1. Perspective
on Europe
by Juliane Kürschner j.kurschner@dro.amsterdam.nl
Proactive and Responsible
By raising the European flag in late 2012, the City of Amsterdam
marked out a pro-European signal, thus recognizing the importance of
Europe. With its ratification of a European Strategy for Amsterdam the
City Council is issuing an emphatic invitation to share knowledge and
experience with the European Commission and with European cities.
This proactive attitude creates numerous opportunities for Europe as
well as for Amsterdam and its metropolitan area.
04 PLANAmsterdam
European cities resemble each other in many regards.
With their long history and as a locus of urbanity
and public space, they played an important part in
the emergence of a civil society and its political and
economic emancipation. Urban planners and architects
stamped their mark on the European city with their own
visions, norms and values, as well as from a political
context.
In Europe there is a strong relationship between urban
and rural areas, and its thinking is shaped by models
of spatial cohesion and solidarity: ‘territorial cohesion’.
The ideal of equal opportunities and access to amenities
belongs to the European fundamental principles. The
communal, namely the European, means that pooling
knowledge, learning from each other and collaboration
is useful and necessary.
1 Amsterdam positions itself as a European city and
decided to hoist the European flag at City Hall while
the ‘Europe Strategy’ (Europastrategie) was being
elaborated.
Photo: Edwin van Eis
2 The development of an economic and political
society in the European urban context started
centuries ago. Detail from ‘Dam Square with the
New Town Hall under Construction’ (1656).
Artist: Johannes Lingelbach, collection of the
Amsterdam Museum
3 The Dutch Homeless Cup on Dam Square in
the heart of Amsterdam: public space as a venue
for activities involving underprivileged groups in
society.
Photo: Edwin van Eis
2
3
1
>

3. 4 The historical centres of European cities often
have a comparable shape and layout; cities in the
Americas and Asia are highly diverse in form.
4a Amsterdam, 1662
Source: Wikimedia Commons
4b Brussels, 1706
Source: National Military Museum
4c Berlin, 1789
Source: Wikimedia Commons
4b 4c
6 PLANAmsterdam
5-6 Historical European cities share similar
features, such as the façades of houses in the city
centre of Amsterdam and Rennes in France.
Photos: Edwin van Eis and Juliane Kürschner
4a
5 6
The City in the Context of ‘Brussels’
Besides having a geographical dimension, ‘Europe’ also
has a legislature: the European Commission devises
policy in conjunction with the European Parliament
and the Council of the European Union (EU). The most
strategic of its policies is Europe 2020, the European
strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. For
the Netherlands this strategy means that, among other
things, the government is aiming to source 14 percent
of its energy from renewable sources and to achieve a
16-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by
2020.
Answers to questions raised by Europe 2020
about aspects such as energy transition, the innovative
economy and social participation are often to be found
in an integrated approach at the interface of various
policy areas. One example from the spatial planning
sector in Amsterdam is the project Energetic Southeast
(Energiek Zuidoost). The parties involved, which include
IKEA, the Amsterdam ArenA stadium, the Academic
Medical Centre hospital, housing associations and
the City of Amsterdam, are jointly devising a process
to bring about energy transition in the borough of
Amsterdam-Southeast. ‘Energy’ is coupled with spatial
development and ensures an integrated approach to
water, waste, mobility (electric transport) and ICT within
this project.
The European Union is making substantial research
budgets available to projects that contribute to achieving

