CIP A 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey
THE CORE, UNIQUE HISTORIC LANDMARK
OR ONE PLACE OUT OF MANY?
Several decades ago, the historic inner city still formed the
centre of urban commercial activity. More than half the urban
places of employment in Amsterdam were located in the city
centre in the mid 1960s. In the next thirty years, while the
number of jobs in the Amsterdam region grew rapidly, the
number of jobs in the centre declined to 40% of what it had
been in the mid 1960s. This development has hitherto been
ascribed to strong economic growth and changes in the
organization of social life. Changes consequently took place in
the local preferences of consumers and companies, and the
historic city centre gained a different market position.
The first reaction to the exodus of commercial activity
concentrated on modifying the spatial structures with the aim of
adapting the historic centre to the requirements of the time. The
changes were particularly rigorous in the United States. Jane
Jacobs reacted to that development, noting that the unique
qualities of old city centres were being rapidly effaced. Europe
was following the example of America with a certain delay and,
fortunately, not quite as comprehensively. It soon became clear
that the suburbanization of economic life could not be stopped
by a metamorphosis of the urban spatial structures. A separation
of economic interests took place, and the historic centre
changed from being into a place of production into a place of
consumption.
A repetition of this process is now imminent. For years, the
geographical centre of gravity of consumer expenditures has
been located in the city centre. This is now changing because
the growth of consumer expenditure is accompanied by a
substantial increase in spatial requirements. A self-evident, but
not sensible, reaction to this trend is a far-reaching
reorganization of the city centre so as to create more space,
(figure 2) The probability of destroying the unique spatial
quality of the old centre is high, and the centre is likely to
become a poor alternative to more accessible and more spacious
locations.
Relatively speaking, the old centre has been shrinking
continually. This development will continue in the coming
years. Changes attuned to creating more space will prove
insufficient. The status and market position of the centre will
change nonetheless.
We must take care, for we can only cut a tree down once. The
historic inner city can be distinguished from other urban areas in
at least the following respects:
• The urban structure developed in a pre
industrial period. The total area was and still is
small and traversable on foot. In an era when
the most modem available mode of transport
was the horse and cart, streets were
dimensioned on a scale that now produces
problems of accessibility.
• The production of goods used to take place
mainly outside the city walls. Inside the walls,
the buildings accommodated the ecclesiastical
and administrative institutions and homes for
the wealthier citizens. Many of the historic
buildings in the historic core show outstanding
achievements of craftsmanship and
engineering.
• The urban fabric of the city centre consisted
originally of individual buildings. These
coalesced in the course of time to form
continuous building masses in which the
public spaces were hollowed out.
• When it does become necessary to insert new
buildings within the existing structure, the
human scale, the spatial diversity and the
picturesque image of the centre stimulate the
creation of unique designs.
International migration has principally been directed
towards urbanized areas during the last 300 years. In the
post-colonial period, it is expected that there will be an
intensification of migration flows into Western Europe.
This phenomenon is associated with the ‘rejuvenation’
of metropolitan populations. The average age of city-
centre populations is falling both in America and in
Europe. London attracts young migrants from all over
Great Britain, and most of these will have left again by
the time they reach age 45.
Urban places
Redevelopment sites
transformation
centre areas
urban
radius
ring
surface
%
areas
thick
area of
ness
ring in ha
share
core
1000
1000
314
4%
zone 20/40
2000
1000
943
12%
zone 45/75
3000
1000
1571
20%
zone 75/00
4000
1000
2200
28%
city edge
5000
1000
2829
36%
Existing locations
(within city territory)
railway station locations
restructuring
post war housing
shopping centres
complete renewal
harbour areas
former industry
Total urban area 7857 100%
Doubling the land use intensity in the city
centre has the same quantitative effect as
intensifying land use in the outermost ring
by 4% or intensifying land use in
the 45/75 ring by 11%.
Core
:
zone*
20/40
zone* 45/75
WÊÊÊ
zone* 75/00
1
* urban expansion areas developed in periods 1920-40,
1945-75 and 1975-2000 respectively
Figure 2 Urban areas
Figure 3 The core, in relation to other urban areas
