Boundless optimism, since it all turned to the fifth day of IJburg, such as multiplication ARCAM organized by the date of the referendum that the project is not blocked. The merriment began with the sun during the excursions on the Harbor Island afternoon, and ended with the conclusion of the discussion Chairman Martin Kloos evening top the telephone, the only building on IJburg there certainly is.

Apparently surprised Kloos noted after the pep talk of Klaas de Boer (Director Planning Service Amsterdam), Igor Roovers (IJburg project), Han Michel (director of one of those developer consortia) and Vera Yanovshtchinsky (an architect of the first blocks on the Harbor Island) that it all appears to be a lot better than he and many like him these days the media have understood. And it surprised Kloos, who do not like the naiefste known, in turn, a large part of the room, including yours truly.

If something does not voted for optimism was the slick but empty talk of the four speakers. IJburg Almost everything was great, ambitious, beautiful, durable and magnificent, and had actually just a bit faster and be more beautiful – but under approach X, Y and not approach the previous speaker, or Z of the environmental movement or the Car lobby or Q of politics. The very fact that the propagandists on four key issues and strongly disagree were sprinkled with water by stabbing made clear that there is something wrong somewhere. That many of these discussions are also attracted much of the political and social realities, it gave a whole declined slightly scary touch: this is after all not Utopia. But it was difficult the presented success stories too seriously, as the ground was already clear in the sometimes cynical comments of co-referent Gert Middelkoop (planner) to the room as half Maarten van Rossem played. The sober but vivid reality, the visionary superficial machismo of the great men and woman are overtaking.

The question that all this came to mind was how well the speakers themselves nou seriously. Klaas de Boer really think that all those spectacular infrastructure that he misses, a bypass tunnel bored under the Gein endless railway bridge to a protected bird area IJmeer, the combined forces of Zalmnorm, environmentalists and distrust in politics will prevail, though the thirty years? Han Michel sincerely hoped that his gay sketch of a piece of ghetto millionaire or perhaps a representative picture of the ideal future IJburg? Vera architect believes in her heart Yanovshtchinsky have someone waiting for those expensive plan chaos resulting population mix of fashionable tendencies and other planning and architectural hype? And project leader Igor Roovers really do not see that affordable housing by making them smaller just more middle-class families to Hoofddorp and Almere hunts?

The answer to these questions will be somewhere in the middle between yes and no lie: without a bit of bureaucratic bluff, what toadyism, a bit of cynicism, a tuft of cosmetics and a dash of opportunism would it IJburg course just boring. And of course the real problems are sometimes picky, and usually fairly banal: partly to discourage car use IJburg has only two real access, and now wants one from Rijkswaterstaat impose an impossible loop. A third of millionaire homes in the first block to yield, already in the pipeline, is not sold, which is difficult when your funding is based on the market hype of recent years, with standard lot from the catalog. And the parking ratio should we adopt for earning two yuppies without subscription tram, which allow cars that fall outside the norm? IJburg is now Amsterdam or region, or Vinex canal? Unfortunately it came a few such problems (finally) addressed in the final discussion, which is all the more frustrating because it was really to talk about and debate proved to be, because the bosses had no ready answers to offer. An hour starting debate was so much more interesting than the extensive hours make good stories.

Intriguing in the discussion was that it appeared that a lot of data are simply not ready. Nobody seemed to know what the IJburgers actually find their new place to live. Or, if coffee is watching, why the people of the Eastern Docklands Amsterdam, the Rotterdam Kop van Zuid Nieuw-Sloten, Floriande or the latest extensions of Almere in place in recent years have ended, how they live and mobile , and what that says about IJburg. The good old days of the AUP, when Van Eesteren first with mathematical precision what Amsterdam stretching all needed, and only then to hit the design also had its attractions.

But let me not to be nostalgic and pessimistic. The AUP has many times been overtaken by reality, and all that on a gedroogzwem Tuesday does not mean that the Port Island has a solid, well thought out plan is, with a clear vision, a plan which also invested heavily in quality which buyers might not be waiting, but of benefit. The homes are environmentally conscious, the look of the street, and is best used in the not too spacious green areas and parks at home and the abundant water. From the way closed and open blocks are combined and even integrated some radical blocks makers in innovation in the postwar housing also much to learn. What remains is a difficult susceptible sand, is actually a real piece of city.

The afternoon walks on the Harbor Island also voted only really optimistic: the endless sand, the pounding pile drivers, the racing trucks, the architect only with some difficulty his own block in the void can post, but then comes a heartwarming picture of his piece IJburg called, everything came down together in one hour excursion a perfect idyll of diligent effort, exactly what the night would be so lacking. Perhaps the speakers for next year are plucked from their offices, but are selected to wear their boots, the emptiness of their political agenda, and the amount of graphs and maps into their PowerPoint free speech. If the organization also have some great weather for “survival kit” full of snacks and drinks will, this pathfinder is happy again, and get those trees the sky perhaps once true.

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