Port-City - Haven Amsterdam

Port-City
Three prospects for
the western IJ-banks
Gemeente Amsterdam
Dienst Ruimtelijke Ordening
Haven Amsterdam Final report September 2009

2 Port-City Haven-Stad
This report has been drawn up by the Port-City Project Group on behalf of the aldermen of the Port and Physical Planning
(Haven en Ruimtelijke Ordening).

Gemeente Amsterdam
Dienst Ruimtelijke Ordening
Haven Amsterdam
Port-City
Port-City
three prospects for the western IJ- banks
3

4 Port-City Haven-Stad
Aerial view of the North Sea Canal area, 2006

Index
Summary 7
Introduction 11
Administrative assignment
Long-term study
Working method
Bookmarker
PART 1: Context 15
Characteristics of the area 15
Historical overview
Plan area
Work, living, use of space
Accessibility
Environment
Cultural-historical value
Meaning as port area 29
Amsterdam Seaports
Coen and Vlothaven
Income
The qualities of Port City 33
Port line of approach
Urban line of approach
Prominent location along the IJ
The proximity of the city
Strategic location
Position in the metropolitan region 43
Port-City and transformation
Port-City and accessibility
Port-City and sustainability
Olympic ambition
Intermezzo: foreign examples
PART 2: Scenarios 51
Scenario thinking 51
Three scenarios for Port-City 51
Methodology 55
Environmental profiles
Programme
Costs and income
Contributions by experts and parties
involved 59
Design principles 60
Spatial structure
Traffic and transport
Environmental aspects
Scenario 1 “The Port in the City” 65
Programme
Traffic and transport
Environmental aspects
Costs and income
Port-City
5
Scenario 2 “The Port and the City” 71
Programme
Traffic and transport
Environmental aspects
Costs and income
Scenario 3 “The City in the Port” 77
Programme
Traffic and transport
Environmental aspects
Costs and income
PART 3: Comparing scenarios 82
Metropolitan region
Port-industrial complex
Programme
Relocations
Costs and income
Conclusions and recommendations 89

6 Port-City Haven-Stad
Aerial view of the Port-City area, 2006

Summary
Port-City, under this denominator the Spatial
Planning Department (DIenst Ruimtelijke
Ordening) and the Port of Amsterdam have spent
the last three years studying the future of the
western IJ banks. In three prospects a perspective
has been drawn up of the desirability and
feasibility of a living-working combination along
the river IJ. The main question that presented
itself was whether the existing port activities
could actually be combined with house construction,
or that relocation or restructuring
would be required.
The study is a product of the Programme
Agreement 2006-2010, People make Amsterdam,
and targets the post-2029 period. This year is
based on the Houthaven–NDSM shipyard covenant,
in which the municipality promised port
companies not to develop new construction
plans in Port-City over the coming 20 years (outside
Houthaven and the NDSM shipyard).
The possibilities of combined living and working
have been mapped in three scenarios. The
scenarios tell a feasible story, and yet they do
not present a spatial plan or prognosis. They
do however offer the building blocks to form
an opinion on desirability and feasibility. The
judgement and resulting choices have been
prepared by the municipal executive and can
be found in the Amsterdam Structural Concept
(Structuurvisie Amsterdam).
The scenarios differ in terms of the location of
the port-city boundary. In scenario 1 the current
boundary of the noise contour remains the basic
guideline or principle. The main challenge is to
achieve the highest possible level of intensification
on both city side and port side. In scenario
2 the noise contour follows the North Sea Canal
and Mercuriushaven. The main challenge is
further urbanisation along the IJ banks in combination
with cleaner and quieter port activities.
Scenario 3 covers the boundary on the A10
motorway, whereby port activities make room
for a new urban district for over 30,000 inhabitants.
The main challenge here is relocation and
transformation.
To consider the desirability of (parts of) the scenarios,
attention has been paid as to how the
scenarios dovetail with the general visions and
ambitions of the municipality and the metropolis
region, such as urban transformation/
intensification of housing construction, metropolitan
accessibility, metropolitan landscaping
and general sustainability. The port has added
protection and strengthening of the maritime
functions.
The house construction possibilities are on the
increase as more port activities (with related
noise contours) are shifted. According to scenario
1, 40,000 houses can be built, compared to
over 19,000 according to scenario 3. Scenario 2
shows an intermediate position (about 13,000
houses). As for the quality of the living environment
scenario 2 is the most favourable. It
Port-City
7
includes a clean and quiet port zone that should
serve as a buffer, while in scenario 3 housing
construction will be extended to existing heavy
port activities.
From the port’s point of view the evaluation of
the scenarios ends differently. From this perspective
scenario 1 contributes most to a stronger
port-industrial complex, scenario 3 the least. In
scenario 3 and probably also in scenario 2 port
companies will have to be relocated. The space
required competes with the space required for
handling autonomous growth. As for scenario 2
it is still uncertain whether clean and quiet port
activities will be feasible within a period of 20
years. What is certain is that many innovations
and investments will be required.
In terms of accessibility scenario 3 offers the
best opportunities by far for improving regional
accessibility by means of a greater transport
value. In case of sizeable transformation and
intensification Port-City could join the regional
traffic system as a ‘spider in the web’. Basically
this applies to all modalities.
The urban intensification will in the case of largescale
transformation in scenario 3 relieve urban
pressure on the landscape, but at the same time
increase pressure from the port. Consequently,
it will be difficult to say which scenario will best
protect the metropolitan landscape.

8 Port-City Haven-Stad
Sloterplas
Houthavens
Teleport
Strekdam
Stadhaven Minerva
NDSM

The contribution to sustainability depends
strongly on how transformation will take place.
For instance, retention of large amounts of water
in the water storage task is a major detail. This
could mean that the current basins should be
maintained.
As for feasibility, costs and relocations matter
most. Relocations are not only about the port’s
activity, but also about activity located on a large
industrial site in Port-City. The surface area is as
big as the whole of IJburg, home to hundreds
of companies. In case of complete relocation
of activity in scenario 3, the related space claim
for urban activity is 100 hectares and for port
activity 70-90 hectares. For these claims space
will need to be found within the municipality or
the metropolitan region.
The costs and income consist of costs and
income for transformation, for relocation of
port activities and for (local) infrastructure. All
scenarios state a negative balance, ranging
from -670 million for scenario 1, -1.6 billion for
scenario 2 to -2.2 billion for scenario 3. These
costs involve many uncertainties. For instance, if
strategic acquisitions provide the possibility to
tune to desired developments, acquisition and
transformation costs could turn out to be much
lower.
Port-City
9

10 Port-City Haven-Stad
Washing, bathing and swimming facilities in Vlothaven, 1954. In the background the N.V. Houtveen warehouse (beeldbank SSA)

