Homing the Dutch

In this introduction, we show that whereas “home” in public discourses in the United States and many other Western countries is most often conceived of as a personal space, particularistic and exclusive, free from any external (state) interference, in the Netherlands, the metaphor of home as a public and ideological space is increasingly being used by policy-makers, urban planners, and social workers to legitimize their political programs, policies, and social interventions. They aim to make everyone feel at home in the nation, the city, and the neighborhood. This special issue Homing the Dutch: Politics and the Planning of Belonging deals in particular with the strong tendency in the Netherlands to govern and stimulate feelings of home and belonging in public space, building on an old tradition. The case studies that are being presented, all address instances of different (state-supported) projects or policies that attempt to improve social cohesion, integration, and livability by means of establishing “a feeling of home for everyone” in public space.