Kern – Dutch urban centre and placemaking association 

KERN is the knowledge and network association for all stakeholders involved in the operation and revitalisation of urban precincts and retail districts in the Netherlands, including town and city centres, local and central shopping malls, multi-functional transport hubs, and peripheral retail parks. KERN has its roots in the Dutch Council of Shopping Centres (NRW) which was established in 1986. The NRW was rebranded as KERN in 2021 to emphasise the changing role of central locations in cities, towns and neighbourhoods, and to broaden its sphere of influence to the food & beverage (F&B) sector, cultural amenities and living and working.

The Dutch Word "Kern' is closely related to the English word 'kernel' and means heart, core, essence or centre. These meanings also sum up Kern's key goals: to stimulate a balanced variety of functions such as shopping, living, working and leisure to create attractive city centre areas and (sub)urban hubs where people enjoy spending time.

Kern has some 350 members representing nearly 200 organisations across the Netherlands. Members include real estate investors, developers, and managers, as well as other players active in retail and related sectors such as carparks and leisure, public services and organisations and municipalities.

The highlights of Kern's calendar is the annual conference held in the spring which includes the presentation of Kern's project awards. Kern also organises study tours to exemplary city-centre locations and projects, for example new developments, transformation sites, and other good examples of area revitalisation and branding. Study tours are held approximately four times a year. Kern also regularly organises expert sessions on topical and relevant themes and trends for those involved in placemaking in urban centres and retail precincts. These sessions are mostly organised as hybrid meetings, enabling members to meet and network with their peers in person while also enabling those who cannot travel to the location to follow the knowledge session online. Kern also offers an international study tour at least once a year. Recent destinations include Helsinki, Vienna, Bratislava and Warsaw.

Our members stay informed through our online community. We are also happy to offer non-members the opportunity to follow our news items. Interested? Then sign up below!