Better streets

Five lessons from Amsterdam

1 – Greening

Geveltuin (façade gardens) brighten up streets, give character, provide habitat, and encourage biodiversity. An interesting plant or flower makes people stop, or at least slow down to appreciate it. In Amsterdam a resident can apply to the municipality to provide the infrastructure for a façade garden. The resident can then plant what they wish and they become the caretaker of the small garden.

Trees also give character and ambiance to a street. Environmentally they collect water, help improve air quality, give shade, and provide habitat. They create a connection to nature and help lower stress levels. The municipality of Frederiksberg, in Copenhagen has a policy that every resident should be able to see at least one tree from their property.

2 – Bicycle Streets

Fietsstraten/ fietspaden (bicycle streets) have been deployed on many of Amsterdam’s main routes. Former roads become cycle priority and vehicular traffic speeds are cut to 30km per hour. Cyclists are given more space and the car should behave as a guest. This allows for cyclists to travel comfortably side by side and for better communication between vehicles and bikes. The main fietsstraat / fietspaden (routes) are instantly recognisable as the ground surface is treated with red asphalt.

3 – Street playgrounds

Speeltuin (small neighbourhood playgrounds) are a common feature of Amsterdam streets. Typically, a few carparking spaces or some leftover underused space makes way for play. The playgrounds often feature imaginative play equipment inspired by the designer Aldo van Eyck. Children in the Netherlands are afforded independence from a young age. This combined with the fact that children growing up in apartments in the city do not have access to private gardens makes street playgrounds a treasured asset.

4 – Be inclusive

Our streets are for everyone in society. They are the public outdoor corridors of our towns and cities. With the complexity and coordination of technical requirements sometimes designers lose sight of the end users and daily social functions of the street. A great street is more than just a route from A to B. It is a place to greet, meet and play. We should also pause and think from the perspective of those who use our streets and maybe don’t have strong voices. Think about the street from the perspective of a toddler finding their feet, those with reduced mobility who need a comfortable bench to have a rest or teenagers who just want to hang out.

5 – Ask the citizens

No one knows a neighbourhood better than the locals. In Amsterdam each year there is a buurtbudget (neighbourhood budget) where residents can put forward ideas on how to spend the money in their area. Locals then vote for their favourite initiatives. The ideas can be a physical intervention or a social event. Previous ideas have included:

+ Benches being placed every 200m in an area to help those with reduced mobility and provide a meeting place in the community helping to combat loneliness.

+ A bicycle free pavement where planters have been strategically placed to reduce cycling on the pedestrian footpath.

+ A swap or exchange shop with a table for conversation and coffee. This idea will promote a sense of community, particularly as many of the cafes in the area are aimed for tourists and those more affluent. ‘There's a place missing where your wallet doesn't count.’