de Firma Stek

De Firma Stek is a Dutch agency specialised in social design, community building and participation within neighbourhood and urban development. We believe that strong communities start with people who feel connected to the place they live and to the people around them.

We look at urban development through a social lens: the shared spaces, everyday routines, forms of organisation and opportunities for meeting that help communities grow. We connect the physical environment with the social structures that make a neighbourhood feel welcoming, resilient and alive.

Our approach moves from vision to implementation. Together with residents and stakeholders, we first develop a socially sustainable vision for the neighbourhood. We then translate this into a practical action plan, including social programmes, spatial interventions and organisational structures. Finally, we help bring these ideas to life and make sure they are supported in the long term.

An important part of our approach is De Buurt Stek: a flexible concept for shared spaces and social infrastructure. This can take the form of a community garden, workshop, meeting space, neighbourhood hub or a wider network of places that invite residents to meet, organise activities and take ownership of their living environment.

We feel closely connected to the ambitions of the New European Bauhaus, especially its focus on sustainable, inclusive and socially connected places. Our strength lies in turning these ambitions into practice. With a broad network of municipalities, developers and housing associations in the Netherlands, we help design, activate and support neighbourhoods that are well-designed, socially strong and future-proof.