In The Netherlands, municipalities and private companies have already been working together for many years on planning the local environment. This involves finding the right match between development of the public areas (roads, garages, cycle tunnels, etc.) and private property (houses, shops, offices, etc.). Various methods of cooperation and contractual forms can be used here, but in the majority of cases, a joint development company is set up. The parties share the risks and the returns from this joint venture. In this form, the government is a partner rather than the client.