4. 03 | 2013
7 8
the Europe 2020 goals, such as the Smart Cities and
Communities programme within the 7th Framework
Programme for Research and Technological Develop-ment.
Energetic Southeast is part of the TRANSFORM
project, for which Amsterdam is the European lead
partner.
The EU enters into agreements and treaties
with nation states, but solutions for the Europe 2020
objectives usually lie within cities and metropolitan areas
and regions. After all, two thirds of Europe’s population
live in urban areas. A separate budget for cities and the
invitation to enter into a direct dialogue also show that
the emphasis is shifting towards greater power and
influence for cities. This represents a big opportunity for
cities: they can – provided that they pull together and
refrain from merely standing up for their own city’s inter-ests
– play a greater role in relation to member states.
On the initiative of the European Commissioner for
Regional and Urban Policy, Johannes Hahn, in early 2013
the mayors of European capital cities agreed to cooperate
more intensively with the European Commission.
European market for knowledge
Europe is a market, not solely of goods but of knowledge
and ideas as well. Enterprises and people migrate
to the places that are the most attractive for their
aspirations. Almost half of the immigrants to Amsterdam
originate from EU countries. This population dynamic
generates an interchange of knowledge and ideas, and
expectations are that this will only increase across the
whole of Europe.
Umweltzone Berlin
Gesundbrunnen
Umwelt
Zone
2 3
4
Ostkreuz
Westkreuz
Südkreuz
Amsterdam distinguishes itself as a learning metropolis,
as a city for inquisitive and innovative people and
enterprises. The municipal apparatus also positions itself
as open and eager to learn. Competing for European
prizes is part and parcel of this strategy. For example,
in 2010 Amsterdam participated in the first European
Green Capital Award for sustainable urban development.
The Dutch capital came fourth; the winners were
Stockholm and Hamburg. In 2011 Amsterdam took first
place with the Amsterdam Smart City project, for which
it received the Regio Star Award, a prestigious prize
for exemplary projects that can serve as a model for
other European regions. A year later it was the turn of
GRABS, a participatory project about climate change
devised by the Borough of Amsterdam-New West.
Amsterdam’s most important European counterparts in
such competitions are at the same time the strongest
partners for cooperation and reflection, because they
share a similar background. From them we acquire
‘tacit’ knowledge – not from books, but from practical
know-how.
A European Strategy for Amsterdam
Amsterdam cherishes ambitions to contribute to
the global challenges that cities are facing, in part by
adopting a proactive attitude towards Europe. The City
Council therefore formulated a European Strategy for
Amsterdam, which pertains to and affects the Amsterdam
Metropolitan Area as a whole. It concentrates on four
themes: Amsterdam’s position as a business hub,
7-8 EU regulations on air quality lead to
comparable approaches in European cities. Berlin
introduced the ‘Umweltzone’ (Low-emission zone),
which bans polluting vehicles within the inner public
transport circle. Amsterdam implemented its own
‘Milieuzone’, allowing only low-emission freight
traffic into the city centre. These measures contribute to
cleaner air in dense urban areas, stimulating
innovative solutions for clean transport such as
electric vehicles for people and goods.
Photo: Edwin van Eis / Infographic: Federal State of
Berlin (modified)
>

5. 9 These four images show the development of
European territorial concepts and underscore
the necessity of a balanced territorial concept.
Net­working,
knowledge exchange and metropolitan
collaboration contribute to a polycentric European
development.
9a The concept of the ‘blue banana’ is the first
concept of a European territorial organization.
It shows a concentration of economic development
and population in the core of Europe in the form
of a banana.
Map: Eva Mora Martinez (based on R. Brunet, 1989)
9b The European ‘bunch of grapes’ model stands in
contrast to the concentrated model and emphasizes
the polycentric aspects of EU territory.
Map: Kunzmann and Wegener, 1991
8 PLANAmsterdam
9c An ESPON study identified Metropolitan Europe-an
Growth Areas on the basis of several indicators
and compared them with the concept of a European
core pentagon between London, Paris, Milan,
Munich and Hamburg.
Map: ESPON, 2003
global node
European engine
strong MEGA
potential MEGA
weak MEGA
pentagon area
Knowledge development and innovation, Sustainable
urban development, and Active citizenship &
participation. Proceeding from this basis, Amsterdam
wants to broaden its expertise, continue to learn and
become a frontrunner in Europe.
One example mentioned in the European Strategy for
Amsterdam is the quest for an alternative economic
approach to flows of materials in the city, such as the new
designation of ‘waste’ as ‘raw material’. In conjunction
with Wageningen University and partners such as the
Port of Amsterdam and the Waternet water company,
the City Council is searching for means of ‘closing
the loop’ in urban material cycles, such as the use of
phosphate, as well as in energy cycles. In this regard
Amsterdam’s goals dovetail closely with the Europe
2020 objectives for a more resource-efficient economy.
Another tangible illustration of sustainable urban
development is Amsterdam’s City-ZEN project.
This collaborative project is planning to invest in
energyefficient measures for housing, ‘smart energy
grids’ and greening energy generation in conjunction
with residents. Amsterdam is keen to be a pioneer
for smart energy solutions with this demonstration
project. Here, too, the solutions are found at the
interface of policy areas such as urban development,
energy and ICT.
9a
9b 9c
>
Amsterdam
Brussels
Luxembourg
Bern

6. 9d ESPON is currently working on various scenarios
to enhance the territorial cohesion throughout
Europe. The baseline scenario, one of three models
for 2030, integrates polycentric development and
the growth poles outside the former concentration
areas.
Map: ESPON, 2013
global city
European engine
strong MEGA
potential MEGA
weak MEGA
regional/local city
attraction and polarization potential of
metropolitan areas
area of concentration of flows and activities
9d
03 | 2013 9

7. 10 Amsterdam, shown in this map as part of the
Randstad conurbation, has achieved a balance in
metropolitan functions, such as industry, transport,
higher education, economic decision-making,
government and tourism. Studies show that
Amsterdam is also home to a wide variety of
economic sectors.
Map: German Federal Office for Building and
Regional Planning (BBR), 2010
politics
economy
science
transport
culture
metropolitan areas
10
10 PLANAmsterdam

