Program manager City in Balance – City of Amsterdam

Claartje van Ette (1970) studied Italian language & literature and Cultural studies, partly in the Netherlands and partly in Florence.

Since 2001, she has been working for the City of Amsterdam, dealing with topics such as improving city’s accessibility, creating dwellings and strengthening Amsterdam’s position as an attractive location for international companies.

In 2013, she became program manager City marketing & tourism for the Economic Affairs department of the City of Amsterdam. While Amsterdam was keen on attracting more international companies and tourists to the city, it became clear that the growing number of citizens, commuters and visitors had it’s affect on the city’s livability and people’s daily life.

That’s why her interest has shifted to the issue: how can we manage the flip side of success to keep Amsterdam livable, lovable and prosperous?

It turned out to be one of the most important issues for the city council, citizens and local media. Nowadays the city takes firm measures to manage growth to keep Amsterdam attractive. Constant dialogue with the tourist sector, citizens and entrepreneurs is key in this program.