River landscape ARTIST: VAN RUYSDAEL, 1649
Defence line of Amsterdam
Deltametropolis (NL)
FLICKR
BY HANNO LANS
REFERENCES Artgineering (2015) NL Fietsland. The Hague: College van Rijksadviseurs CBS (2016) Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, s.l.: CBS Deltametropolis Association (2015) Maak Ruimte. [Online: www.issuu.com] Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (2013) Summary National Policy Strategy for Infrastructure and Spatial Planning [Online: www.government.nl] Lagas, P. (2015) Regional Quality of Living in Europe. REGION, 1 February, 2(2), pp. 1-26 Ochyra, H. (2010) Rough Guide to The Netherlands. 5th ed. s.l.: Rough Guides Oort, F. v. (2015) Concurrentiekracht van Polycentrische Steden. PBL Rutte, R. & Abrahamse, J. E. (2015) Atlas of the Dutch Landscape. THOTH Various (2015) Manifest 2040 [Online: wijmakennederland.nl] Woud, A. v. d., (1987) Het lege land De Ruimtelijke Orde Van Nederland 1798 - 1848. Groningen: s.n. Woud, A. v. d. (2006) Een nieuwe wereld - het ontstaan van het moderne Nederland. Groningen: Bakker MAP DATA CultGIS (2014) Hollandic Water Lines and Defense Line of Amsterdam Deltametropolis Association (2015) Knowledge Economy Cores Nationaal Georegister (2015) Ecological Main Structure – Planologische EHS Natuurmonumenten (2014) Land Trust Areas
126 BLIND SPOT
The policies aimed at developing the Netherlands into a full-grown knowledge economy feature few links to landscape policies developed at the same time. The “Top Sector policy” of 2011 for instance (topsectoren.nl), is focused on financial incentives and infrastructure for key sectors of the economy. And the “National Policy Strategy for Infrastructure and Spatial Planning” (SVIR, 2012) focuses on strengthening the so-called ‘mainports’, ‘greenports’ and ‘brainport’ to contribute to the main economic structure of the country, rather than enhancing the quality of the living environment. Moreover, Dutch water boards primarily deal with safety and focus less on landscape development. Changes in this perspective are however, occurring quite rapidly. In new dike reinforcement projects, the quality of the public space and the relation with heritage and other elements in the surrounding are increasingly taken into account. Since the latest planning memorandum (VINEX, 1990) came to an end in 2015, a large public debate and consultation has taken place: the “Year of Spatial Planning”. Governments and stakeholders concluded that new challenges and forms of collaboration will determine future policies (Maak Ruimte, Manifest2040, 2015). A healthy and attractive living environment and its relation with heritage, identity and economic competitiveness is now a top priority on the agenda for the Deltametropolis. METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES The variety of landscape types in the Netherlands are in reality not always easy to distinguish. The “National Bicycle Route Network” with its 4,500 kilometers of cycling paths (from 1989, nederlandfietsland.nl/lf-routes) provides a way to experience those landscape types and acquire a mental map of the landscape of the Deltametropolis without being disturbed by barriers and obstacles. Besides the development of routes, phone and GPS applications and maps, the project encompasses the physical improvement of the actual bicycle paths and signs. Similar initiatives, such as “Randstad Waterbaan” (randstadwaterbaan.nl) aim to create continuous recreational watersport networks, with as few locks and other physical barriers as possible. Cycling and boating are closely linked to the landscape, history and identity of the Deltametropolis. The “Defense Line of Amsterdam” (Unesco World Heritage since 1996), as well as the “New Dutch Waterline” (to be nominated in 2018 for Unesco World Heritage), are unique military landscape structures built between the 17th and 20th centuries (stelling vanamsterdam.nl). The defense line consists of large, open inundation fields and a line of fortresses. A great challenge for this heritage is to find proper use for the enormous area and fortresses, which are expensive to maintain. The inundation fields are to remain open, which means no construction is allowed in the future. Culture, art, recreation and tourism functions have occupied many of the fortresses and studies are being conducted to implement biomass (and other energy) production at the New Dutch Waterline. With
this example, heritage will play a role in the Dutch energy transition.
Top 10 touristic sites by Rough Guide 1. Amsterdam 2. The Elfstedentocht 3. Delta Project and Expo 4. Maastricht 5. Anne Frankhuis, Amsterdam 6. The Biesbosch 7. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam 8. ‘s Hertogenbosch 9. Hoge Veluwe National Park 10. The Hague Our top 5 sites for highly skilled workers 1. National cycling network 2. Historic water city centers of Amsterdam, Leiden, Gouda etc. 3. Defense Line of Amsterdam, New Dutch Waterline 4. Creative hotspots in Rotterdam (RDM Wharf, Katendrecht), Eindhoven (Strijp) and Amsterdam (NDSM Wharf, Tolhuis) 5. Peat meadow landscape of the ‘Green Heart’, painted by the Dutch masters