The challenge

IDEA Consult was appointed by the city of Roeselare to update the 10-year-old Office Market Study and make recommendations on how urban planning policy should accommodate the future development of office-related projects.

The process & results

In a first phase of the study, IDEA mapped the growth of the office market in Roeselare over the past ten years, starting from the city council’s inventory. The inventory also included the surface areas of projects that have received planning permission, in order to give a picture of the future situation. In a second phase, a benchmark was made with competing office markets within West Flanders and that of Ghent to help determine the specific position of the office market in Roeselare. A third step of the study was to define the future demand for offices in Roeselare, starting from an online survey addressed to local companies, an overview of trends and a survey of local economic dynamics. IDEA used a calculation module to estimate future needs over the next 10 years and compare them with planned supply expansions. Finally, IDEA focused on the opportunities and effects of a Food and Health Cluster and formulated recommendations to help local government determine future policies.