By 2030 the population of Amsterdam is expected to reach 826,682 residents an increase of 79,392 people between 2008 and 2030. This will mean around 56,293 new houses will need to be provided with the number of households expected to increase from 409,442 to 465,735 over the same 22 year period.This monumental growth has led to major challengers for the cities planners in how best to house the incoming residents in what is already the most densely populated area of Europe.
Urban expansion
Amsterdam has a rich history of planned expansion schemes, going back to the 17th century when the concentric core of the city was constructed, around the 3 main canals in a half circular fashion, the city boundaries remained tight until the 20th century.
Bijlmermee
A major 20th Century expansion scheme was Bijlmermeer located in the south east of the city. Bijlmermeer followed the principles of la Corbusier, and consisted of 31 near identical blocks of flats around landscaped green space, with traffic raised above the ground separated from pedestrians. As with similar but smaller schemes in the UK such as Hulme Crescents (Manchester) and Park Hill (Sheffield) the concept failed miserably with the bleak raised walkways and heavily landscaped grounds breading grounds for crime. Although designed as a middle class neighbourhood Bijlmermeers isolation from the rest of the city and the low standard of the housing, led to the area attracting residents lower down the social scale
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| Block Under redevelopment |
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| Pleasant environment post redevelopment |
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| Street Scene following redevelopment |
From the late 1980s the large blocks have gradually being torn down and replaced with low rise housing, while some blocks are also being refurbished. A new cultural, entertainment and business centre focusing around the Amsterdam ArenA built between 1993 and its opening in 1996 adjacent to the original development has acted as a catalyst and helped attract people and jobs into the district, while a major new train station was constructed which enables quick links to the historic city centre.
Total investment of renewal will be around £1.6 billion of which 50% will be funded by the city of Amsterdam and 50% through private social housing companies while the total number of dwellings will increase by 7% in a range of different styles in order to attract a greater mix of residents.
Total investment of renewal will be around £1.6 billion of which 50% will be funded by the city of Amsterdam and 50% through private social housing companies while the total number of dwellings will increase by 7% in a range of different styles in order to attract a greater mix of residents.
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| New train station |
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| New Cultural development |
The latest urban expansion is concentrated around the River Ij in an area known as Zeeburg to the North East of the city. Zeeburg contains two major expansion schemes, Ijburg and the areas around the old eastern docks.
Ijburg is a massive planned expansion scheme comprising 8 new islands and 18,000 new homes, approved in 1997 after a referendum and started in 2001; the scheme should accommodate around 45,000 people when complete. As of 2008, 3 islands are complete accommodating around 10,000 residents.
The scheme has being highly controversial due to the perceived environmental damage and was rejected at a public referendum but the city authorities concluded that the no vote wasn’t large enough and carried on with the development. As a response to the concerns, new green spaces, canals and shallow lakes for wading birds were all provided.
Ijburg is well connected to the main city with the Ij tram coming into service in 2005 as well as various road, pedestrian and cycle bridges. It is especially important with all new development schemes that public and alternative transport facilities are provided from the beginning, as it can be very difficult to tempt somebody away from the car once they are using it and all the schemes in Amsterdam successfully do this.
The Eastern docks are a major predominantly, residential scheme centred on the former docks to the east of the central station. The scheme includes a mixture of converted warehouses into apartments and new housing. Each block is individually designed to a high standard and public open space is amply provided in secluded courtyards, car parking is provided beneath the blocks although as with the rest of Amsterdam major attention is given to pedestrian and cycle ways.
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| Each block was under the supervision of a different architect ensuring an interesting streetscape (Eastern Docks) |
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| High quality public spaces between the blocks, with plenty of space for storing bikes (Eastern Docks) |
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| New canals and a quirky take on the traditional Amsterdam Canal longhouse (Eastern Docks) |
New towns
Almere
Due to the believe in the Netherlands that cities should remain separate entities, controversy over encroachment onto the green heart of the Randstad and Amsterdam’s tight boundaries, New cities are also going to play an important role in the accommodating population growth. Almere is one such new city, located 35km from Amsterdam.
Almere as with Ijburg is constructed on an area of reclaimed land known as Flevoland, and is completely below sea level. Work on the City began in 1975 and consists of 6 very distinct areas , the population of the City in 2008 was 184,000
Unlike the urban expansion schemes taking place on the edge of Amsterdam, the density of Almere is low, at 1578 dwellings per km. Despite the low density, car use is limited with the provision of smaller neighbourhood centres and bus ways, with buses running every few minutes; while a large amount of public open space is provided and is well maintained.