Introduction
Port-City is a future perspective for the western
IJ banks. The name Port-City was based on the
idea that city and port have formed an indissoluble
twin in terms of function and space since
the development of Amsterdam. Port and city
have grown and become prosperous together.
Nevertheless, over the last decades city and
port have become increasingly separated both
in terms of function and space requirements.
And yet, due to a continuously increasing need
for space from both the city and the port, they
are now growing towards each other. This calls
for reorientation of the relationship between the
city and the port. The Port-City study provides
the answers to the questions about the desirability
and the feasibility of the port and the city
merging. Of combined living and working along
the western IJ banks within the A10 ring road.
The perspective is the longer term, meaning the
2020-2040 period. After all, changes do not take
place from one day to the next, the more so if
transformation of (former) port areas is involved.
Besides, agreements exist about how to use the
port within the A10 ring road.
A long-term perspective is required for both city
and port. To a company the question is whether
it can remain on the current location, and know
for certain that its investments will be worth the
effort. Urban districts may wonder whether and
when new construction can start and where this
will be able to take place. All of these interests
matter to Amsterdam: one thing is not necessarily
better than the other. But changing needs,
different insights and relationships lead to
certain needs today, and needs for something
different tomorrow. Partly because of this Port-
City is a joint exploration, carried out by the Port
of Amsterdam and Spatial Planning Department.
Urban districts too, other municipal services, the
municipality of Zaanstad, the Stadsregio (urban
region) and social organisations are all involved
in this study.
Administrative assignment
The Port-City study follows from the Programme
Agreement 2006-2010, People make
Amsterdam, and the Westward administrative
assignment (agreed on 5 September 2006) to
the Spatial Planning Department and the Port
of Amsterdam: a study into the desirability and
feasibility in the long term (after 2020) of combined
living and working along the western IJ
banks north and south of the IJ, within the A10
ring road.
This study maps desirability and feasibility, yet
it does not make choices. On the basis of the
three scenarios the possibility of transformation
in this area has been studied including what this
would mean for (port) activity, house building
and new infrastructure links. Final choices however
are up to the city government. This is why
the result of this study will be included in the
Amsterdam Structural Concept. Here the municipal
executive will give its opinion on the spatial
Port-City
11
future of Amsterdam, and with it the Port-City
area. The Structural Concept will be determined
by the next municipal executive.

12 Port-City Haven-Stad
Pas op de plaats!
tot 2024 geen formele planvorming
(artikel 2-3 en artikel 9)
Gemeente Amsterdam
28 oktober 2008
G E M E E N T E Z A A N S TA D
Appendix from the Houthaven-NDSM shipyard covenant (mark time area)
Aerial view of the NDSM shipyard
Long-term study
Port-City is a long-term study to beyond 2020.
With the agreement of the Houthaven-NDSM
shipyard covenant on 22 January 2009, any
transformations in large parts of the Port-City
area can only be realised after 2029. This does
not mean that Port-City will remain locked
into place until then. Some parts can already
be developed, for instance Buiksloterham.
Intensification is possible and transformation
too can already take place as long as it does not
interfere with the operational management of
port companies. Nevertheless, the key element
of the scenarios (transform, intensify, restructure),
does strongly depend on the agreements
stated in the covenant.
In this regard the relationship with the phased
Structural Concept also matters. It eventually
includes the decision on the Port-City project.
The Pijlernotitie (Pijler Memorandum) of the
Structural Concept says the following: “For the
period 2020-2030 a number of spatial developments
and further studies have been proposed.
And for the last period of 2030-2040, proposals
are made for a spatial development on the basis
of studies between 2020 and 2030. This means
that this study is in fact too early. But, because
of the long term in which terminating/shifting
port activities is relevant, or the implementation
of new environmental legislation, and due to the
certainty desired by the various parties, it is justified
to explore matters at such an early stage.

The plan horizon of the Structural Concept (2040)
is also reason to make early strategic choices for
the Port-City area.
Working method
For this study the Spatial Planning Department
and Port of Amsterdam created a workshop on
the Danzigerkade in the plan area. Here, several
meetings with experts and parties involved have
taken place. The study has been split into three
parts. The year 2007 was used to explore the
plan area and combine the relevant information
and developments in the Port-City Atlas. In 2008
explorations were made and reports written.
The basic foundations for the three scenarios
were created. In 2009 the three scenarios were
worked out in greater detail and submitted to
experts and parties concerned.
Bookmarker
This Port-City final report consists of three
parts. Part one describes the plan area – its current
qualities and strengths for port functions
and urban functions. It describes the meaning
of Port-City in a regional and urban context, and
again from the (existing) port perspective and
(future) urban perspective. Part two describes
the three scenarios. It includes an introduction
to the scenarios and their significance, after
which the scenarios are presented. In part three
conclusions are drawn on the basis of the results
of the scenarios and recommendations are made
for upcoming actions and further studies in the
Port-City area. Parts one and two are separated
with an intermezzo on foreign examples.
In addition to this final report a number of other
publications have also been produced, being
the Port-City Atlas, the Scenario Document, and
the report on the meaning of the scenarios at
regional and urban level. The final report can
be read independently and represents the key
to the above documents. To further study the
material sub-products can be consulted. All
products can be downloaded from www.dro.
amsterdam.nl
Port-City
13

14 Port-City Haven-Stad

PART I:
CONTEXT
In the administrative assignment Port-City is
referred to as “the western banks of the river
IJ within the A10 ring road”. This has been
translated as the area between Central Station
and the ring road, on the south side bounded
by Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerweg and
on the northern side by Klaprozenweg and
Cornelis Douwesweg. The plan area is a work
area: large-scale port and industrial sites and
small-scale urban industrial sites. The area also
includes offices and office-based companies.
Housing is scarce. The houses that exist are
houseboats in the North, company houses,
temporary (students’) residences in NDSM West
and Houthaven, and houses along the Silodam.
This chapter describes the plan area and puts
it within the context of the city and the metropolitan
region. The current value as a port area
is mapped, and the future value it may have as
new living and working area.
Characteristic of the area
Historical overview
Before Amsterdam gained city privileges, port
activities were already taking place locally.
Ships could safely reach the ‘big water’ oceans
through the Zuiderzee, and the Amstel made
contact with the hinterland possible. In the early
14th century the city grew and better port facilities
became necessary. In front of the port area
was a long double row of posts that protected
the city from the waves and weather, floating ice
and occasional miscreants seeking to enter the
city for plunder. Amsterdam continued to grow
remarkably fast (in 1578 the city had 30,000
inhabitants) and, after the fall of Antwerp in
1585, became the most important port in the
Low Countries. Trade became more and more
international, and was given an extraordinary
boost by the founding of the Dutch East Indies
Company (VOC) in 1602. While mainly port
and shipbuilding activities were concentrated
in Amsterdam, centres around the Zaan experienced
early industrial development driven by
hundreds of windmills.
The IJ and access from the Zuiderzee to the
port suffered from silting and sandbanks. The
construction of the North Holland Canal shortened
the journey, but it was the construction
of the North Sea Canal and simultaneous draining
of large parts of the IJ between 1865-1876
that provided an easy connection to the North
Port-City
15
Sea over a short distance of but 30 kilometres.
This encouraged trade and with it the port of
Amsterdam to continue to grow. IJmuiden
became the ‘outport’ of Amsterdam focusing
on the west. New heavy industry located in the
new polders along the north bank of the IJ. In
1880 the Houthavens and Minervahaven were
built and in 1889 slightly further to the west
the Petroleumhaven. At the same time the port
area on the east side expanded greatly with the
Oostelijke Handelskade and the IJ island. This
area became the home port of the large liner
trade services. In the early part of the 20th century
Coenhaven was constructed on the west
side and in 1930, with the birth of a car factory,
Westhaven was opened. Shipbuilding, one of
the first major industries, settled on the north
side of the IJ. The Kabelfabriek, Ketjen, Fokker,
Van Leer, Shell and many small companies followed.
The Zaanstreek developed into the centre
of the Dutch food industry.
In 1952 the Merwede canal was extended to
form the Amsterdam-Rijn canal. This made
the German hinterland better accessible from
Amsterdam, which also had its impact on cargo
flows. Amsterdam became more and more of a
transhipment port for bulk goods (animal feed,
grain, ores and coal) and mixed cargo, and as
of the 1960s container transport. The port grew
mainly on the west side of Amsterdam, in the IJ
polders along the North Sea Canal.

