The Automotive Foyer
Facilitating the Future of Car Mobility
W.B.J. van Heeswijk (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
Today it would be unimaginable to think of a world without cars. It was this very invention that since its introduction in 1885 brought societies together, gave people freedom, and brought prosperity to economies. After more than one hundred thirty years, the car has become an integral component of modern life, to such an extent that it is part of the urban fabric. Cities have been reimagined to facilitate this means of transport. Tremendous road networks have been constructed. New building typologies were designed. As a result, there are now an estimated 600 million cars on this planet, with numerous projections suggesting this will increase to a billion by 2030. However the car and its physical by-products, such as infrastructure and parking facilities, have become increasingly unpopular due to the polluting effect on our environment and experience of the city. Nowadays we are
told, we must abandon the car and break ourselves of decades of dependency. But despite all protests against the car and its effects, people still love to drive. To condemn the car from the road, denies most people of their everyday amusement. Hence a more thought out solution is needed
Arguing that the presence and use of car mobility will not change drastically, the demand for its amenities will likely increase. Thanks to the island’s high connectivity, it has a large traffic flow of personal car mobility. Where the inner districts of the city are becoming more car restricted, the island is the right place to facilitate this traffic flow, and relief these restricted zones. Therefore a transitional place will erect, where car commuters and visitors to the city can swap from their personal owned cars to a other form of transport. In short Zeeburgereiland, despite being an island, will function as a prime mobility centre what serves the whole region of Amsterdam.