AMA diffused: Reorganising the built environment in an emerging knowledge economy

The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA) is characterized by its strong performing economy and its high liveability standards, making the region an attractive place to live and work in. However, the AMA’s spatial structure and social geography have come under increased pressure. Unprecedented population growth as well as economic activity is concentrated within the AMA’s epicentre, and dichotomies in the social fabric are becoming more evident. Simultaneously, the region’s natural landscape is under threat due to fragmentation of green space, and an increase of the built-up environment, especially in Amsterdam. In order to relieve pressure from the AMA’s epicentre while preserving the original landscape, flows of working and living environments need to be redistributed, and new ways of arranging the local economy and the built environment need to be uncovered. To achieve this, this report suggests a more polycentric structure for the AMA, while also drawing upon the knowledge economy as an economic system that is more inclusive and may facilitate the dispersion of population and economic pressure on the region’s epicentre. In order to accommodate the AMA’s growing population, this report suggests the implementation of the ‘built environment as a service’, a more circular approach of utilizing (existing) space. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of Almere is presented in which location-specific strategies are articulated to make the region more economically competitive, resource-efficient, and liveable.AR2U086 R&D Studio – Spatial Strategies for the Global MetropolisArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Urbanis