Transition experiments in Amsterdam: Conceptual and empirical analysis of two transition experiments in the WATERgraafsmeer program

In the wake of a rapidly changing world, cities need to cope with global threats and opportunities, and changing societal demands regarding living standards in cities. These are urgent issues for mega cities in the global South, and are becoming increasingly relevant for the more consolidated cities in the North. In the Watergraafsmeer area, a low-lying urban polder area in the eastern part of Amsterdam, water issues are a salient problem and are perceived as persistent by citizens, businesses, and the municipal and water management authorities alike. Therefore, under the flag of the WATERgraafsmeer (WGM) program, municipal and water management authorities and local partners adopted transition management as a governance approach to change. In transition management, experimenting is a vital activity. The present research analyzed the WGM program and the Eenhoorn redevelopment project in the Watergraafsmeer as transition experiments. The research used recently developed management guidelines for transition experiments as an evaluative framework for the systematic analysis of project documentation and written communication. The analysis shows that the WGM program functions well as a transition experiment, and that the limited transition potential of the Eenhoorn project is strengthened by its incorporation in the WGM program. Furthermore, we conclude that the management guidelines for transition experiments do not incorporate interaction processes between projects and program, and do not pay attention to technology and engineering.