We never started in our field to become policy makers. It always seemed too boring. Actual practice caught up with us, though. Without realizing it, we were suddenly in the front lines of monument policy making with our development vision for the medieval block of houses Zoudenbalch. It was such a success that the Dutch House put it forward as an exemplary plan. This, however, was also due to the high quality of the block. By studying it well and making a detailed inventory and analysis, all the hidden little presents of the block surfaced. To bring those presents to life, we deployed a number of development tools, making the block attractive for investors. For example: a new method for zone planning was introduced: zone planning per property. Subsidies deemed impossible were granted, the project Wonen boven winkels (Living Over the Shop) was brought back to life and the right attitude was created with the municipality. A solid financial foundation was to give the last push to do the block justice.