Rebalancing the city
Redistributing Urban Space in Amsterdam-Zuid Oost Through the 15-Minute City Concept
J.C. Hoogeveen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
T. Verbeek – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Studies)
R.J. Dijkstra – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Design)
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Abstract
Amsterdam Zuidoost is characterized by a modernist spatial structure that strongly prioritizes car infrastructure, resulting in fragmented public space, limited accessibility to everyday facilities, and reduced street-level livability. Despite generous green spaces and public transport provision, walking and cycling remain discontinuous and secondary, while large amounts of space are reserved for car traffic and parking. This project investigates how Amsterdam Zuidoost can be redeveloped to redistribute urban space away from cars and toward active mobility, with the aim of improving access to daily amenities and enhancing overall livability.
Using the 15-minute city framework as a guiding concept and spatial justice as a normative lens, the project translates abstract principles of equity and accessibility into concrete, spatial design interventions. The design approach is structured through six thematic layers—active mobility, car traffic and parking, barriers and permeability, public facilities and proximity, staying and meeting space quality, and social safety—allowing for an integrated and operational redesign of the neighborhood. A pilot area serves as a testing ground where car dominance is gradually reduced through street re-profiling, car-free interiors, parking reduction, and improved cycling and walking networks, while simultaneously strengthening local facilities and public spaces.
Rather than proposing an abrupt removal of cars, the project focuses on realistic behavioral change by pairing spatial restrictions on car use with high-quality, attractive alternatives for everyday mobility. The results demonstrate how a phased, design-led transformation can improve accessibility, activate public space, and create a ripple effect that supports future transformations in surrounding areas. The project positions active mobility not as an add-on, but as the spatial backbone of everyday life in Amsterdam Zuidoost.