Amsterdam's New Housing Frontier: The Unused Space Above Stores

Starved for living space amid a growing population, Amsterdam has a long tradition of creating homes in less obvious places. Some warehouses along its canals were converted to homes as far back as the 19 century, while after the war it populated its canals with mock “houseboats” actually built on concrete moorings. Since the millennium, the city has gone as far as building artificial islands for new homes (and still more are on the way). Now the city has turned its sights on an untapped urban space: the rooms above and behind stores.

Starting in February, Amsterdam will offer a grant of up to €25,000 (around $26,600) to store owners who want to convert unused space on their premises into homes. It’s not only landlords that can apply for the fund: With permission from the landlord, store tenants can also apply for the funds, though their rent would likely be increased to account for their new source of income. This could unlock a potentially large area of living space for the city. (Exactly how much room is still to be determined, with a report detailing the location and potential number of unused retail spaces due sometime around the end of February.) In the meantime, last year’s pilot version of the project in the downtown Amsterdam Centrum borough brought 850 more apartments onto the market, many of them created on the second floor above stores on the busy shopping streets at Nieuwendijk and Damrak.