In my last post, I shared why I liked Amsterdam because of its culture, which involved the aspect of biking. That is also the topic I am doing my essay on and have found some cool reasons on why biking in Amsterdam has been so effective.
One of these reasons is the GWL Terrein. This residential area of Amsterdam is a car-free zone, which in turn creates a safe environment for children’s play and for people to just generally interact. There are no streets into the area, as they are not needed because of the no-car policy. They also have a very unique way of keeping traffic out, there are signs at various entrance points, but the unique part is that the development is raised from street level so that cars do not have access to the inner area. (Other than a few access ramps for emergencies) People who live in this area also really seem to love it, as 62% of the people who live there have been there for over 8 years (2010 stats). This just shows that once you live there, apparently you don’t want to leave.
There are many other cool things about this neighborhood but I feel as if this post would be way to long. I hope this is as interesting to everyone else as it was to me. I suggest you all look up this area if you have time, as it is very intriguing.
This post was very interesting because I find it amazing that a city could go without cars. I would imagine everything is built within close proximity to residences and there is less urban sprawl. Could you see something like that working in Kelowna or Vancouver? I also wonder if the need for commute doesn’t exist in this city; Do they work near their homes so they don’t have to travel very far? This is another modern approach to limit the amount of vehicles being used and the amount of space they take up whereas London has a toll that vehicles pay to enter the city. Either way, I wish something like this existed in more metropolises because then people and the environment could stay healthier.
Yeah this development is built near other neighborhoods that have shopping and stuff that can’t be found in the GWL area, There are a bunch of businesses in it as well, so most things you would need are very near by which is why they don’t need cars. There are some job opportunities right in the development (213) as they have a cafe, a gym, and some home businesses, and the rest work pretty close by. I want it to work in an area like Kelowna or Vancouver, and I hope it may be tested somewhere around here sooner or later, because I think it is a really cool idea and it has worked out well for the residents that live in the Amsterdam one.
This reminds me of Le Corbusier’s Athens Charter, although in a roundabout way. I remember when we first read the Charter itself Le Corbusier was writing about how streets had been designed for foot traffic and horses, and the rise of the automobile had completely destroyed that dynamic. It is interesting that as the world advances temporally, a major city would design itself to specifically exclude the main method of transportation. It is understandable in an environmental sense, and it is practical when considering the dense congestion of most modern urban centers. Will this be the new modern European city? Bicycles and foot traffic only? It is interesting to think about, and it would entail a new way of thinking about the design of cities, in particular the space between buildings. The street is such a huge part of what we call the city today. To alter it so drastically must have some major consequences. I wonder how those changes will look?