The newest city in the Netherlands provides a glimpse of what future cities could look like. What was just water has become the world’s largest artificial island of 1,000 square kilometres.
This reclaimed area to the west of Amsterdam across IJmeer lake is where Almere city sits. The city is now home to more than 200,000 residents.
The main reason for creating the city is to alleviate the crowding of two nearby cities, Amsterdam and Utrecht.
But Almere is not just any other urban area. It allowed its residents freedom to design their own houses and what their infrastructure and amenities would look like.
Something that doesn’t usually happen when planning a new city is giving the residents the freedom to express the concept of “design for living.” The area has become a blank canvass for many Dutch architects and self-builders.
As a result, the city gave rise to distinct and thematic neighbourhoods, providing an avenue for urban innovation and personalised expression.
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