Travelling Towards Trust

Abstract

Over the past 100 years, caravan dwellers in the Netherlands have been a subject of discussion. In the past, laws have banned them from travelling, placed them in big camps, decentralised these camps and even tried to force them into sedentary life through an extinction policy. After a verdict by the European Court for Human Rights, a new policy framework was created for caravan dweller accommodation, redirecting responsibility to municipalities. However, the stigmatised, spatially and socially segregated group is still not seeing improvement in meeting their human rights. Due to a lack of input and output legitimacy fuelled by a complex history with many discriminatory practices, they are distrusting of the government. The government admits fault and a knowledge gap in expertise on caravan dwellers. However, the group that could aid in filling the knowledge gap and improving the input legitimacy is hesitant to cooperate due to mutual distrust.

This research attempts to explore the interconnectedness of the themes of people, policies, spatial principles and governance &participation to create a new approach to the caravan dweller politics and decision-making process in the spatial planning context, by focusing on input and output legitimacy. Through different analytical and fieldwork methods ranging from media analysis to interviews, an approach is created that will advise on the current framework recommendations, who should be involved in which manner and how the process should be approached. A more central role for the national government and a participation roadmap that, together with the framework recommendations, will give insight into which mechanisms and tools can increase input and output legitimacy will pave the way to rebuild the trust between the different stakeholders and create a just and sustainable future for the caravan dwellers in the Netherlands.