying the music and each other’s bodies, and no one was looking at anyone as if there
is something wrong. Everyone was happy and open to any experiences and adventures with new
When I enter feeling that you can do what you want was very strong. People who were there
were enjoying the music and each other’s bodies; no one was looking at anyone as if there is
something wrong. Everyone was happy and open to any experiences and adventures with new
friends they made there. Drinks are very cheap over there. However, I did not see anyone very
drunk as sometimes I can see in other less free-spirited clubs. People came there not to get drunk
but to meet new people, enjoy old friends and have a great time with others. People are very
open to new contacts; you can come to anyone and talk, I did not notice anything which could
be perceived as showing a bad attitude or judging looks towards people who are explicitly
expressing their feelings on the sofas or dance floors.
When I was leaving the club at 4, some people start to come to the place. The place is situated 5
min from the metro station, during the weekend metro in Berlin is working nonstop, so it makes
it easier to come and leave the club whatever you like. When I was going there was no queue,
some people were working towards the metro some were waiting uber (including me).
Appendix XV Opening hours of center RAW
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Appendix XVI Field notes and photo material RAW center
Observed unit: RAW center.

Reason: observe ambience of the place, offered services and how easy it is to get there and leave
during the night times.
Hypothesis: hip, international, bohemian, “creative class” will be present there, easy to leave the
area
Date and time: 20.10.2018, 21.00-01.00
Warm for this time of the year around 12 C.
Second round observations took place on Saturday 20 October around 20.00. I went with a group
of friends to a cultural centre RAW. The weather was unusually warm. On my way from the metro
to the place, it is about 100 meters I saw few junkies and was offered to buy some drugs by two
dialers. However, it did not spoil my feeling of the great eve. The RAW centre has many activities
such as a climbing centre, skate centre, pin pong, movie screenings, plenty of bars, clubs and
cafes inside, much vegan food. During our walk I almost did not hear the German language, most
people used English. People which I saw were very diverse regarding age group and their look —
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different colours, styles and preferences. Everyone can find something for him.
While we were walking, I met with a couple who comes here often to do climbing activities and
eat after in vegan restaurant, to which we walk after. The waitress told me that before the whole
area was a place where trains were repaired and circus. She also mentioned that the place where
we were sitting is the place where the elephant was held. The stuff and visitors had very
alternative look dreads, piercing, tattoos, not fancy cloth. The costumers in the area were mostly
international.
After we finished our dinner we had a walk around I could see people claiming on the walls in a
clime center.
90
Others were just chilling outside with friends or queing in the door of the club.
91
Everywhere was a filling of relaxing and freedom, on one of the walls I noticed some statement
which stated the ambience of the place. It says no place for hate, sexism racism, homophobia.
This place is attracting free spirit people with deferent needs and wants. The most important is
that place has something for everyone who is willing to accept the vibe of the place. The venue
is working 24 hours per day and seven days a week. The busiest days are usually weekend
evenings and Sunday noun, people are just there to relax and enjoy each other. I did not notice
any rushing or looking at the watch people, I talk with a few people and they told me that they
are tourists and staying in the Mitte, they came to this area because they heard that the area is
full of cool places to meet people and best underground clubs in the city.
92
Appendix XVII online comments about RAW
93
94
Appendix XVIII Walking route and some notes in made in Friedrichshain area
Observed unit: Friedrichshain area around RAW centre

Reason: observe ambience of the place, offered services and how easy is to get there and leave
during the night times.
Hypothesis: hip, international, bohemian, “creative class” will be present there, easy to leave the
area
Date and time: 01.00-02.00
95
Warm and dry for this time of the year around 10 C.

Roads were full with young people, who were drinking and talking. The streets had only bars and
pubs, restaurants and clubs one after another. The crowd was very divers mostly people were
between 20-30 years old in groups of 3-4 just walking from one place to another. They were
drinking , talking to other,laugh, giving the impression that this area is very safe and friendly. A
lot of German and English languages were spoken there, so I can assume it were mostly locals or
expats living in Berlin. Some were just working on their laptops others socialized with each other.
Overall, I and my friends felt safe and entertained during our walk at the observed area. There
were so many different places to eat from affordable street food to the fancy café and
restaurants with Thai and European cuisine. Bars were also diverse pubs, cocktails and just mixed
bar with big assortment of drinks. People even had an option to buy drinks in the night shops
which are working 24h and drink directly outside enjoying the great weather and the vibe at the
place.
Many people were cycling to the area, and I saw at least a few people who came to the area by
bike. However, the majority came by public transport when I was coming back I also took a metro.
I saw many people are still coming to the area although it was over 2 AM in the morning.
96
Appendix XIX Online comments about the area Friedrishchain.
97
98
99
100
Appendix XX Online comments about observed places in TLV

