Taipei City Government

On January 28, the city delegation received briefings on Dutch government’s policies regarding urban renewal and social housing by urban planning officials in Amsterdam
 
Taipei’s Urban Development Commissioner Lin Jou-min also exchanged views and shared his experience in implementing urban renewal policies with Dr. Jeroen van der Vee and Dr. Maurits de Hoog, advisors of Amsterdam Federation of Housing Associations.
 
The mayor, impressed by the Dutch government’s approach to social housing, noted that public housing accounts for 30 percent of the total housing units the Netherlands, while Amsterdam boasts a remarkable 50 percent of such residential properties. In comparison, public housing only makes up 0.1 percent of Taiwan’s total dwelling units, with Taipei reporting a slightly higher 0.68 percent. 


The figures revealed that the island is lagging far behind the developed countries in terms of housing policy, and explained the housing market woes faced by Taiwanese people – high levels of home prices and rents – as fundamental structural problems remain unadressed.


Asked by the media about his ambition to raise the proportion of the City’s public housing to 5 percent during his tenure, Ko admitted it could be a difficult objective to achieve, not even attainable in eight years.
 
In the afternoon, the city delegation visited Amsterdam’s new and old towns, canal area, cycling paths, and “This is Holland” – a theater providing visitors with a unique ‘flying’ experience on a tour of the must-see locations in the Netherlands utilizing 4D technologies.