16 Port-City Haven-Stad
Port-City plan areas with sub-areas

The port of IJmuiden developed into a fully
fledged fishing port. The establishment of
Hoogovens (steel producer) in Velsen was a
major impulse for the development of IJmond
(the estuarine area) and for the supply and transport
of raw materials and finished products.
In the 1970s business in the Amsterdam port
area suffered from the oil crisis. Several (shipping)
companies merged or left the city. Scale
increase in the shipping industry and the port
companies involved changes. The Eastern Port
Area (Oostelijk Havengebied) became less and
less suitable for port activities, and by around
1975 it had almost entirely lost its function as
a port area. By the late 1980s redevelopment
activities were initiated resulting in successful
residential area development.
Oostelijke Handelskade 1953
Plan area
The Port-City plan area consists of the area
between Central Station and the ring road, on
the south side bounded by Haarlemmerdijk
and Haarlemmerweg and on the north side by
Klaprozenweg and Cornelis Douwesweg. The
plan area is divided into 16 subareas. For a number
of subareas the current (project) development
has been considered definite. In the scenarios
these areas do not undergo any further intensification
or transformation. This refers to the
subareas of Overhoeks, Buiksloterham, NDSM
shipyard and Houthaven. The study includes
three subareas outside the ring road, due to the
strong relationship with the subareas located
inside the ring road and the wish to intensify/
transform these subareas. It concerns Teleport
Sloterdijk, a major public transport junction and
the northern and southern part of the Noorder
IJplas (lake).
The plan area can broadly be subdivided into
seven types of subareas, with some overlap still
existing.
1 The port and industrial areas include the
subareas Coenhaven and Vlothaven and
Cornelis Douwes 2-3 (Shipdock). These are
characterised by large-scale port activities
and manufacturing. The activities mainly
consist of storage and transhipment and
processing of agricultural bulk, rocks,
minerals and fertiliser. Ship repairs are conducted
at Cornelis Douwes 2-3 (Shipdock).
Port-City
17
The port is a 24-hour branch of industry.
Many companies use round-the-clock
shiftwork.
2 The industrial sites are Cornelis Douwes
0-1, Sloterdijk I, Hempoint and Alfa-triangle.
These sites can be typified as (cityoriented)
industrial sites with predominantly
companies and some offices. Sloterdijk
and Alfa-triangle development is almost
complete. Cornelis Douwes is still under
development. The quality of the sites is for
the most part good although revitalisation
is desirable in Sloterdijk I. Here too there is
a stronger mix of functions: there are also
schools and a hotel.
3 The transitional zones concern the industrial
sites that are in transition. This can
be a transition from a port area to a more
urban oriented industrial site, or a transition
from a business area to a more combined
living-working area. The areas are typified
by a mixture of old and new functions and
buildings, which makes the quality of the
areas inconsistent. The changes within the
subareas take place at different stages and
different speed. The subareas in this category
are Buiksloterham, NDSM shipyard
and Stadhaven Minerva.
4 The transformation areas cover those that
show a bigger change and which involve
a large-scale transformation to combined
living-working areas. The Overhoeks
area, which will become available due to
new construction of Shell NTC, will be a
metropolitan area accommodating 2,200

18 Port-City Haven-Stad
Buiksloterham/NDSM
Sloterdijk I
Noorder IJplas
Teleport

houses, 70,000 m2 of offices and a number
of cultural facilities such as the new Film
Museum. Houthaven will be an urban area
with 2,250 houses and 90,000 m2 nonresidential
functions. In addition to new
construction the spatial design of these
subareas will also change drastically.
5 The green areas include the subareas of
Melkweg, Noorder IJplas, Westerpark
north and south and the allotment gardens
Zonnehoek, Sloterdijkermeer and Nut en
Genoegen. The characteristics of these
subareas are very different. They vary from
the almost inaccessible water and rough
nature of the Noorder IJplas, through
combined nature and the recreational area
of the Westerpark north and culture on
Westerpark south, to sports facilities at the
Melkweg subarea. The allotment gardens
have their own specific characteristics of
relatively closed parks.
6 The rail infrastructure dominates the
Zaanstraat subarea with an emplacement
for dead-end sidings and maintenance locations.
This emplacement will be relocated in
due time. The picture shows a site between
Nieuwe Hemweg and Westhavenweg.
7 The office area can be found in Teleport
Sloterdijk around the Sloterdijk railway
station, one of the busiest traffic junctions
of the region and currently the second
train station of Amsterdam after the
city’s Central Station. The goal of further
development of Teleport is to make even
better use of the good accessibility of the
area partly by drastically redeveloping the
current station and by realising a new bus
station. The goal includes more compact,
intensive and multifunctional buildings.
Eventually there will be space for some
850,000 m2 of office floor area including
170,000 m2 for facilities. Due to the environmental
burden created by the port area,
there is currently no residential function.
Working, living, use of space
The Port-City surface area covers around 1300
hectares including 520 hectares of water surface,
amounting to 40% of the total area. Water has
several functions. Most of the water is used for
navigation (main transport axis) and as port
water. Inland waters and water areas intended
for nature and recreation (Noorder IJplas) are
also distinguished.
The plan area includes almost 2,200 companies
employing staff which amounts to some
3% of Amsterdam-based establishments. The
subareas with most companies are Teleport
Sloterdijk and Cornelis Douwes. In 2008 the
plan area counted over 40,000 staff (O+S, 2008).
This is almost 9% of the total number of people
working in Amsterdam. Teleport counts the
highest number of staff (over 13,000), followed
by Sloterdijk 1, Cornelis Douwes and Stadhaven
Minerva. The companies show remarkably different
sizes; the average company size is 13
employees per office, but distribution is wide.
Port-City
19
Over one-third of companies are one-man businesses
(58% at urban level) and one-third of less
than five employees.
In 2008 over 3,200 people were living in the plan
area with most inhabitants in the Houthaven
subarea. The people here live along the Silodam
and in the 1,100 temporary student units. The
NDSM shipyard has 385 temporary student
units. People are also living along Zijkanaal H on
the Noorder IJplas and in the Sloterdijk village.
Specific house construction plans apply in a
number of subareas: Overhoeks, Buiksloterham,
Houthaven and NDSM shipyard.
Use of space in the plan area, compared to the
rest of Amsterdam, can be called extensive.
Building density, compared to the rest of the
city, is low. This is not surprising: a large-scale
port area tends to be characterised by extensive
buildings and many open spaces (also for
storage). Add to this the fact that, due to changes
in the area, many sites are vacant awaiting
new developments (Overhoeks, NDSM West and
Houthaven). The plan area includes a number of
green areas (Melkweg, Westerpark, allotment
gardens) and there is relatively little infrastructure.
Density amounts to 2.7 companies per
hectare and 36 staff per hectare. The average
business surface per employee is 76 m2. This
corresponds to average figures for industrial
sites. The use of land in the plan area differs
little from other business areas in Amsterdam
and the rest of the Netherlands. The ‘air’ in the

