Tag: 23juni

Symposium on Housing, Living, and Mobility in a Post-Growth Megacity

A symbiosis of large-scale transformation and small-scale intervention is becoming the new feature of global capitals in developed countries.

Living cities are constantly transforming. While historically the cause and dynamic of this transformation varies per city, globalization has gradually changed site-specific factors into more common, comparable elements. Every major city in every country is involved in an international competition to attract investment, international companies and young, high-quality human resources, while most mature developed societies face an ageing population and rapid urbanization. This global dynamic has become undeniable and is a substantial cause for the physical and social transformation of cities. We are not here to criticize this dynamic. Our concern is to make the best of the situation.

A symbiosis of large-scale transformation and small-scale intervention is becoming the new feature of global capitals in developed countries. With its extreme concentration of population and economic and political activity and its extreme level of ageing, Tokyo forms a fascinating urban laboratory with which to investigate and understand the current trend. In this symposium, we have invited Tokyo-based specialists – academics and practitioners – to give a comprehensive explanation of these symptoms of Tokyo’s transformation and of the ways in which the government, companies and citizens manage its urban future. Amsterdam, a small global city with 2.5 million inhabitants, can learn by examining Tokyo, the world’s biggest city with 38 million inhabitants, and can draw inspiration for new ways of dealing with practical, local knowledge through holistic intervention in a high-dynamic urban fabric under the pressure of globalization.

New Tokyo Story is made possible by the University of Amsterdam – Centre for Urban Studies, Amsterdam Economic Board, Amvest, Arcadis, BAM, Gemeente Amsterdam (Wonen en Ruimte & Duurzaamheid), Gemeente Almere, Gemeente Zaanstad, De Alliantie, De Key, Provincie Noord-Holland, GVB en Pakhuis de Zwijger.

During WeMakeThe.City, A Lab will be buzzing with activities, organised by its members. On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June, you can visit a theatre or dance performance at the former Shell lab, have a look at the Vertical Farm and taste some new types of lettuce, or get inspired by music lessons!

A Lab is a living lab, fusing the power of the Amsterdam creative scene, technological talent, and an unconventional spirit in a 5000 square meter hotbed for extraordinary experiments. We accommodate creatives and technicians and stimulate labs which are researching new ways of living in the network society of the near future. We develop ideas and enterprises and value failure as much as we do success.

Our strength lies in our communities, our inspiration is drawn from our location, our programmes are our success. You can hire a desk, an office or an inspirational space. As a member of A Lab, you have access to an active community and all of our events. In our physical and virtual labs, we unite the ecosystems that can change our world. To name a few: Bio, Art & Cultures, Journalism, Music, Social Robotics, Blockchain & Visual. 

On the other side of the river IJ lies North Amsterdam, the many-faced city district where history can be found everywhere. Tolhuistuin (garden to the toll house) for instance reminds us of the toll people had to pay here until the 17th century. And many of the ship wharves built in the 19th century are still here – every festivalgoer has partied at least once the NDSM-wharf. In the 20th century, the district was home to heavy industry; landmark A’DAM used to be the headquarters of oil company Shell.

As diverse as its past is its present: developments are taking place in many different ways. WeMakeThe. City will show you how and where. You can go on an expedition with one of the Noordmakers (makers of North): people who are making the district more beautiful, liveable and better. They will show you hidden places on an adventurous trip.

If you’d rather go on your own, you can start at the NDSM wharf and have a look at the art installation by Atelier van Lieshout – it is a tribute to the earlier mentioned industries. Next stop might be vanPlestik where plastic waste is turned into raw material for a 3D printer. You can end on a bright note at Brewery Oedipus, which offers you no less than 12 different beers from draught in their tasting room.

Are you a fan of photography? Try Docking Station, North Amsterdam’s smallest workspace; troubadours will tell you the stories behind the beautiful pictures. You can find more photo’s at A Lab, at the exhibition Buurtbanden ( neighbourhood ties) on the relationships between locals in the district. Don’t leave in a hurry as the former Shell laboratory offers theatre and dance performances, you can taste new types of lettuce at the Vertical Farm or take music lessons to get inspired. And everyone should come and celebrate De Ceuvel’s birthday – it will be a star-spangled party.

Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) creates, explores, documents and preserves the growing democratic movement of Street Art and is one of the first recognized street art museums in the world. Featuring over 150 works, SAMA’s collection is ever-growing; frequently introducing internationally acclaimed artists to Amsterdam Nieuw-West’s streets. All works are site-specific, each with a story to tell. From the colossal work of Stinkfish , to the small Woodies by BunnyBrigade; SAMA’s collection is a collection worth seeing.

