The Netherlands: Adaptation of the carefully planned structure. Neighbourhood centres in Europe, yesterday, today, tomorrow

The facility structure in post-war areas of The Netherlands is probably one of the most intricate in the world, with facilities clustered in neighbouhood units that are functionally ordered across the cities. However, developments in society threatened the viability of the hierarchic structure and forced the adaptation or dismantling of...

The integrated renewal of Amsterdam’s Bijlmermeer high-rise

In recent years, there has been a growing interest all over the world in improving the large housing estates of the 1960s and 1970s. Highrise estates are associated with problematic living conditions, deprived areas, isolated locations, a poor population, a negative image, social isolation, pollution and crime. In short: they are not the most...

Renewing stigmatised estates in the Netherlands: A framework for image renewal strategies

Like in so many other European countries, the large housing estates of the post-World War II generation in the Netherlands did not fulfil the great and often Utopian expectations. Nowadays they are confronted with the effects of a negative image, a stigma. Images differ according to the persons asked for an opinion. Internal images, elicited...