20 Port-City Haven-Stad
Sloterdijk Station is a major public transport junction to city and region

area is provided by the major share of green and
infrastructure and a relatively large surface area
of sites ready for issuance or redevelopment.
Accessibility
Port-City is easily accessible thanks to the direct
proximity of a number of major national main
transport axes. By road this is the A10 ring road,
in terms of rail the lines to Schiphol, Haarlem
and Zaanstad and by water the IJ and the North
Sea Canal. All of these connections are considered
among the busiest of the Netherlands.
The underlying urban road network has a
number of busy routes. To the south these
are the Spaarndammerdijk, Transformatorweg
and Nieuwe Hemweg, to the north the
Klaprozenweg/Cornelis Douwesweg. The metro
ring line has stations at Teleport Sloterdijk and
the Isolatorweg. At Sloterdijk Station buses,
trains and metros come together and people
can change for taxi or bike. This station is a major
public transport junction with the potential to
grow further. Schiphol Airport can be reached
in 15 minutes via the A10 ring road and the ring
road railway. The urban tram network, except
for Teleport Sloterdijk, does not reach here. The
urban and regional bus services have a few lines
that run on some main streets and especially
in terms of line management focus on Central
Station and Sloterdijk Station.
In addition to personal transport, there are many
goods transport activities. The A10 ring road is
the main supply and transport route for freight
traffic from Westpoort, though in the future the
planned Westrandweg will take over a share
of this. From the Westhavenweg emplacement
about ten goods trains arrive and depart daily
from and to the hinterland. Most trains run
through Central Station.
The main transport axes of goods transport
across the water are the North Sea Canal and
the IJ with sea-going vessels and inland navigation.
Ocean shipping reaches Mercuriushaven,
receiving carriers 300 metres long and 14 metres
deep. Sea-going vessels that sail further on to
the IJ are the cruise ships to the PTA (Passenger
Terminal Amsterdam) and coastal vessels to
Norwegan Talc in Amsterdam-North or the
Oranjewerf. Inland navigation runs across the
IJ to the Amsterdam-Rijn canal and IJsselmeer.
Also, inland navigation takes place across the
Kostverlorenvaart towards the Haarlemmermeer
and across the Zaan to Zaanstad.
About 80,000 inland navigation ships arrive and
depart annually. They vary in terms of volumes
and dimensions, from small 50 metre spits to the
larger 150 metre inland navigation vessels. The
four unit push barges can be 220 metres long
and 22 metres wide. The largest part of inland
navigation flows follows the Amsterdam-Rijn
canal to the hinterland. Inland navigation berths
are located inside but also outside the port area.
In addition to the Eastern Port Area, Houthaven
and Oude Houthaven are busy watch places
for inland navigation. For personal transport
there are cruise sailing and recreational sailing
Port-City
21
activities and ferry connections. Amsterdam
is a popular cruise destination receiving some
100 ocean-going cruise ships and some 1000
river cruise ships annually. Cruise ships up to
300 metres in length and 9.5 metres depth
(and 45 metres in height) can use the PTA. This
makes Amsterdam accessible for almost every
large cruise ship. River cruises are concentrated
around Central Station and the PTA; only part
of the river cruise ships sail across the Port-City
area, for instance heading towards the Zaan.

22 Port-City Haven-Stad
Industry sound contours

Environment
The Port-City area has to deal with many environmental
aspects. Port activities, but also
intensive infrastructure involves much noise and
odour-related inconvenience. Other aspects
such as air quality, soil quality and external
safety also make themselves felt.
Industrial noise, road traffic and rail traffic
noise all matter. Dutch legislation lays down
the 24-hour period value (day and night value)
for industrial noise. For industrial sites zoning
plans include a zone outside which the noise
produced by all companies together on the site
may not exceed 50 dB(A). This zone is based
on the maximum noise nuisance permitted for
all companies on an industrial site and is prescribed
by law. Within the 55 dB(A) contour no
sound-sensitive destinations such as houses,
schools or medical facilities are permitted. In
the 50 to 55 dB(A) contour area sound-sensitive
construction is only permitted under certain conditions.
For the Port-City area the zones around
the Westpoort industrial site and the zones of
the Amsterdam-North based industrial sites
Cornelis Douwesterrein and Johan van Hasselt
Kanaal West are significant. Almost the entire
Port-City plan area lies in the 50-55 dB(A) zone
of the Westpoort industrial site. A large part of
Port-City south of the IJ even has a noise load
of > 60 dB(A). The noise nuisance of Westpoort
is mainly caused by the companies Cargill/
IGMA, Eggerding, ICL fertilizers, USA/Ter Haak
and NUON. In terms of noise nuisance (and not
only for the environmental aspect of this) these
companies will set down possible interpretation
of Port-City as to sound-sensitive functions. A
large part of the Northern IJ bank falls within
the 50 dB(A) zone of the Cornelis Douwes
industrial sites. As for road traffic the A10 ring
road has a major influence on the plan area.
The existing rail and railroad emplacement/line
workshop Zaanstraat possibly interferes with
the plan area. The noise of emplacements is not
tested against rail traffic standards but rather
against the standards of the Environmental
Management Act.
Within Port-City odour nuisance has been
reduced since 1994, according to research conducted
in September 2006 by SGS in Houthavens
Amsterdam. Some 90% of existing odour
nuisance is caused by four companies: Cargill/
IGMA, ICL fertilizers and two cocoa processors
in the Zaanstreek. The first two are also responsible
for 70% of noise nuisance. Odours caused by
oil storage companies such as Eurotank and BP
under normal business conditions do not cause
nuisance in the Port-City area. The Province and
the Port of Amsterdam, in consultation with the
business community, have reached agreements
about the measures to be taken to reduce or
eliminate this odour nuisance. Research conducted
in 2007 within the scope of developments in
the Buiksloterham shows that house construction
planned in the area will not suffer from the
Port-City
23
existing companies. The Achtersluispolder does
not accommodate large odour emitting companies
or sources.
As for air quality road traffic is the main source
of pollution by nitrogen dioxide and particulates.
The roads to the side of the plan area such as the
A10/Coentunnelweg and the Spaarndammerdijk,
show that here standards are currently much
exceeded. Measures are intended to reduce
road traffic emissions. On the one hand this is
done by means of source measures for vehicles
that should be realised with European agreements
or standards. On the other hand with
measures from the Amsterdam Air Quality plan
of action such as transfer measures and screens
along roads or tunnels (Spaarndammerdijk) and
reduction of volume. With regard to the latter
Amsterdam has also introduced a large-scale
environmental zone. According to calculations
Amsterdam will meet the standards provided
all final and intended measures referred to in
the Plan of Action are carried out. Storage and
transhipment companies too are sources of
deteriorating air quality. Wherever raw materials
are a source of nuisance, particulates are usually
also involved. This is for instance the case
with activities in and around Mercuriushaven,
Westhaven and side harbours. The air quality
on the north side of the IJ now complies with
(and will continue to do so to 2020) the marginal
values of the Air Quality Decree 2005. The
source is the indicative study Air and Sound
Quality of Amsterdam North to 2020. The Air
Quality implementation programme of North

