Transforming the Garden City

Abstract

This research explores methods to revitalise deteriorating Dutch mass housing neighbourhoods, with a primary focus on Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Despite the Netherlands’ rich public housing tradition, the country is now experiencing a major housing shortage, while at the same time post-war public housing flats are being demolished at an alarming rate. Even though the social, cultural and material values of this heritage are widely recognised, demolition and new construction remains the de facto method for urban renewal in this context.
This thesis takes the position that to preserve the postwar heritage of the western garden cities, it is necessary to go beyond the legislative protection of cityscapes or the conservation of individual buildings. Instead, the garden city project must be continued, and its founding ideals of light, space and air adapted to the needs of today. Interventions should aim beyond sufficiency and take advantage of the potential of the existing structures to be transformed into generous and high-quality dwellings. To prevent further privatisation and demolition of the social housing stock, this project aims to turn the porch flat into a desirable alternative to the single-family home. By reconnecting the buildings to their surroundings and supporting community development, the negative stigma surrounding collective housing can be overcome to position it as a viable alternative to the prevailing ideology of homeownership. To show that by re-using the existing, and doing more with less, we can meet today’s housing needs while remaining within our planetary boundaries.