8. 11 There is not one single ‘Europe’; it consists of
different layers.
Maps: Eva Mora Martinez
11a Europe as the geographical continent.
Europe
extension over Asia of the territory of European States
considered European for cultural and historical reasons
11b Europe as the political European Union.
EU 6 (1957-58)
EU 12 (1986)
EU 15 (1995)
EU 27 (2013)
candidates
11c The European market and the free travel zone
within the Schengen Area.
EU Schengen member sates
non-Schengen EU member states
non-EU Schengen member staes
candidates
11a 11b 11c
Positioning the City
In comparative studies and rankings against other
European cities Amsterdam reliably emerges as a city
that may be modest in size but is still blessed with
plenty of metropolitan characteristics. The city scores
well for all its metropolitan functions: for its relatively
modest population, Amsterdam boasts an abundance
of high-quality amenities and globally active companies.
Compared with other European cities, Amsterdam’s
economic basis is broad and balanced. The Amsterdam
mix of being a ‘global city’ with a human scale explains
its excellent overall position in city rankings.
City rankings are interesting for cities, providing insight
into the position that they occupy in areas such as
quality of life and as a location for business. It is therefore
interesting to analyse a city’s position in such rankings
when deciding on a spatial-economic strategy. For
example, the city of Vienna, which ranks as world leader
for liveability in Mercer’s ‘Quality of Living Index’, owes
this position, among other factors, to an exceptional
housing market with relatively low prices, high-quality
and energy-efficient homes and a healthy socio-demographic
mix. This could serve as inspiration for
Amsterdam.
Rankings contribute to the demand of decision-makers
for oversight and convenience of comparison, but it is
also inherent in rankings that they are limited in what
they convey. Features of Amsterdam that make an
important contribution to the city’s competitiveness,
such as its unique character as a city of bikes, the
(nearly) bilingual population and the high quality of
urban planning and architecture, are often disregarded
by the various indices.
Knowledge Networks
Amsterdam proactively participates in knowledge net-works.
As with the rankings, participation contributes to
visibility, branding and the availability of information.
Participating in a particular network can propagate an
image that attracts specific knowledge and business
clusters to relocate to the city. Despite the fact that
some of the networks are not focused on influencing
European policy, it is becoming increasingly obvious
that ‘Brussels’ serves as a hub in the international
exchange of knowledge.
International networks such as Eurocities, METREX,
the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ISOCARP
contribute to the sharing of knowledge about integral
strategies for sustainable development in cities and
metropolitan areas. These networks are also often a
source of potential partners for EU projects. A shared
urgency and common goals are elements that are
essential to operating successfully within city networks.
Shared interests tend to be focused on themes of
European policy such as city-countryside partnerships
and metropolitan governance, as well as on practical
solutions for immediate implementation of European
directives, as with air quality.
At an administrative level Amsterdam is seeking
closer ties with partners from these networks. In recent
years, Mayor Eberhard van der Laan and other members
>
03 | 2013 11