24 Port-City Haven-Stad

urban district seeks to meet the marginal values
in the intervening years to continue the planned
house construction in the development areas.
In terms of external safety the Port-City area
includes three high-risk companies: two LPG
petrol stations and the company Air Products
in North. These companies are surrounded by
risk contours within which vulnerable properties
such as houses and certain office buildings are
not allowed. In addition, there are several areas
where people are included in the assessment of
the group risk. The influence area of Chemtura
has a radius of 4,200 metres and covers a large
part of Port-City. During recalculations this area
of influence is expected to become much smaller.
Areas of influence also exist around transport
axes such as waterways, roads and pipelines. All
Westpoort roads for instance are assigned for
transporting hazardous materials; in North the
through ways are meant to serve this purpose.
Hazardous materials are also transported via the
IJ, and several high-pressure natural gas pipes
are located within the Port-City area. The railway
emplacement/Zaanstraat loading station does
not have a contour since no hazardous materials
are handled here.
The soil in the plan area south of the IJ is locally
heavily polluted in both upper and lower layers.
The plan area south of the IJ gives a less unequivocal
picture. It varies from slightly polluted
to heavily polluted. This applies to both the top
layer and the deep layer. The deeper underlying
layer is undisturbed and will therefore be clean.
Depending on the functions to be realised
further soil research will be required to determine
whether cleanup is required to permit
desired functionality.
Petroleumhaven right next to Port-City
Port-City
25

26 Port-City Haven-Stad
Topographic Military map of 1854. Green shows existing urban Veenweide areas. Red shows Port-City plan
and study area
1850
1875
1936
The western harbours of Amsterdam in 1850, 1875 and 1936

Cultural-historical value
The Bureau Monumenten & Archeologie
(Monuments & Archaeology Bureau) of the
municipality of Amsterdam has studied the cultural-historical
value of the Port-City plan area.
The values are pre-urban reclamations, protection
against the water, trade routes across the
water (the IJ and subsequently the North Sea
Canal) and the development of the industrial
and the port areas.
For Port-City the shift from small-scale to largescale
port developments can be viewed as
striking. Precisely in this area value should be
assigned to this.
From the cultural-historical point of view the following
is determinant:
n the North and South IJ and Sea dykes
n the pre-urban landscape with related
small-scale buildings south of the
Spaarndammerdijk
n the Volewijk (former tongue of land), with
rich historic stratification and picturesque
character
n the IJ/North Sea Canal with related polders
and lock complexes
n Petroleumhaven with its unique U-shape
n the separate characteristics of the polders
with different port forms (shipyards,
moorings and basins with branches) and
industrial areas
n specific industrial building ensembles such
as NDSM, Shell, Cargill, Energiecentrale
Hemweg and outside Amsterdam the
Hembrug site and Corus.
The archaeological expectations are high for
the properties south of the Spaarndammerdijk
in the Overbraker Binnen- en Buitenpolder, for
the Medieval IJ dykes and the buildings along
the Spaarndammerdijk.
Besides the aforementioned properties, archaeological
remains may also be expected on the
IJ/North Sea Canal. These mainly concern shipwrecks
and other sunken relics dating back to the
shipping industry of the 13th century. Remains
may also exist near the Volewijk district.
The study recommends that keeping the development
stages of the city readable matters in
future developments. It has been said that for
good historic understanding, the value of the
industrial areas and the port areas should be
placed in the wider context of port developments
in Amsterdam and the North Sea Canal
area.
Finally, the advice for the continuation phase is to
develop a vision on the handling and meaning of
the IJ, the North Sea Canal and the port areas of
Amsterdam and the region. The reason is to be
able to responsibly maintain the practical policy
issues that will be relevant in the near future
with regard to the spatial planning aspects of
the long term and the existing cultural-historical
values.
Port-City
27

28 Port-City Haven-Stad
The Amsterdam port

Meaning as port area
Amsterdam Seaports
The port activities in the plan area are part of
a significant and large port-industrial complex:
Amsterdam Seaports. Amsterdam Seaports
covers the entire North Sea Canal area and
consist of the ports of Amsterdam, Beverwijk,
IJmuiden/Velsen and Zaanstad, with the Port of
Amsterdam being the largest by far. The port
is accessible to ships up to 345 metres long, 45
metres wide and with a draught of 14.1 metres.
A criterion for this draught is not only the
Noordersluis, but also the (road) tunnels below
the North Sea Canal. The route from the Port of
Amsterdam via the locks to sea can be sailed in
under 2.5 hours.
The port is an international logistics centre
where large-scale storage and transhipment of
goods goes hand in hand with industrial processing.
Amsterdam is primarily a bulk port where
both liquid bulk (oil products) and dry bulk
(coal, ore, and agricultural bulk) is transhipped
and processed. The port’s container sector is
witnessing major growth, yet total volume is
still modest. Capital-intensive activity such as
the steel, chemical and food industries are also
part of the port industrial complex, as well as
inland navigation, the fish market and wholesale
trade related to port activities. Most of these
are located in Westpoort, in the IJmond and in
the Zaanstreek. It is precisely this transhipment-
handling combination that makes Amsterdam
Seaports matter to the local and national economy
and employment.
The port area also accommodates companies
that have a restricted relationship with the port,
but are located there because of the environmental
zone of this industrial area. The best
examples in Amsterdam are the waste energy
company (waste incineration) and two water
treatment (sewer) plants. Waste companies and
recycling companies such as Van Gansewinkel
and Icova too have found a place in the port.
Westpoort also accommodates many construction
services such as asphalt and concrete mixing
plants. Being interwoven with the city does not
allow these companies to settle at even larger
distances from the city.
Over recent years Amsterdam Seaports has been
among the fastest growing ports in Northwest-
Europe. Transhipment in 2008 amounted to
almost 95 million tons, of which 76 million tons
in Amsterdam itself. Compared to 2007 the
growth amounted to 11.6% for Amsterdam and
8.2% for the entire North Sea Canal area. Liquid
bulk transhipment amounted to 34 million tons
and dry bulk to 35 million tons. Container transhipment
amounted to 435.000 TEU (twenty
foot equivalent units). Amsterdam Seaports
has an added value of more than 5 billion euro
(direct and indirect) and offers employment to
tens of thousands of people of all educational
levels. The number of jobs created amounts to
some 53,000, of which 32,000 direct and 21,000
Port-City
29
indirect jobs. Like Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Seaports occupies a top-5 position in Northwest
Europe.
Coen and Vlothaven
Coen and Vlothaven date back to the 1920s.
Vlothaven was initially a timber port, used for
preserving (floating) tree trunks and beams.
Coenhaven was extended as a mixed cargo port,
according to most modern insights at the time;
a sea-going vessel on one side of a narrow pier,
rail and inland navigation on the other. In the
1934 General Extension Plan (in Dutch referred
to as Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan or AUP) this layout
was plotted for a large part of the western
port area. After World War II Mercuriushaven
was excavated as a result of which Vlothaven
was converted into a bulk port. With IGMA and
Cargill settling, the spotlights were turned to
food transhipment and processing. In the 1980s
the structure of the Coenhaven proved outdated;
the harbour basins and piers were too narrow. A
number of narrow harbour basins were filled to
create more building space.
The Coen and Vlothaven area is among the best
performing parts of the Port of Amsterdam,
showing high transhipment and processing volumes.
In addition to good accessibility across the
water, rail and road connections to the hinterland
are also excellent. The added value in the
area is high. In 2008 transhipment amounted to
over 10.5 million tons, of which 8.4 million tons
by IGMA. Port-linked employment amounted to

