Amsterdam 2040

The NewStructural Visionby Koos van Zanen k.van.zanen@dro.amsterdam.nlA spatial response tosocial issuesThe complexity of urban development means itis no longer possible to make do with blueprintplanning; ‘certainties’ that stem from them havelong been lacking in credibility. The AmsterdamStructural Vision must seduce and convince witha coherent narrative, a story in which the socialbenefit of spatial interventions is explained andjustified in terms that are as clear as crystal.The ‘Structural Vision: Amsterdam 2040’ carriesforward the city’s long tradition of spatial structuralplanning, yet on important points the new StructuralVision diverges from previous structural plans, bothin substance and in form. The emphasis has shiftedto the vision for the city, while the spatial elaboration,in policy and regulations, primarily plays a complementaryrole.Spatial plans usually excel in their indication of whatmust happen and where, but spatial ambitions are notan end in themselves; they emanate from social needsand concerns. In the Structural Vision the interventionsare constantly subjected to questions, such as ‘Butwhy ...?’ and ‘Then how ...?’ Breadth of support makesor breaks a structural vision; if it were a paper tiger itwould soon disappear into a bottom drawer, and thatis hardly the intention.The city-dweller and the everyday environmentare keyIn the lead-up to the Structural Vision, the argumentsfor the spatial ambitions were laid down in two04PLANAmsterdam