Amsterdam's Canal District

"Amsterdams Canal District, edited by Jan Nijman, makes an important contribution to the historic preservation literature and, more generally, to writings on global cities. Whereas most books on the Canal District focus on its creation in Netherlands Golden Age (the 17th century), this book, which brings together top-flight scholars from a wide variety of fields, highlights both lessons to be derived from the districts evolution since the 17th century as well as contemporary debates in Amsterdam about how to cope with the challenges posed by over-tourism." -- David P. Varady * <em>Journal of Urban Affairs</em> *

Jan Nijman is Director and Distinguished University Professor at the Urban Studies Institute of Georgia State University, and professor of Geography at the University of Amsterdam.

List of contributors Dedication Preface 1. Introduction: The Canal District in Global Perspective Jan Nijman PART I: HISTORIC ORIGINS 2. Between art and expediency: Origins of the Canal District Jaap Evert Abrahamse 3. Designing the worlds most liberal city Russell Shorto 4. A privileged site in the city, the republic and the world economy Herman van der Wusten PART II: EVOLUTION 5. Bourgeois homes: The elite spaces of the Canal District Cle Lesger and Jan Hein Furnee 6. The architectural essence of the Canal District: Past and present Freek Schmidt 7. The Canal District: A continuing history of modern planning Len de Klerk PART III: 21ST CENTURY CHALLENGES 8. Preservation through transformation: Amsterdam through the lens of Barcelona Mark Warren, Melisa Pesoa and Joaqun Sabat 9. The Canal District as a site of cognitive-cultural activities: A miracle of spaciousness, compactness, intelligible order Robert Kloosterman and Karin Pfeffer 10. Cause Clbre: The contested history of the Canal District Susan Legne and T.C. Ver Loren van Themaat 11. The Canal District as home: Living in a commodified space Fenne Pinkster and Willem Boterman