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“...in the '70s and '80s, while the world was in the process of enlarging, architecture was subdividing; there was a self-marginalization, a fanatical attention to detail, even a language that was splintering. Bigness already existed, as the outcome of inventions such as steel and air-conditioning, but engineering was still being considered a mere afterthought and not a necessary complement to architecture. And in fact there seemed to be absolutely no conceivable connection between architecture and the driving forces in society. So the reason to consider Bigness was to find a way to align architecture with the bigness of the new climate.”[7]

There is a history of studies in the Netherlands that have dealt with urban issues on a large scale. For example (fig1) shows an installation for the Dutch pavilion at the World Fair in Osaka 1970. The map by Wim Crouwel represents the urban planning scheme of the Netherlands, comparing the situation in 1970 with the one expected in the year 2000. Although this scheme did not propose any changes, it is representative of a design culture that is constantly looking to the future.

The Randstad

It is necessary to gain an understanding of the Randstad in particular the concept of the 'Green Heart' as it is one of the main notions that is challenged by OMA's study. It would be impossible to speak of urbanism in the Netherlands without reference to the Randstad. That the built environment in the Netherlands is often referred to as The Randstad and 'the rest' illustrates its importance[9] Although there are doubts as to whether this was the first time it was noted, this romanticised image is what brought it to the attention of the nation, and is most likely also a factor in the notion’s longevity. It is surprising to think that an idea founded on a visual interpretation has informed urban growth for 50 years.

The cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague had, through no premeditated aim, formed an arbitrary ring-like pattern that was then manipulated and adopted as planning policy. Because the urban environment was taking this shape naturally, future developments would follow this framework, therefore construction was directed outward and the green centre of the ring protected. The strength and endurance of the notion is founded upon its clarity and ease of understanding. 

Many have, however deemed it to be dominated by a debilitating aesthetic vision to order the appearance of the city and the man-made landscape. There were undoubtedly many things about the traditional model of the Randstad that made it a logical plan to follow, but it is likely that the strong image of the idea meant it went unchallenged longer than it should have done. As Dieleman stated in his analysis of the Randstad in 1992, “For a long time, Dutch politicians and scientists unanimously lauded the benefits of this form of urban development. Only recently have scientific analysts questioned the concept and the direction in which the Randstad is headed.” [10]

Before WWII planners had already become concerned with overcrowding in the west of the Netherlands. This concern however, did not prompt a solution throu本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。