Community Wealth Building in Nieuw-West
Building an economy for all of us
April 14, 2026
Photo: Municipality of Amsterdam/Sanne Couprie
TDC co-founder and President Emeritus, Ted Howard, was invited to speak at a Community Wealth Building networking event run by the City of Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West district. An excerpt of the meeting’s report in English is posted here with permission.
Anyone who stepped into Ru Paré in Amsterdam Nieuw-West on February 13 felt it immediately: this wasn't just networking; it was building. Relationships, plans, cooperatives, and a different way of looking at the economy. The Community Wealth Building (CWB) Nieuw-West networking event brought entrepreneurs, residents, anchor organizations, and policymakers together around one central question: how do we ensure that the economy of Nieuw-West truly becomes of and for Nieuw-West?
What is Community Wealth Building?
Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an economic strategy that focuses on a fair, democratic, and locally rooted economy. In Amsterdam Nieuw-West, this approach is part of the National Program Samen Nieuw-West. The goal: meaningful work, economic security, and greater ownership for employees and residents.
The core of CWB is simple yet fundamental: the current market is governed by laws and regulations from which primarily a small group benefits. A democratic economy gives Amsterdammers the chance for more influence, a better distribution of profits, and equality. By stimulating local business activity and encouraging large institutions (such as schools, healthcare organizations, and housing corporations) to purchase more locally from cooperatives, money continues to circulate within the neighborhood. Employees in such a cooperative are co-owners and participate in decision-making. This increases not only employment but also involvement and influence.
The approach rests on five pillars: a network of cooperative enterprises, local procurement by anchor organizations, responsible work with acceptable wages, local financing and funds, and shared management of land and real estate. It is a long-term strategy. The first steps were taken in Nieuw-West two years ago: cooperatives are now active in diverse sectors, from construction to coaching and from green management to mobility.
Pride and ambition
Back to Ru Paré. Moderator Emin Batman opens the meeting, after which Program Manager Frans Bieckmann looks back on the past two years. “We have built a lot,” he says proudly. “Many cooperatives have been started. But it can only succeed if we persevere: more cooperatives in Nieuw-West, more economic impulses, and above all: more local purchasing.”
According to Bieckmann, it is about building a healthy infrastructure. Much can be achieved in Nieuw-West through collaboration. This requires sustained commitment from so-called anchor partners—large organizations that can leverage their purchasing power to strengthen local businesses. “We must ensure that money does not disappear from Nieuw-West,” he emphasizes. “Entrepreneurs must see a return on our joint efforts.”
His words are met with approving applause from the audience, where representatives of cooperatives and civil society organizations and other stakeholders listen attentively and participate during the interim 'Yes-No' statements.
International inspiration
The meeting is given extra luster by the presence of Ted Howard, an international advocate for Community Wealth Building and currently an advisor to the Municipality of Amsterdam in this field. He speaks of a “growing global movement”. In just over ten years, the number of cooperatives in the Netherlands has grown from approximately 5,000 to 9,300. According to Howard, we are only at the beginning, but he expects a flywheel effect.
“Cooperatives are the future of work,” he states. “The goal is not to earn as much money as possible, but to get as many people as possible working and keep them working in a pleasant way.” According to him, commitment arises when people are co-owners. “We can't solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them,” he quotes Einstein. His core message is clear: “Community is the way.” His international perspective serves as inspiration that what is happening in Nieuw-West is part of a broader movement.
Perseverance
What this afternoon makes clear is that Community Wealth Building in Nieuw-West is not an abstract policy concept, but a vibrant network of highly motivated people. People who believe that the economy can be different. That money does not simply flow away, but can circulate within the neighborhood. That work is more than income: it is also dignity, involvement, and a voice.
It became clear that CWB takes time. It requires patience, collaboration, and perseverance. But anyone looking around Ru Paré saw above all energy and determination. The networking event offered space for inspiration, but also for practical exchange. The CWB team was ready to answer questions and help move new initiatives forward. Between conversations, business cards were exchanged, plans were forged, and collaborations were explored.
One conclusion from the network meeting was clear: Nieuw-West is not waiting for solutions from the outside, but would prefer to build an economy that works for its residents itself.
Please visit samennieuw-west.nl for more information on Amsterdam’s Community Wealth Building program or email cwb@samennieuw-west.nl
