Meet the Go-Getter: René Steman (Project Developer)

Pushing ahead starts with organising people

Area developments are becoming larger and more complex, and the need for rapid progress increases. This requires a robust organisation of people, roles and responsibilities.

“An area development like this is essentially a business in its own right,” René explains. “Take Hart van de Waalsprong, for instance - a joint project with AM. It consists of more than five hundred homes and 11,500 m² of commercial space for shops and restaurants. With so many parties involved, my job was to manage that organisation and make sure we stayed on track with our timeline and goals.”

Nearly seven years have passed since René joined VanWonen after twenty-one years with area developer BPD. He discovered his knack for project organisation early in his career. “It comes down to oversight, momentum and making decisions at the right time. And above all: looking ahead. That also means letting go and delegating. I’ll admit, that’s still a challenge sometimes, but I’m working on it,” he says with a laugh.

The cohesion of the living environment

There is a clear motivation behind René’s work. “You create the amenities that allow people to live well. I call it: a developer of space for people,” he explains.

His focus is primarily on the cohesion of an area. Not on a single, isolated building, but rather how everything connects. Routes, public squares, transitions. How you enter an area and move through it. Partly for this reason, Hart van de Waalsprong was featured in the Yearbook Landscape Architecture and Urban Design in the Netherlands 2025. The project was praised for its ‘scenographic urban design’. In other words: urban design that you experience as a succession of scenes, a route that unfolds step by step.

René adds: “Ten years after handover, I still want to be able to walk through such an area with a sense of pride. I hope it becomes a place where people can build something for themselves. A place where they can do their own thing and continue to grow.”

Anticipate early

At Hart van de Waalsprong, ‘pushing ahead’ was evident in the rapid pace of development. The entire area was constructed and handed over in just over four years.

“People often react with surprise when you tell them about that,” says René. “However, for us, it made perfect sense. From the very first moment, I said: construction will start in 2021. That point on the horizon was clear to everyone.”

To meet such a tight deadline, it is essential to anticipate early: “The biggest impacts usually come from external factors. So, I am constantly asking: what is happening around us, what does that mean for our schedule, and what do we need to arrange now to keep things going smoothly down the road?”

This approach keeps surprises from popping up down the line. “The further along you are in the project, the less influence you have. That’s why I want to identify everything we can control as early as possible,” René says.

Enabling people to push ahead

He views the removal of obstacles as a vital part of his role. “If things are going well, I don’t need to know every detail,” he laughs. “I primarily want to know what challenges people are facing. That way, I can step in and help them move forward again.”

This approach means paying close attention to everyone connected to the project. Developers, consultants, contractors, internal colleagues. René stays on top of things by staying in touch and spotting issues before problems arise. “That helps me see if we’re still on schedule and where adjustments are needed.”

Sometimes that also means taking initiative yourself. René: “You can spend weeks emailing about a file or a comparison. Or, you can just sort it out immediately and save time for the team. If the project benefits from it happening right now, then that’s what I do.”

Keeping up the pace is what drives René’s decision-making. Ensuring people can get on with things so that work doesn’t stall. “When everyone can keep working without issues, a project keeps advancing. That’s what’s needed to push through.”

Pushing ahead with DUUX in the coming years

Now that Hart van de Waalsprong has been completed, René's attention is shifting to the large-scale DUUX area development in Nijmegen. The plan consists of 647 homes and 11,500 m² of space for shops, restaurants, sports and light industry. What is his key takeaway from Hart van de Waalsprong? “Above all, the importance of a solid foundation at the start. Clear agreements. Well-defined milestones. And a team that knows exactly what it is working toward.”

René’s role in this is once again to create space for others. Ensuring people can do their work properly and know exactly what is expected of them. At DUUX, ‘pushing ahead’ takes on the same meaning as it did at Hart van de Waalsprong: thinking ahead, spotting hurdles early and keeping the project on track.

Keeping the wheels turning

There is one constant in René’s way of working: keeping the wheels turning. He doesn’t need to be front and centre to make an impact. Instead, his influence is often found in what remains unseen: processes that run seamlessly, people who know exactly what is expected of them, timely decision-making and obstacles that are resolved before they have a chance to cause a delay.

“To me, pushing ahead means ensuring people aren’t held back by things that can be organised beforehand,” René concludes. “If you manage that, the pace will follow naturally.”