Fred Feddes

Thanks to the activity of Stadsherstel Amsterdam, founded in 1956, the post-war wave of renovation not only preserved the historic center of Amsterdam, it became in the meantime a current vibrant metropolis, in cultural and social sense. Amsterdam, a city whose rich history still can be seen and which is attractive in this way for living, working, studying, business, and cultural recreation. Meanwhile Stadsherstel increased their working area and advises also abroad. The Stadsherstel formula is successful and an example for many other heritage rescuers elsewhere in the world.

Recreating Amsterdam

Geschiedenis van de ruimtelijke ontwikkeling van Amsterdam.

ruimtelijke geschiedenis van een wonderbaarlijke stad

1000 jaar Amsterdam

Marjolein de Lange

The book Bike City Amsterdam, How Amsterdam became the cycling Capital of the World , by Fred Feddes and Marjolein de Lange, is the first comprehensive inside history of sixty years of successful bicycle activism, policy and culture in Amsterdam. As any visitor knows, the bicycle is omnipresent in the streets of Amsterdam, in the rhythm of its people's lives, and in the city's image. To many outsiders, Amsterdam comes close to being a cyclist's paradise. It wasn't always that way. As in many other cities, bicyclists came under pressure due to the rapid increase of car traffic in the 1960s. It was through a unique combination of grassroots activism and municipal policy, supported by advantageous circumstances and driven by smartness and perseverance, that the bicycle managed to make an astounding comeback. Bike City Amsterdam recounts the story of this long-term transformation of a city that made way for the bicycle, while the bicycle in turn helped make the city liveable again. It highlights the accomplishments of the bicycle city, as well as its setbacks and its counterforces. Its story ranges from the everyday bicycling culture, to policy choices and street design, to the notorious battle for the Rijksmuseum bicycle passageway. Written from the inside, Bike City Amsterdam acknowledges the uniqueness of the Amsterdam bicycle city, but it does so without romanticizing, analyzing its success with a keen eye on all its imperfections. By telling a detailed case history of Amsterdam, it allows its international readers to distinguish the universal lessons from the local specifics, and to draw inspiration from both. Finally, it looks ahead to the next half century in which Amsterdam can contribute to tackling global urban issues as a 'bicycle laboratory'. More information on: https://bikecityamsterdam.nl

How Amsterdam Became the Cycling Capital of the World

Bike City Amsterdam

What was the area of Amsterdam like, before Amsterdam actually came into being? Why are the alleys and streets in the center and in the Jordan diagonal, while straight in the canals between them? Is the Central Station in the right place? How big is Amsterdam actually? These and many other questions are addressed in this book, which is about 1000 years spatial history of Amsterdam.

Spatial History of a Marvellous City

A Millennium of Amsterdam

Arthur Wortmann

Christopher Girot

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut

In this book you will find another manifestation of this sub-culture. It takes the form of a report on a competition entitled 'The school of architecture as a subject of design', in which architectural students were invited to design a school of architecture for the future. The organizer, the Netherlands Architecture Institute, received over 400 entries from all over the world, from China to Mexico, from Sweden to Australia. In addition to the space devoted to the winning designs, the book also provides a qualitative and quantitative overview of the entries. In analysing the variety of answers to the competition brief it offers a fascinating insight into the ambitions and dreams of a future generation of architects.

Fred Feddes

Books

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