Land assembly for urban transformation—The case of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands

Landownership is the key to urban transformation in terms of property development. Fragmented land ownership hinders this transformation process, but can be overcome by methods, which assemble land more easily. In theory there are two ways in which land can be assembled: land readjustment and land banking. In this paper, both types are conceptualised from an institutional perspective. In a case study in the Dutch town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch the land assembly process during the transformation of an industrial estate/station area is analysed. It shows how land assembly in the Netherlands is embedded in the planning and development process, but that the type of land assembly used depends on the characteristics of the site and situation. Although the land assembly process seemed to be successful, in the end public land assembly may curtail competition in the development market.