Friends of the City Archives, Amsterdam

Follow-up application for the project Amsterdam compact city 1974-2020: The Legacy of Michael van der Vlis.

The research takes you to the compact city of Amsterdam from 1974-2000, or the legacy of alderman Michael van der Vlis, (1944-2018), who did not want Amsterdam to expand uninhibited, but to remain compact. As an alderman, he was committed to urban densification and population growth. With the help of the first grant awarded by the EFL, archival research was done at the Stadsarchief Amsterdam, reading the primary and secondary literature on the compact city. The follow-up involves research (archival research, literature study, oral history) that in the longer term should result in a book (publication expected end of 2024) and that during the research period will be shared with experts, politicians, local residents, students and generally interested parties in a series of public meetings and educational interventions. The aim of these meetings is to compare the preliminary research results with contemporary issues about the compact city, in order to critically question current tasks and solutions.