The present-day building drive will have its backlash on the metropolitan landscape, as it will on the bigger Westerpark area in Amsterdam, where plans have been developed for the construction of a new residential area for more than 100.000 residents. In the Westerpark, a green cultural park for recreation and sometimes large-scale events, there are the 100-year-old allotment parks, which traditionally served as production gardens for residents in the adjacent neighbourhoods, but now mainly serve as private recreational areas. As a result of the intentions the pressure on the park and therefore the allotments will increase with the arrival of new residents.

To guarantee a bright and sustainable future for the Westerpark as well as the allotments, one wonders, are the facilities in the park still sufficient and future-proof? The infrastructure, will it still work properly if a huge residential area is added on the northwest side? Are there enough and well designed entrances? Can the allotments retain their unique and private character in a city park that should fulfill a function for all Amsterdam residents?

In this case study I investigated these and other issues and looked at the opportunities for Groot Westerpark, including the two allotment parks, so that Westerpark can safeguard its valuable character for the future.

This resulted in a design where nature meets art and current pressure areas will be relieved by an updated infrastructure and the arrival of new functions and destinations in other areas of the park, like the sculpture museum on the district terrain and the community garden with café and nursery in the allotment parks. To already strengthen the green structure and claim a leisure area in the future new residential area, in my scheme, the Westerpark will be extended to the Kabelweg (see design here) in the northwest.