Social Design - Gemeente Amsterdam x ABZ

April 2017— Intervention and social experiment commissioned by the City of Amsterdam, in collaboration with Afdeling Buitengewone Zaken

Amsterdam is a busy place. The city centre is overrun by visitors every day wanting to get a glimpse of its rich history. A complex situation considering local life of residents and entrepreneurs moves on: business as usual. The City of Amsterdam faces a challenge to meet everyones needs. Spreading out its visitors across different areas in the city was considered one of the main solutions but what would such a spread entail? What would work best and how can we break visitors patterns in the best way?

We developed a method to do research on this matter. “Route Carts” were produced which we then took to streets. We paved the way for a new walking route across the city. For two weeks we started conversations with residents, visitors, local businesses and random passers-by on the route from Amsterdam Central Station to the Mauritskade. We eventually mapped out a number of interesting new routes and connections through different forms of communication.

By categorising these insights and translating them into realistic concepts, we helped the City of Amsterdam to move forward with a range of alternative and possible solutions for this issue.