Performance agreements for sustainable building in the renewal of post-war housing areas

In the Netherlands, the renewal of post-war urban housing areas is an important policy. Through renovation of social-rented housing or demolition and building of new owner occupied dwellings, the post-war housing areas will become upgraded. These practices generate opportunities for the implementation of sustainable building. However, research shows that ambitions on sustainable building are often not fulfilled. In Dutch public housing a performance agreement has been a common policy instrument since the privatization of housing associations in the 1990s. A performance agreement is a written agreement, which encompasses the performances that involved actors agree upon. The agreement forces parties to pursue shared goals. This paper explores the possible effects that a performance agreement can have on the decision-making process in urban renewal and whether this instrument can stimulate the implementation of sustainable building. An exploratory case study research led to preconditions for establishing performance agreements and to preconditions for the implementation and execution of these agreements. In addition, a theoretical framework was established for the possible effects of performance agreements on decision-making processes in urban renewal projects. This framework forms the starting point for further research.