9. of the City Board have visited Brussels regularly, not
solely to amass knowledge but also and expressly to
share the city’s own expertise.
A Europe of Cities
From a European perspective, the relationship between
cities and national states might change. The role of
cities and their metropolitan areas is expanding, as cities
continue to grow and national borders become less
significant. These strong cities and metropolises will
want more influence over integrated projects and more
financial support for them, which may lead to conflicts
of interest between national governments and their
cities. To strengthen the cities’ positions they are
already turning to networks for cities and metropolitan
areas. Thanks to this more robust position they will
become important interlocutors for the European
administration.
12 PLANAmsterdam
A ‘Europe of cities’ does not imply that cities win while
the rural areas lose out; the city cannot grow at the
expense of the surrounding areas. The goal must be
concerted development, which offers advantages for
the quality of life in areas that are more rural. It then
simultaneously contributes to the challenges for the
city, such as food production and a sustainable energy
supply. For example, the City of Amsterdam is working
on a ‘food vision’, which enhances the spatial cohesion
between city and surrounding areas, the European
policy area of ‘territorial cohesion’.
Amsterdam’s solid footing in Europe obliges the city
to employ its expertise to help others to solve their
problems. It is also necessary to collaborate with
partners who perhaps do not rank among the top flight.
Experiences that are placed in a new context can
be instructive because the exercise exposes hidden
assumptions, convictions, values and opinions.
European and International
Networks
Networks play an important part in the transfer
of knowledge, coordinated action when dealing
with shared concerns and when lobbying for
specific causes on European and international
scales. With regard to the theme of sustainable
urban development, Amsterdam is focusing its
efforts on the following networks:
Eurocities
Eurocities is the organization that lobbies the
European political institutions on behalf of cities.
It works on a political level with exchange among
practitioners in forums and working groups.
Amsterdam is involved in the Economic
Development Forum, for which Carolien Gehrels,
Amsterdam’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs,
is Vice Chair. Amsterdam takes part in all the
forums and actively participates in several working
groups, including Smart Cities, Air Quality,
Climate Change & Energy Efficiency, City Branding
& Attractiveness, Metropolitan Areas and Creative
Industries.
METREX
METREX is the network of European Metropolitan
Regions and Areas. About 50 European metro­politan
areas are members of METREX. It organizes
the exchange of practitioners’ experiences in
the field of strategic development and spatial
strategies. METREX is engaged in the develop-ment
of a European spatial framework (poly­METREX
and interMETREX) and in devising a
benchmark for metropolitan governance. METREX
also developed reMAC, a forecasting model for
the decarbonization of metropolitan areas. The
two conference-like gatherings each year focus on
a core issue in a particular region and involve net-working
sessions on various subjects. Amsterdam
is currently serving as Vice President of the
METREX network.
C40
C40 is a global political initiative (network) of cities
that are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and address climate risks and impacts,
whether local or global. The C40’s global field
representatives work with city governments,
supported by technical experts across a diversity
of programme areas. They jointly facilitate active
exchange and collaboration among the member
cities. Amsterdam is an active participant in the
C40 green growth network.
ISOCARP
The International Society of City and Regional
Planners (ISOCARP) is a global association of
professional planners and other stakeholders who
are involved in the development and maintenance
of the built environment. ISOCARP’s objectives are
to improve cities and territories through planning
practice, training, education and research.
ISOCARP promotes the planning profession in
all its aspects. As an independent network of
professional planners it has grown into a world-wide
organization but has also retained a strong
European emphasis.
ISOCARP presents an Award of Excellence to
stimulate the transfer of outstanding practices.
Amsterdam won this award in 2008 for the
process used to establish the Amsterdam Metro-politan
Area and in 2010 for its Structural Vision:
Amsterdam 2040.

10. 12 Political action space shifts from traditional
government structures and administrative boundaries
to more flexible governance structures. The European
political level and the metropolitan areas play a
greater role in these new flexible action spaces.
Infographic: Sheila Binesh (based on Jacquier, 2010 /
Hermant de Callataÿ and Svanveldt, 2011)
13 The hierarchy of metropolitan regions in
this map is based on the location of multinational
corporations and their subsidiaries. It shows the
balance between subsidiaries controlled from a
city and subsidiaries in that city but controlled from
elsewhere per Functional Urban Area. The European
core is the preferred location for multinational
corporations and their subsidiaries, with London
and Paris standing out as control hubs (i.e. for
multinational headquarters).
Map: ESPON, 2010
New Flexible Action
Space (Software Policies:
Governance)
European Union
Transborder &
Macro-Regions
Metropolitan
Areas
Neighbourhoods
Multi-Sector
Actors
13
Such cooperation can also lead to innovative solutions
and fresh insights. The responsible attitude taken by
Amsterdam is generating plenty of interest among
Europe’s administrative echelons.
Policy from Brussels, such as Europe 2020, helps local
governments to maintain their focus. However, cities
must themselves take the lead in grappling with these
challenges. Knowledge exchange and ‘living labs’
can help to disseminate knowledge quickly and from
government to government. European legislation can
serve as an incentive, but ultimately it is all the European
cities which are jointly responsible for meeting global
challenges or, indeed, for failing to address them.
European cities must make even greater efforts to
ensure that this European knowledge exchange takes
place effectively. European cooperation does not arise
spontaneously; it demands quite a lot of work by cities
total number of subs. by FUA
Balance of controlled subs. minus subs. from outside
versus controlled subs. plus subs. from outside
0.2 – 1
0 – 0.2
- 0.3 – 0
- 0.5 – - 0.3
- 1 – - 0.5
and their municipal apparatuses. For example, municipal
staff must learn the language of their European
colleagues. In this competitive era the greatest challenge
seems to be having the courage to be open to each
other about mistakes and gaps in knowledge as
partners, instead of just talking about our best practices.
A Stronger and More Responsible Role
Amsterdam contributes to the ‘European project’ by
adopting an open and proactive attitude, by learning
from others and sharing knowledge. The City Council is
working on a coordinated European strategy and has a
pro-European mayor as its standard bearer in Brussels.
Amsterdam enters into new joint ventures with cities
from which we can learn and by equal token impart our
own expertise. The challenges facing the city in Europe
are so important that European cities and metropolises
must jointly assume the mantle of pioneer.
From Government to
Multi-Scalar Governance
Old Fixed Action Space
(Hardware Policies:
Government)
Central States
Provinces
Administrative
Cities
Functional
Territories
03 | 2013 13
12