04. Episode 4

Empty shops, unused display windows: Dutch shopping streets are struggling with vacancies, while the housing shortage is sky-high. In medium-sized municipalities like Apeldoorn, Rijswijk, and Zeist, vacancy rates often exceed ten percent. Yet, we could build tens of thousands of homes just on the floors above shops. But that's not happening because of a mountain of restrictive regulations. For example, every home must have a parking space, even for car-free residents. A business owner shows how he's lived with a building for four years. House hunters are watching with dismay. How many opportunities are we missing?