This Is A Moment For Change - Innovative Solutions Reveal Life After Lockdown In Amsterdam
The novel Coronavirus has called for novel solutions. Managing social distancing regulations post-lockdown, as well as prioritising the health, wellbeing, lifestyles and mobility of Amsterdam residents is integral to the new normal we’ll need to create. From restaurants to cycle paths and from local communities to tourists, forward-thinking solutions are giving shape to the Amsterdam of the future.
HOW WE EAT - SERRES SÉPARÉES AT MEDIAMATIC ETEN, OOSTERDOK
Trialling distanced dining at Mediamatic ETEN. Credit: Willem Velthoven for Mediamatic Amsterdam
Intimate waterside dining that brings people together, while keeping them safely apart. That’s the inspired thinking behind Mediamatic ETEN’s “redesign of togetherness,” which introduces a creatively distanced dining experience that prioritises the health of both its staff and its patrons.
The Serres Séparées concept is based on the traditional chambre séparée you might find in a French restaurant or bar, a private room with a more intimate feel. Vegan restaurant Mediamatic ETEN has made that concept its own, building waterfront serres (greenhouses) where diners will relax, unwind and savour their food over the coming months.
Rustic wooden boards for socially-separated serving. Credit: Willem Velthoven for Mediamatic Amsterdam
The greenhouse theme is a fitting expression of the restaurant’s ethos: wherever possible, it serves organic and sustainable local produce, creating dishes using herbs and edible flowers from its own Aquaponics greenhouse. Its chefs also pride themselves on creating sensations with food that go beyond just taste. The greenhouse setting, combined with the waiters’ futuristic face shields and the rustic wooden boards they’ll use to skilfully serve food from a distance, will only reinforce that sensory experience.
The Oosterdok waterside. Credit: Willem Velthoven for Mediamatic Amsterdam
Following several successful trial runs with its staff’s friends and family, Mediamatic ETEN is hoping to open the greenhouses to the public on June 1, subject to official local and national authorisation.
Bookings have filled up fast, but you can stay updated here.
HOW WE WELCOME VISITORS - REBALANCING THE TOURIST DISTRICT
Amsterdam’s pre-lockdown crowds. Credit: @cobinrox
Coronavirus lockdown quietened the streets of Amsterdam, emptying its most well-known areas of the usual influx of international tourists. While the city is keen to reopen its doors - reviving its open-minded, accepting character, as well as the local economy - this moment of stillness is a key chance for change.
With tourism temporarily on hold, residents have been given a glimpse of “what Amsterdam is with only locals,” said Geerte Udo, chief executive of the city’s not-for-profit marketing organisation amsterdam&partners.
Quiet, empty streets. Credit: @cobinrox
Over recent years, the vast number of tourists in Amsterdam has caused issues for local residents, lowering the quality of life in the city centre. The area had become so tourist-dominated that locals tend to avoid it entirely; with few Red Light District revellers around, it’s been almost empty for months.
In mid-April, city authorities opened a proposed ban on holiday home rentals in three central neighbourhoods for public consultation. The initiative would see homes in Burgwallen-Oude Zijde, Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde and Grachtengordel-Zuid move back to prioritising permanent local residents, rather than temporary visitors, as well as bringing in comprehensive new rental regulations in Amsterdam’s other neighbourhoods.
Open for public comment until May 28, the plans look likely to be officially introduced from July 1.
Regulations are important, but attracting the right type of visitor to the city is also vital for a more sustainable future of tourism. amsterdam&partners feels it’s time to reorientate the city’s tourism goals, channelling its audience away from disruptive hen and stag trips to visitors that appreciate the city for its cultural and historical gems.
HOW WE MOVE AROUND THE CITY - INTRODUCING THE GREEN LOOP
The Green Loop spanning the IJ. Credit: Dominik Philipp Bernátek
In early January, architect Dominik Philipp Bernátek proposed a groundbreaking design for a living bridge across Amsterdam’s IJ waterfront. The structure aims to provide an integrated solution to the city’s major areas for improvement: a shortage of housing, traffic congestion in the city centre and a lack of connectivity to Amsterdam-Noord.
The bridge would form part of a cycle path connecting all of Amsterdam’s major central parks, bringing Noord closer to the rest of the city while providing alternative commuter routes to ease pressure on local ferry services.
Open space and cycle paths connecting the city. Credit: Dominik Philipp Bernátek
As social distancing continues and we think more carefully about commuter crowds, it’s possible we’ll see a general decrease in public transport usage. So, the living bridge proposal is now more relevant than ever: providing a new spatially generous, interconnected way of moving around the city, Bernátek sees the concept as “a statement for Amsterdam’s future-oriented values.”
HOW WE RUN THE ECONOMY - DEPLOYING THE DOUGHNUT
“The Amsterdam City Doughnut: A Tool for Transformative Action”
In April, Amsterdam city authorities announced their Circular Economy Strategy 2020-2025, the first stage in achieving an entirely circular economy for the city by 2050. Based on the Doughnut Economics model created by British economist Kate Raworth, the strategy aims to strengthen the social foundations of the city, while reducing its carbon footprint.
Simply put, the inner ring of the Doughnut represents the basic necessities of modern life, from food, water and shelter to education, gender equality and healthcare. The outer ring represents the limits human life can reach without damaging the natural planet around us. Those in the Doughnut’s hole are living without the basics they need; those living outside the Doughnut are damaging the planet with their lifestyle.
The plan aims to situate Amsterdam firmly in the ‘dough’, ensuring quality of life for its citizens, while respecting and protecting the health of the planet. The strategy focuses on finding sustainable building methods to increase the available housing in the city, making rental rates more affordable, as well as transforming the city’s approach to general refuse and food waste in both homes and businesses.
Excerpt from the Amsterdam City Doughnut.
“[A] circular economy has been one of the city’s priorities for several years now,” says Lisa den Oudendammer, spokesperson for Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Marieke van Doorninck. Initially, the authorities were hesitant to unveil the plans with the city still in the midst of Coronavirus. “We had some doubts at first regarding the timing,” den Oudendammer shares, “but it turned out that people were also longing for ideas to rebuild our economy after the crisis.”
Speaking at a LiveCast hosted by Amsterdam arts and culture centre Pakhuis de Zwijger, Raworth herself echoed this sentiment: “Once the lockdowns are lifted, once we start to rebuild our economies, it’s about renewal. Let’s move this moment towards the economies we already know we want.”
LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN
The pandemic’s devastating losses and enforced distancing have served as a wake-up call: from this moment of flux, how can we live better?
Avoiding crowded metros, for health reasons as well as to get the fresh air we’ve re-appreciated over the last few months? Continuing to support local businesses and find novelty closer to home? Living calmer, slower lives that better protect ourselves and the planet?
These realisations are by no means unique to Amsterdam, but the city’s rapidly becoming a leading light in making them a reality.
Words by Amsterdam correspondent Abi Malins