Ruimttekrapte

Ruimttekrapte is a term used in urban planning and policy discussions to describe a situation in which the demand for usable space—housing, workspaces, public areas, and transport corridors—outstrips the available supply. In practical terms, it often manifests as high housing prices and rents, small dwelling sizes, crowded neighborhoods, and limited options for relocation or expansion.

Causes include rapid urban population growth, ongoing urbanization, and structural bottlenecks in housing production. Zoning rules, constrained building land, high construction costs, permitting delays, and planning uncertainty can all restrict supply. In addition, expectations about living in central locations and access to amenities fuel demand for scarce space.

Effects include affordability problems for households, longer commutes, increased use of secondary or informal housing, and pressure on schools, hospitals, and transport networks. It can also drive spatial inequality, with access to space concentrated in wealthier areas and urban segregation, diminishing opportunities for lower-income residents.

Measurement and policy responses: Analysts use metrics such as dwelling units per capita, median dwelling size, price-to-income ratios, vacancy rates, and land-use efficiency to gauge space scarcity. Policy tools include densification and vertical housing, redevelopment of brownfield sites, expansion of affordable and social housing, mixed-use zoning, streamlined permitting, and investment in transport and public space to improve the efficiency of existing space.

Examples: In several European cities, including those in the Netherlands, space scarcity has shaped housing policy, with emphasis on building more housing at higher densities near transit and within existing urban footprints.