Policy pathways for remote work: using R-Map scenarios to co-create regional strategies in the Netherlands

M-GEO
M-SE
Humanitarian Engineering
GIMA
M-SE Core knowledge areas
Spatial Information Science (SIS)
Spatial Planning for Governance (SPG)
Topic description

Remote work is reshaping where people live, work and travel, with uneven impacts across the urban–rural continuum. Building on the final phase of the R-Map project1 (scenario development, evaluation and cross-regional dialogues), this MSc topic focuses on how scenario results can be translated into concrete, co-created policy pathways for Dutch regions (e.g. Twente and comparable areas). The research will explore how different mixes of policy measures (e.g. housing and zoning measures, broadband and public transport investments, coworking provision) can mitigate negative impacts and enhance opportunities linked to remote work.

Topic objectives and methodology

The student will (i) synthesise R-Map model outputs and scenario results for the Dutch case; (ii) analyse material from policy workshops and/or Delphi exercises (e.g. stakeholder interviews, workshop transcripts, survey results) to identify perceived impacts, trade-offs and preferred measures; and (iii) develop and test a simple evaluation framework (e.g. multi-criteria or impact matrix) to compare alternative policy pathways under different scenarios. The work combines qualitative analysis (coding of workshop/dialogue data) with quantitative indicators and will result in policy-relevant recommendations for regional and local authorities in the Netherlands.

References for further reading

Find more information here: https://r-map.eu and https://r-map.eu/deliverables/