30 Port-City Haven-Stad
Ship Dock
A10
Amfert
Cargill
IGMA
Coen- en Vlothaven
Hemweg

over 2,500. The indirect seaport-related activities
in Port-City are estimated at 1,800 employees.
In total the seaports provide 4,300 jobs, which
is 20% of the total seaport-related employment
in Amsterdam. This illustrates the significance
of this area for the Port of Amsterdam. The
seaport-related (direct and indirect) added value
amounts to almost a half billion euro (€ 481.1
million.). This is about one-fourth of the total
seaport-related added value in Amsterdam and
one-tenth of the seaport-related added value in
the entire North Sea Canal area.
The Coen and Vlothaven area is dominated by
Cargill operations. Cargill is a major worldwide
player in the food sector. The food sector in
Amsterdam and Zaanstreek is for the greater
part in Cargill’s hands. Transhipment company
IGMA, a subsidiary of Cargill, is in Vlothaven.
Next to IGMA you will find a soya extraction factory
and a soya distillation factory that belongs
to Cargill. Here you will also find Cargill’s Dutch
headquarters. Other Cargill branches are located
at Westhaven and Amerikahaven. The cocoa
factories in Zaaanstad also belong to Cargill.
Other port companies are ICL/Amfert, a fertiliser
factory, located at the head of Mercuriushaven.
This has been here for more than 100 years.
Coenhaven is home to Eggerding that specialises
in breaking and mixing minerals. At the
Vlothaven pier you will find the company USA/
Ter Haak, which tranships road metal used as
ballast bedding for railroads. IGMA is using
part of the Vlothaven pier for transhipping
and storing minerals.
On the other side of the North Sea Canal lies
Shipdock, a ship repair yard. The company,
which stems from a rich history of shipbuilding
and ship repairing in Amsterdam North,
is a major supplier of maritime facilities in
Amsterdam.
The Coen and Vlothaven area is undergoing
restructuring and intensification activities.
Until 10 years ago the Vlothaven pier was
used as a mixed cargo terminal. When the
Waterland terminal joined Westhaven, the
area was not used optimally for some time.
Initiatives to develop the area into a wood terminal
(Houtterminal) or as a new location for
the Foodcenter were not continued. Today the
Vlothaven pier is used for bulk transhipment.
With the developments on the Vlothaven
pier a clear future perspective is ready for
almost the entire area. In this context parts
of Coenhaven will be further intensified and
restructured.
Income
Much of the income from land in the port area
consists of the annual ground rent payments.
Hardly any ground rent has been bought out,
certainly compared to the rest of the city. In
2008 the rent and ground rent of the Port of
Amsterdam amounted to some 57.2 million
Port-City
31
euro (Port of Amsterdam annual report 2008, of
which about 11.5 million euro comes from the
Port-City plan area).
In addition to ground rent and normal rent, the
Port of Amsterdam also receives seaport dues.
Seaport dues are levied according to the size
of the visiting vessel and loaded or unloaded
cargo. In 2008 seaport dues turnover amounted
to some 46.8 million euro. Goods transhipment
in the plan area generated some 4.4 million euro
in seaport dues.

32 Port-City Haven-Stad
Transformatie in relatie tot
historische ontwikkeling
tot ca 1500
1500-1700
1850-1950
1950 tot heden

The qualities of Port-City
The spatial quality of Port-City is about determining
the current quality as a port area and
quality as a future house construction location.
In other words it is about a port and urban line
of approach distinguishing the current and the
future value of the area. Although both lines of
approach are equally important, in this paragraph
attention is mostly paid to the urban
approach. The idea here is that the value as a
port area is indeed generally known, but that
the value as a (future) urban area requires closer
study.
Port line of approach
The previous paragraph presented a picture
of port activities inside the Port-City area. The
area involved is a vital one with a high value
and significance. It substantially contributes to
port employment and added value. The significance
is also endorsed administratively. The
Port Vision lays down that the port activities in
the Port-City area will remain at least until 2020,
with the intention to continue to use the area
as a port area also after 2020. The agreements
stated in the Houthaven-NDSM shipyard covenant
also imply that house building plans that
interfere with port activity can only be initiated
after 15 years (2024) and truly implemented after
20 years (2029).
Amsterdam has grown as a port city. The city’s
growth and prosperity are strongly linked to
trade activities such as transhipment, storage
and processing of goods. Port and city were
inextricably bound. Roughly speaking, there
are four periods in the development of the port
areas of Amsterdam:
1 The Middle Ages with the oldest ‘historic
port’ until around 1500 around the Amstel
estuary into the IJ;
2 The Golden Age, from 1500 to around 1700
with the VOC shipyards, strong commercial
development, directly bordering on both
sides of the centre (Lastage and De Nieuwe
Waal) and expansion with the eastern and
western islands;
3 Industrialisation from around 1850 to
approximately 1950 adding the harbour
basins in the east (Eastern Port Area) and
the west (Petroleumhaven and Houthavens),
but still strongly connected to the city. In
this period Zaanstad also contributed significantly
to water-based industrialisation;
4 The modern era from 1950 onwards with
large-scale storage, transhipment and
processing of goods especially on the west
side of the city (Westpoort, introducing
large-scale operations).
Port-City
33
For each period of growth, prosperity and
decline can be distinguished in a curve. In the
growth period new port sites were excavated,
modelled according to the requirements of that
time. During the period of prosperity the harbour
basins, quays and storage sites were optimally
used. In the course of time, however, the spatial
structure no longer proves to be suitable.
Scale increases and modernisation require new
demands and new sites. Decline sets in and old
port areas are eventually abandoned, thereby
making new excavation areas available for other
functions. In general these are urban functions
such as living and working.
The Eastern Port Area was designed as a largescale
port area, with artificial islands in the
river IJ. Residential and working functions were
combined for the first time. The port area was
designed as a fully fledged working area without
houses and without related functions such
as stores and other facilities. The Eastern Port
Area prospered prior to and after World War II.

