Amsterdam
19 October 2005

Much of the New Urban Home philosophy is influenced by our travels in Amsterdam. On average, Amsterdam is fifteen times denser than American cities, yet has no smog, more greenery, and a healthier than average populous. We can think of many reasons why.

Amsterdam is dense. In American cities, density is unwelcome. Yet density alone can enhance a community greatly. For example, it is impossible to have a functional and affordable mass transit network with fewer than 12 households per acre, on average. But mass transit leads to reduction in traffic congestion, pollution, and isolation, obvious benefits to all community members whether or not they use it. Similarly, in a compact city, residents can walk or bike to work, further reducing pollution, reliance on nonrenewable energy, and dependency. Density can empower citizens: there are more jobs, more methods of transportation to and from the jobs, more possibilities for positive social interactions.

In Amsterdam we bike, walked, or trammed everywhere. About 90% of the Dutch bike as a primary means of transportation on fully functional bicycle freeways, complete with a curb to separate motor vehicles from cyclers and separate signal lights for bikes and cars. Within 20 minutes you could bike clear across the city at a moderate pace. When it started raining, there was always a tram station nearby to carry us throughout the city while sheltering us from the storm.

After visiting Amsterdam, we realized density is not an excuse for urban blight. Townhomes from the 17th century blend seamlessly with infill development because the architects of today apply contemporary yet sensible design principles to work with the existing proportions of their surroundings. There is almost no litter on the ground; probably a result of the sense of ownership and thus responsibility one feels when they travel the city on foot, instead isolate themselves from it in a car. And the Dutch were congenial and gracious, partially due to our service to their economy as tourists, but again a result of their sense of responsibility to their city and their community.

The parks were worth the density. When density is high, everyone can’t afford to have their own private garden, or even their own yard. But the Vondelpark is open to all and rivals any great park we’ve ever been too. One if the most surreal characteristics of Vondelpark are a direct result of Amsterdam’s density: because the city is consistently dense, few buildings rise over five stories. Which means that when you are standing in the middle of Vondelpark, the cities largest public park, you can’t see any buildings: just tree tops and ponds and people and dogs and flowers.

We have learned from Le Courbusier that architecture alone can’t save the world, but architects and urban planners have a definite responsibility to play an integral role in bettering the world for the future of all. We are committed to finding new ways to live in our contemporary world, and what better place to begin than with New Urban Homes.

"I am very fond of the Netherlands. I like the immense variety of it on a very small compass. The human scale of the whole thing and the density are far above what we are used to in North America, or anywhere. They prove that high density and human scale are not incompatible at all."
Jane Jacobs, author The Death and Life of Great American Cities