THE WESTERN GARDEN CITIES have its origin 1935-1970 in the plans of the Public Building Comity as well as in the thoughts of the urban planner Cornelius van Eesteren. The urban concept was based on the General Extension Plan for Amsterdam dating from 1934. The slab buildings result directly from the ideas of the functionalists and the CIAM. All inhabitants were supposed to profit equally from light, air and space. Standardised housing was combined with collective outside space.

In the west of Amsterdam right now 130.000 people are living in 54.000 dwellings. 10.000 of these dwellings will be torn down in the following years. Until 2015 17.500 new dwellings will be built instead. Within this big city transformation were and will still be conceived a number of innovative housing projects, which attempt to develop a contemporary image of the garden city.

Western Garden Cities // bus or bicycle tour information / contact

Architectengroep, Arons en Gelauff, Faro Architecten, Krier + Kohl, MVRDV, Venhoeven CS

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