34 Port-City Haven-Stad
Port-City is near the city, in the foreground the Spaandammer district

During the 1970s the area declined due to bulk
transport scale increases and the introduction
of container and mixed cargo transport. The
Eastern Port Area did not provide good spatial
infrastructure for either of these developments.
Scale increases in the shipping industry also had
an effect: the larger ships experienced more
and more difficulty reaching the port area. After
1980 most port activities on the east side were
discontinued as a result of which the area became
available for other functions. The decision was
then made to transform the Eastern Port Area
into an urban living and working area.
For Port-City one may draw the conclusion that
it consists of two types of port area. Firstly, the
harbours dating back to the industrialisation
period prior to World War II. For these areas
one can say that for port activities decline has
set in, or in fact has been completed already.
Wood transhipment in Houthavens has almost
disappeared entirely as well as shipbuilding and
the port activities on NDSM and Buiksloterham.
And the other harbours that date back to the
modern era after World War II, for which the
port infrastructure was expanded to absorb the
scale increase in bulk transhipment. For Coen
and Vlothaven this primarily concerns the redevelopment
of outdated structures constructed
before the war. Vlothaven, having excavated
Mercuriushaven, became a fully fledged bulk
harbour. After the harbour basins were filled in,
Coenhaven was also modernised. All in all, this
means that this part of the port in the Port-City
area, after a period of growth, is still prospering
and not showing signs of decline. The area concerned
has deep water (up to 15 metres) and
a favourable water-land ratio. The port’s spatial
infrastructure complies with today’s requirements;
the port area is on the top side of the
curve.
A relationship indeed exists between the decline
of port areas and the availability of new port
areas. The earlier the decline in space availability
the earlier space for transformation is available.
Transformation of the Eastern Port Area was
partly possible by shifting activity to the western
ports which at the time offered sufficient
space. Transforming port areas within the A10
ring road requires space elsewhere. This space
however is no longer available within the Port
of Amsterdam. So space will have to be found
elsewhere within the metropolitan region. Port-
City, to be able to transform, explicitly requires
involvement of the metropolitan region.
A complicating factor in this picture is the fact
that the modern port not only covers the port
sites themselves, but a larger area because
of the noise, odour, dust and external safety
aspects. An area which partly belongs to the
old port areas provides transformation options.
Because of the environmental contours transform
options are restricted for the time being:
new forms of activity are possible, residential
accommodation however not (yet). Stadhaven
Minerva is an example of such a transformation
area.
Urban line of approach
Port-City
35
From the urban line of approach a number of
qualities can be indicated, which make up the
pretexts for transforming to urban functions.
This paragraph covers these qualities indicating
the role they may play in the three scenarios.
This contributes to understanding the degree
to which and the terms under which the scenarios
might contribute to the future metropolitan
region of Amsterdam and related metropolitan
programme. Three key qualities are distinguished:
1 the prominent location along the IJ
2 the proximity of the city
3 the strategic location with respect to city
and region

36 Port-City Haven-Stad
Prominent location along the IJ
The eye-catching local quality is the existing
large water surface with many banks and long
quays along the IJ. The different port atmospheres
are expressed by the great diversity of
harbour basins. Of old the IJ has been vital to
the image of Amsterdam. Its course has determined
much of Amsterdam’s structure. Canals
and ports were constructed perpendicular to
the direction of the current. Today Amsterdam
continues to be a clearly concentrically oriented
city with the IJ in its centre and the Amstel
estuary. The city centre and the hinterland are
connected by means of radial lines. The current
structure of the Port-City area perfectly blends
in because of the predominantly right-angled
harbour basins on the IJ. The structure therefore
provides possibilities to ensure the banks
and the IJ are in direct contact. Connecting the
‘hinterland’ with the IJ means, particularly on
the south side of the Port-City area, levelling the
existing barriers of rail infrastructure. The high
level of activity on the water makes the maritime
dynamics of the IJ strongly felt. On the west side
is energetic port activity. Each port here has its
own ambiance. Mercuriushaven strongly focuses
on the IJ forming, together with Vlothaven, a
wide harbour basin that lends itself to receiving
the largest bulk vessels.
Coenhaven has a more closed character with
traditional piers and harbour basins, which
were partly filled in the 1990s. North has more
of a bank-like structure with the docks located
directly behind the IJ. In the Port-City area many
quays are beautifully located along the IJ which
in terms of value experienced are similar to for
instance Kop-Java island. In Port-City these
include the head of Stadhaven Minerva, the
longitudinal embankments along the IJ opposite
Stadhaven Minerva, the Mercuriushaven/
IJ corner (near the company ICL/Amfert) and
the Cornelis Douwesterrein/North Sea Canal
point right next to the Coen tunnel. A special
Orientation towards the IJ with barriers
place is the south bank of Mercuriushaven/
Neptunushaven where, accompanied by the
sun, one has a view of the 1800 metre long and
270 metre wide Mercuriushaven with at the
end the docks of the Shipdock site in North. In
terms of length this port is comparable to the
rowing lake in the Amsterdam forest. The robust
character of Port-City shows similarities with
the Eastern Port Area. On the east side this is

Special places along the IJ
mainly a reflection of a large port and industrial
past with sturdy buildings like the ones nearby
NDSM, Buiksloterham, Houthaven and Silodam.
On the west side the ports in particular, including
the Shipdock docks, create a sturdy image.
Nevertheless in these port areas, but this also
applies to industrial sites such as Hempoint and
Sloterdijk, the current buildings provide little
added value. The predominant image is that
these buildings are simple and efficiently functional
without architectural or cultural value. This
also means that, in general, the buildings lend
themselves poorly for sustainable reuse. There
are a number of exceptions, such as the IGMA
high-rises in Vlothaven. Green areas hardly exist
here either. Therefore, much design freedom
will be provided during redevelopment.
The location and size of much of the port, rail
and road infrastructure does have a drawback.
Accessibility from the city to the IJ is obstructed
because of this. Mercuriushaven and Vlothaven
represent a barrier between Stadhaven Minerva
and the Coenhaven area. On the north side of
the IJ the Shipdock site is a barrier between the
IJ and house construction in North. The IJ is only
approachable from the Keerkring park, located
south of Shipdock.
The main barriers however are mainly located
south of Nieuwe Hemweg. Three railways run
across the area: the port rail line, the Schiphol
line and the Haarlem line. Besides these are the
Bretten zone and the Haarlemmer canal that
interfere with the accessibility of this subarea in
north-southern direction. Levelling these barriers
is an obvious solution, however, given the
task this would involve, the question remains
whether areas with a unique identity can be
developed without having to level the barriers.
Port-City
37

