Background

The Schilderswijk in Groningen is a so-called 'old district' near the center of the city. It is a lively, active neighborhood that is popular with students due to its central location; about 40 to 50 percent of the neighborhood consists of student housing. The students bring the well-known joie de vivre, but they can also cause nuisance. During the corona crisis, these tensions came under extra pressure, resulting in two pressing letters from residents to the municipality about the ongoing nuisances.

The municipality responded to this by appointing a nuisance coordinator and a prevention coach, drawing up rules of living, together with the residents. They also launched the communication campaign Sst!, where residents were reminded of the agreed rules of living. To what extent do these agreements work? What is the status of the social cohesion in the neighborhood? That is what the research committee Ssst! We are doing research! would like to know by means of a participatory research study, carried out by students of Communication and Information Sciences (CIS) of the University of Groningen (RUG).