During the weekend of WeMakeThe.City, guided tours through the SAMA collection takes you to the green belts and along the blue canals of Nieuw-West. Local guides will show you around through museum’s collection and share the stories behind each artwork. Based on experience we have prepared a small menu of available street art experiences and your alternative visit to Amsterdam.

Wander around the Zuidas, be surprised in New West, get acquainted with the many faces of North, explore the East, roam the wharf of NDSM, and check out the Red Light District from a different point of view.

11 leading Amsterdam art institutions are joining forces and showcasing the richness of the Amsterdam public space during the manifestation Pay Attention Please! in the summer of 2018. Over the past decennia the public space of Amsterdam – the space we share together – has changed significantly. Ambitious new build projects, tourism, and economic activity have transformed the face of Amsterdam for good. But not everyone is aware of Amsterdam's long and exciting tradition of art in and for the public domain. Every neighborhood has its own classics, which are sometimes cherished and sometimes debated by its locals. These works are the artist's response to the changing world they live in. They invite you to discover the stories of Amsterdam and look at society from a different angle. Pay Attention Please! is an exhibition of existing and new (temporary) works of art and interventions in public space. The works are presented through an inspiring public program, consisting of walking routes, stories, lectures and performances. More than just an exhibition, it is also a way to experience the city of Amsterdam in a new and surprising manner.

SAVE THE DATE: Festive opening weekend June 21-24

Pay Attention Please! is organized by Public Art Amsterdam, an initiative by CBK Zuidoost, De Appel, Framer Framed, GET LOST- art route, Frankendael Foundation, LAPS-Rietveld, Stichting NDSM Werf, Oude Kerk Amsterdam, P///akt, Stedelijk Museum and TAAK.

Public Art Amsterdam is a biennial manifestation in the Amsterdam public space. ‘Pay Attention Please!’ is the first edition.
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The Beach is a hub and a lab for Sustainist Design based in Amsterdam New West. Together with people and organisations we design projects that empower communities. We are led by values such as sustainability, the human dimension, and fair sharing. Designing new forms of relationships – creating a new societal tissue – and researching the underlying processes lie at the core of what we do.
During WeMakeThe.City, we offer Sustainist Design workshops in which we apply co-design design processes to topical issues. At the weekend, there will be a festival for neighbourhood makers, created together with locals: designers and makers from the Wildeman borough in Osdorp will gather, and demonstrate the connecting powers of what we call the ‘make culture’.

Being in a city is fun. And everything is even more fun with a good beer. On June 23 and 24 you can have an adventure, visiting local breweries. Like Oedipus Brewing, a brewery located in the north of Amsterdam producing colourful beers and more.

Four years ago, four friends started brewing beer in a small apartment in the centre of Amsterdam. Now it has become an ambitious and fast-growing brewery. Oedipus does not just advocate diversity when it comes to taste: they produce 12 different beers on draft in the tasting room, as well as festivals and cultural events inside and outside the brewery.

During WeMakeThe.City, it is definitely worth visiting Oedipus Brewing and be surprised by their bottled taste sensations!

Architecture will be stealing the show at WeMakeThe.City in Architectural Centre Amsterdam. On an eight meter long autoCADwalk several models/maquettes made by several architectural offices will strut their stuff. Admire the latest and most beautiful models which will enrich our capital, front row.

DeDAKKAS is a green pavilion on the roof of parking garage De Kamp with a view over the historic center of Haarlem and the dunes behind it.

Four years ago, the initiators noticed the parking deck was almost always empty. What a pity! The 1973 garage is one of the ugliest buildings in the city, but you won’t notice it when you’re on its roof. You will be rewarded with the best view of town! The building is now being transformed. After a first start with the greening of the façade, the construction of the pavilion started in January. Hopefully, next spring, the guests will experience beautiful moments on the roof!

Zef Hemel is urban planner, is professor Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Amsterdam. While big pretentions in the past have jeopardized the future of urban planning, in his research and planning Zef Hemel tries to focus on its core: economy, ecology, democracy, art and imagination. He is searching for a new kind of open planning – a planning which can easily adjust to permanently changing circumstances and benefits from unexpected opportunities.

We must search for a new kind of open planning – a planning which can easily adjust to permanently changing circumstances and benefits from unexpected opportunities.

In all his planning projects, Hemel works with artists, invites them to engage with citizens, thus using the city as a ‘brain’, as a potential space of ‘collective intelligence’. Such a radically different – ‘open source’ – planning is needed, because the world is urbanizing fast and seems to be rushing into one crisis after another. Because of the growing complexity, the type of planning required is local, at the level of individual cities and their spheres of influence. The paradox is that this localized planning is global at the same time.