The power of pluralism for urban strategies

Although several strategy scholars have pleaded for a pluralistic approach, not many have empirically shown the actual implementation of pluralism in strategic real estate decisions. In this article we demonstrate the value of implementing pluralism for the design of a real estate strategy of a Dutch university campus. Three strategic projects – an Ideas Competition, a Think Tank and a Campus Vision – made it possible to consider a wide range of options and to display the dynamic interrelations between the objects (buildings), the portfolio (the campus) and the urban context (the city). The results show that pluralism is a powerful approach to make decisions about real estate and urban planning strategies at a pragmatic as well as on a strategic level.

► The purpose is to research the possibilities of a pluralistic approach for urban strategies.
► Data is collected by participatory observation and interviews.
► The pluralistic approach was implemented by organising three different projects.
► Pluralism resulted in a wide range of positive direct and indirect effects.
► Applying pluralism consciously could be a new trend in urban planning.