Mate florentin
101
Perla
102
Hodna
103
Berlin in Florentin
104
Appendix XXI Online comments about area Florentin
105
106
107
108
Appendix XXII Time tables of the observed bars in TLV
Appendix XXIII Bird scooter
Appendix XXIV Field notes and additional photo material from TLV`
Observed unit: Bars Hoodna, Perla , Mate Florentin, Berlin in Florentin
Reason: observe ambience in the bars and see who will attend it, behaviour of the people,
transportation and how easy it is to go from one plays to another
Hypothesis: the event will be attended by as they called “creative class” or people who follow
bohemian life style. Easy to go from one place to another. Easy to get in and out to the are in any
time
109
Date and time: 2.11.2018 ,19.00- 04.00

I was staying in the same area so basically I did the same root every day from Friday till Tuesday
evening. I was staying on the same street where bar Perla located is. So I was always going there
for a drink first, first day when I went there I was sitting outside, alone drinking my beer. The
people who were there were mostly in their late 20s. After some moment passing buy man came
to me and start to talk , ttying to get me a drink. So I asked him where he is from and why he is
staying in that area. He told me that he is American, and he staying in a hotel close by. He choose
this area because he heard a lot about that place and also he knows that it is gay friendly area.
So we chatted for a bit and I told him that I have to leave to see my friends. After I left I went to
Hoodna bar. There were a lot of young people, just dancing, singing outside, and drinking. There
were many big groups, and only few people like me who came alone. Everyone was dressed
casually, some people had more alternative look. They had piercings, dreads and were wearing
more noticeable clothes. Than I went to another two bars, basically it was kind of the same
ambience and crowd as in a previous bars.
This day was the busiest one, majority of customers were Israeli on Friday. The rest days majority
were visitors of the city. I heard many languages during my observations, mostly Spanish, Italian,
German, Russian, Chinese, and English. During the all observation period ambience were friendly
and festive.
Many people were biking to the area, walking or using electric scooters. Because the area is very
small it is easy to get around by foot, however, I also tried to go to the other area in the nigh. I
had to walk like 15 min to the main road and then I got a bus which is running on the main streets
and get to another part of the city for 8 shekels (2 euro).
24 hours Laundry shop
On the streets of Florentin
110
Vegan shope
Bar Hoodna
111
Appendix XXV Van Gogh path
https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/van-gogh-path
112
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Thesis Night Time Economies A Case Study

Thesis · March 2019

Moving Amsterdam Zuidoost: Mapping Imaginary View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Student ID: 500683141

Thesis supervisor: Núria Arbonés Aran

Assessor: Amelia Roman

Night Time Economies and their influence on

Amsterdam, January 2019

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

International business and management

Thesis supervisor: Núria Arbonés Aran

Assessor: Amelia Roman

CAREM/CEDIS, project “Moving Amsterdam Zuidoost”

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5

1.1 Background of the research ................................................................................................................ 5

1.3 Problem statement ............................................................................................................................. 6

1.3 Narrowing down the matter. .............................................................................................................. 7

1.4 Cases ................................................................................................................................................... 8

1.4.1 Tel Aviv. Florentin. ....................................................................................................................... 8

1.4.2. Berlin. Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg. ............................................................................................... 9

1.5 Opportunity statement and research question. ................................................................................. 9

1.6 Thesis structure................................................................................................................................. 11

Chapter 2: Theoretical framework.............................................................................................................. 11

2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Images ............................................................................................................................................... 11

2.3 “Imaginary” ....................................................................................................................................... 12

2.4 Place attachment and behavioural intentions .................................................................................. 13

2.5 Night economies ............................................................................................................................... 13

2.6 Images towards neighbourhood ....................................................................................................... 15

2.7 Creative class..................................................................................................................................... 15

2.8 Third place by Oldenburg .................................................................................................................. 16

2.9 Polycentric cities ............................................................................................................................... 17

Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 20

3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 20

3.2 Research approach............................................................................................................................ 20

3.3 Data collection techniques ............................................................................................................... 21

3.3.1 Primary data ............................................................................................................................... 21

3.3.2 Secondary data .......................................................................................................................... 23

3.3.3 Sub- cases................................................................................................................................... 23

3.5 Validity and reliability ....................................................................................................................... 26

3.6 Analysis of data ................................................................................................................................. 26

3.7 Ethics of the thesis and data collection ............................................................................................ 26

Chapter 4 Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 27

4.2 Policies concerning the night activities.............................................................................................. 27

4.3 Current and future situation ............................................................................................................. 31

Movie Festival “Metro Movies”. ......................................................................................................... 35

Amstel III development ....................................................................................................................... 38

4.4 International practices ...................................................................................................................... 38

4.4.1 Berlin .......................................................................................................................................... 39

4.4.2 Tel Aviv (TLV) .............................................................................................................................. 43

Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendation ............................................................................................ 47

5.1 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 47

5.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 49

Internal mobility in the area ............................................................................................................... 50

Bike roads connected to the center.................................................................................................... 51

Connect Arena Boulevard with Heesterveld community ................................................................... 51

Signs of safety ..................................................................................................................................... 51

Work with young artists ...................................................................................................................... 52

Stimulating cooperation between initiatives...................................................................................... 52

Engage local community ..................................................................................................................... 52