Green roots
In an age in which Europe was dominated by authoritarian monarchies that built princely palaces, Amsterdam was, and is still today, primarily a city of ordinary townspeople. The members of the City Council came from the merchant classes which resulted in a city with an unusually pleasant climate in which to live and work.
Amsterdam: a trailblazing green city
As far back as 1610, trees were being systematically planted along the entire length of Amsterdam’s canals - making it the only city in Europe to do so at the time. Trees were scarce or altogether absent throughout the rest of Europe, yet in Amsterdam they were being imported with regularity and in abundance.
Every time a canal was dug, numerous lime and elm trees were planted along its banks. The German city chronicler Philipp von Zeses wrote in 1664: "We gaze on these canals in astonishment. It seems as if we have arrived in an earthly paradise".
There is no record of the background leading up to the decision to plant trees, but it
was undoubtedly based on the golden rule for urban planning of combining ‘usefulness with pleasure’. Besides creating shade and boosting the quality of fresh air and public health, the
trees also provided a scenic contrast to the brick buildings and the water of
the canals.
Garden space
Amsterdam City Council also decided that only half of the residential blocks could be
built upon - the remaining space of the building plots had to be used as garden
space. This enhanced the appeal of the new district enormously and gave the stone
city its ‘green lungs’. The double intervention of trees and garden space gave the canal ring the impression of a leafy suburb.
The canal ring is still a hive of activity and four centuries on, it remains a desirable place to live and to work.
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