ancient cities

Kingdom’s “right to buy” program, although tenants
can buy their home only if the landlord offers
to sell it to them. The second is a program aimed at
the renewal of postwar neighborhoods: Many
dwellings are demolished and replaced by privatesector
housing. In addition, squatting is also becoming
less easy and less accepted than it once was. The
national government is discussing a ban on squatting,
and although the city of Amsterdam does not
support such a ban, relations between squatters and
authorities have become more and more hostile.
2. Drugs. The main aim of the drug policy in the
Netherlands is to protect the health of individual
users, the people around them, and society as a
whole. Priority is given to vulnerable groups. Active
policies on care and prevention are being pursued to
reduce the demand for drugs. Regulations on drugs
are laid down in the Opium Act. The Opium Act
draws a distinction between hard drugs (e.g., heroin,
cocaine, and ecstasy [also known as XTC or
MDMA]), which are considered to pose an unacceptable
hazard to health, and soft drugs (e.g., hashish
and marijuana), which constitute a far less
serious hazard. Importing and exporting drugs are
the most serious offenses under the provisions of the
Opium Act. The possession of drugs is an offense,
but the possession of a small quantity of soft drugs
for personal use is not criminalized. In addition,
anyone found in possession of less than 0.5 gram of
hard drugs will generally not be prosecuted, though
the police will confiscate the drugs and consult a
care agency. The city center of Amsterdam is dotted
with so-called coffee shops, where soft drugs can be
bought and consumed. National government
recently forced the city to close a number of them
because they are considered to be too close to
schools. Surprisingly to many non-Dutch, drug use
in the Netherlands, both soft and hard, is lower
than in many other countries. For example, more
than twice as many Americans regularly use marijuana
or cocaine. Drug use is higher in Amsterdam
than most other parts of the country, but this is
probably true for most big cities.
3. Prostitution. As is the case with drugs,
Amsterdam’s lenient stance on prostitution seems to
have risen as a special case at the intersection of
national policies and local yet international tourism.
In the Netherlands, prostitution was legalized in
2000. However, this does not mean prostitution is
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
23
left completely to the free market; for example,
brothel licensing is used to control illegal immigration.
Registered prostitutes are taxed, which allows
for legal action against nonlicensed prostitutes offering
their services. Contrary to the impressions of
many foreigners, Dutch citizens, in general, do not
support or encourage prostitution and sexual commerce.
Nonetheless, in the Netherlands, prostitution
is much more accepted as a social fact than it is elsewhere.
Chrisje Brants speaks of “regulated tolerance”:
Even before legislation, it involved
“self-regulation, enforced if necessary through
administrative rules, but always with the criminal
law as a threat in the background,” although “it is
not an offence to make use of the services of a prostitute”
or to offer services as a prostitute. Because of
the unique situation in the Netherlands, Amsterdam’s
major red-light district, De Wallen, is not tied just to
notions of danger, immorality, drugs, and crime but
also to tolerance, excitement, and freedom—making
De Wallen one of Amsterdam’s major tourist attractions.
The commodification of sex is not very hidden
in the De Wallen. Unlike other red-light districts, De
Wallen is not visited just by heterosexual men looking
for sexual pleasure. The crowd on the streets
includes locals passing through on a walk as well as
by couples, women, homosexual men, business
associates, and families with grandparents and children
in tow. Both physically and socially, the area is
not very strongly separated from its surroundings,
and borders appear relatively porous: The occasional
sex shop can be found on the adjacent streets
among cultural institutions, respectable cafes, child
care facilities, and residential housing (often located
above the window brothels and the sex shops).
Recently, the city of Amsterdam, and in particular
the large social-democratic party, has started a campaign
to significantly limit the red-light district in
size. It could be argued that the city is undertaking a
deliberate promotion of gentrification.
An Ordinary, Progressive City
Amsterdam is a significant place in urban studies,
not just because of its historical significance and the
resulting architectural heritage but also because it is
often seen as an example of an almost utopian city
with the most progressive policies in the world.
Susan Fainstein, in her essay in the book
Understanding Amsterdam, describes Amsterdam as
“the just city.” Although Amsterdam will still look