By 2030, Almere is expected to grow to be able to accommodate 350,000 residents and although it has a small business district of its own many of these people will commute to Amsterdam due its close proximity, while enabling the green heart of the Randstad to remain green and positively helping the future development of Amsterdam.
Almere
Due to the believe in the Netherlands that cities should remain separate entities, controversy over encroachment onto the green heart of the Randstad and Amsterdam’s tight boundaries, New cities are also going to play an important role in the accommodating population growth. Almere is one such new city, located 35km from Amsterdam.
Almere as with Ijburg is constructed on an area of reclaimed land known as Flevoland, and is completely below sea level. Work on the City began in 1975 and consists of 6 very distinct areas , the population of the City in 2008 was 184,000
Unlike the urban expansion schemes taking place on the edge of Amsterdam, the density of Almere is low, at 1578 dwellings per km. Despite the low density, car use is limited with the provision of smaller neighbourhood centres and bus ways, with buses running every few minutes; while a large amount of public open space is provided and is well maintained.
By 2030, Almere is expected to grow to be able to accommodate 350,000 residents and although it has a small business district of its own many of these people will commute to Amsterdam due its close proximity, while enabling the green heart of the Randstad to remain green and positively helping the future development of Amsterdam.
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| The low density nature of the neighbourhoods and well maintained public green space is clearly shown |
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| Imaginative architecture provides a decent sense of place and unique shopping experience at Almere Stad |
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| The bus way network allows easy and frequent movement around and between neighbourhoods |
Conclusion
No city can stand still and with growing economic competition from other European and world cities, it is essential that Amsterdam attracts new people and business. To do this urban expansion in the right places key. Early expansion schemes such as Bijlmermeer were away from facilities and the main core and became no go areas, now the area is home to a thriving business centre, and the housing is attracting a greater social mix of residents.
It has become recognised that sites on the edge of the city such as Bijlmermeer have become the best place to provide for large office developments, rather than the historic centre where plots are small and the majority of buildings too valuable to lose. In this sense the role of urban expansion is essential to Amsterdam’s economic development especially with rival cities such as Rotterdam having the advantage, due to intensive 2nd world war bombing which cleared large areas, in that large buildings can be built in the city core.
With Massive population growth expected, the provision of good quality new housing is essential to the cities future, Ijburg, Almere and the eastern docks all help provide this. Due to the notion of the Green Heart which is largely a high quality landscape with protected status on a national level. Urban expansion can not take place to the south of the existing urban area. It is therefore right that development should take place on new self contained islands and on existing Brownfield land such as old eastern docks close to and with decent links to the Historic core, preventing urban sprawl and reliance on the motor car especially important in keeping the city moving as well enabling the city to meet air quality standards.
No city can stand still and with growing economic competition from other European and world cities, it is essential that Amsterdam attracts new people and business. To do this urban expansion in the right places key. Early expansion schemes such as Bijlmermeer were away from facilities and the main core and became no go areas, now the area is home to a thriving business centre, and the housing is attracting a greater social mix of residents.
It has become recognised that sites on the edge of the city such as Bijlmermeer have become the best place to provide for large office developments, rather than the historic centre where plots are small and the majority of buildings too valuable to lose. In this sense the role of urban expansion is essential to Amsterdam’s economic development especially with rival cities such as Rotterdam having the advantage, due to intensive 2nd world war bombing which cleared large areas, in that large buildings can be built in the city core.
With Massive population growth expected, the provision of good quality new housing is essential to the cities future, Ijburg, Almere and the eastern docks all help provide this. Due to the notion of the Green Heart which is largely a high quality landscape with protected status on a national level. Urban expansion can not take place to the south of the existing urban area. It is therefore right that development should take place on new self contained islands and on existing Brownfield land such as old eastern docks close to and with decent links to the Historic core, preventing urban sprawl and reliance on the motor car especially important in keeping the city moving as well enabling the city to meet air quality standards.
New schemes should include neighbourhood centres with a decent provision of facilities such as schools, and a selection of shops, if they are to function properly, initial problems with Ijburg has been a lack of these facilities although as the population picks up to support them this should become less of an issue.
A major issue with Almere is that as it grows to its expected size of over 300,000 people, extra pressure will inevitably be placed upon the transport infrastructure between it and the Randstad. The majority of this will be road based which does lead to question marks over the new town concept. It is important therefore that Almere can develop a business niche of its own.
It is with this in mind that I will conclude that managed and compact urban expansion to the north of Amsterdam would be the best option to accommodate the Cities future Urban Growth, rather than via a oversized commuter Settleemnt which Almere is at risk of becoming.
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