38 Port-City Haven-Stad
Cycling distances

The proximity of the city
In addition to the location of the IJ, the city’s
proximity is also a potential strength. At short
distance there is busy action thanks to the
high diversity of people, facilities and meeting
areas. This bustle can mainly be found along the
route of Haarlemmerstraat, Haarlemmerdijk and
Spaarndammerstraat. The route also brings the
ring of canals, Jordaan and Staatsliedenbuurt
close by. Worthy of mention is the special quality
of the Westerpark with many green areas
and numerous hotels and restaurants, cultural
facilities and (international) events. Recent study
of visits to the Amsterdam parks in recent years
shows that investing in parks leads to a much
higher number of park visits whereby ‘park
green’ in a strongly urbanised context proves
a powerful factor determining the location of
businesses and individuals. Parks today are also
used in different ways. In addition to recreational
purposes people more often decide to actually
work in the parks. Westerpark is a great example
of a high-quality urban park. It is, according to
this study, the most appreciated park of the city
of Amsterdam.
The proximity of the city also means use of
the bicycle. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cycle
from Stadhaven Minerva to Central Station and
makes Sloterdijk Station accessible. This good
accessibility by bicycle shows that large parts of
Port-City will have the potential to be part of a
sustainable urban environment.
Haarlemmerstraat
Port-City
39

40 Port-City Haven-Stad
Stadhaven Minerva
Current water front development along the IJ
Cornelis Douwesterrein
Houthavens
Westerdokseiland
NDSM
Overhoeks
Stationseiland
Buiksloterham
Hamerstraatgebied
Oostelijk havengebied
IJburg

The qualities of the location on the IJ and the
proximity of the city raises the question as to
whether, in case of further urban development
of Port-City, the current waterfront developments
along the IJ should be continued. A
development that has successfully been introduced
with the Eastern Port Area and continued
with IJburg and Overhoeks. These areas turn
out to meet the living and working requirements
of many people of Amsterdam. For this
highly appreciated waterfront environment, the
special characteristics such as focus on water,
the proximity of the city and the existence of
special urban facilities, such as the NEMO, the
Muziekgebouw (music building) along the IJ, the
Public Library and the future Film Museum, are
decisive quality markers. These facilities matter
to the vitality of the city. The aspect of living
predominates in the waterfront areas realised
so far. Noticeable is that these areas are more
in need of more blending of small-scale work
functions and daily facilities. In case of further
urbanisation of Port-City with residential functions,
the expedient question remains how far
this ‘blending’ can or should be applied.
Strategic location
Port-City has, geographically speaking, a central
location with regard to a number of remarkable
urban and landscape areas most of which are in
metropolitan development. It concerns:
1 the inner city and the city centre of
Amsterdam North
2 Zaanstad and Amsterdam, especially across
the water (Zaan/IJ)
3 Amsterdam West with developments along
the Ring line
4 the green areas of Bretten zone (Radiaal
West) and Waterland (Twiske)
Realising connections which run through Port-
City to these areas gives connectivity a fair
chance. Connectivity means streams of visitors
and generating meeting places by creating connections
on the right place as a result of which
public facilities among other things become
promising. Public transport junctions in particular
are the starting points of streams of visitors.
The strategic location of Port-City provides the
possibility to, by means of additional public
transport in north-south direction, connect
development areas. The Ring line including the
Arena area, Southern Axis (Zuidas) and Teleport
Sloterdijk is connected with North via Port-City.
Towards Zaandstad too, in east-west direction,
possibilities exist by connecting IJburg with
Port-City
41
Zaanstad along the IJ and Zaan. This would be
possible by recovering the former connection
with sister city Zaanstad via the Hemweg route.
The special green areas of Bretten zone and
Waterland with Twiske are close by with respect
to Port-City but they are difficult to reach. With
the Bretten zone, in which Radiaal-West is a particularised
project, Port-City should be able to
have a more direct relation by creating additional
bicycle connections in north-south direction.
On the south side the city in fact comes to an
end at Haarlemmerweg (comparable to Piet
Heinkade and Zeeburgerdijk at the time in East).
Connecting with the IJ means levelling barriers.
The same applies to North where bicycle connections,
via Noorder-IJ pool with a free junction
nearby the A8 national highway, can connect
Waterland with the northern IJ banks.

42 Port-City Haven-Stad
Transformation of an urban area Better accessibility
Green-blue quality: Metropolitan landscape Sustainability: Climate-resistant water system

Position in the metropolitan
region
In February 2008 the Ontwikkelingsbeeld
metropoolregio 2040 (Development image of
the metropolitan region 2040) was published.
In this document the cooperating regional and
local governments in the northern Randstad
(urban agglomeration of western Netherlands)
presented their vision on house construction,
employment, infrastructure and landscape. The
metropolitan region is profiled in two ways:
diversity and sustainability. Diversity in the
sense of landscape, urbanisation and function.
Sustainability in the fields of energy, climate
resistance and air quality. The main strategy
for metropolitan development is to continue
to work on the spatial principle of combining
the needs of urbanisation (e.g. nearby public
transport junctions) and intensifying use of land.
For the metropolitan region four impulses have
been formulated, being urban transformation,
metropolitan accessibility, metropolitan landscape
and sustainability. Port-City could play a
major role in the development of these impulses.
In this, however, much interaction would
be needed; major transformation cannot be
without improved accessibility and expansion of
the transport network cannot be without extra
input from new (urban) development.
In addition to the four impulses the
Ontwikkelingsbeeld (development image) also
provides room for economy. The metropolitan
region thrives on five economic engines three of
which are essential to the international position
of the region: manufacturing industry and logistics,
international business services, and the
creative sector. Logistics and industry are also
closely related in 2040. The manufacturing industry
benefits from the function as a mainport of
the region, with Schiphol and the seaports being
The seaports are a significant part of the Mainport
Port-City
43
the most important parts. Vice versa the ports
and logistics benefit from the regional manufacturing
industry. The function as the region’s
hub in global transport and distribution remains
crucial and will be further developed for new
time-critical flows of goods and markets.

44 Port-City Haven-Stad
Zaan and IJ connected

Port-City and transformation
Port-City offers good transformation opportunities
provided port activities can be shifted and
related (noise) contours modified. The level of
transform is distinctive in the three scenarios
because of the location of the noise contours that
are different for each scenario. Transformation
options are limited in scenario 1, while in scenario
3 a large surface area becomes available
for transformation. Scenario 2 is in-between.
In the case of further urbanisation as a result
of transformation, protecting the landscape
will become increasingly important. The basic
principle is that the landscape will contribute
significantly to the quality of the city to allow
the metropolis to function properly. In case of
rising urban pressure this basic principle argues
for strong transformation of Port-City, however
it should be noted that: should transformation
lead to shifting port activity outside the existing
port area, this will be at the expense of the landscape.
Protecting and substantiating metropolitan
landscape also means that the distinction
between urban ‘lobes’ and adjacent green
interconnecting strips or wedges should be
well-defined. In doing so the urban area will be
better connected. One of the consequences of
this is that the connections within the city and
between city and landscape will become more
finely woven. Within the current lobe structure of
the city of Amsterdam this pattern basically exits
metropolitan landscape
Separating city and environs
IJ routes
Port-City
45
in any of Amsterdam’s city lobes by means of
(express) tram or metro and centre-oriented city
streets. Towards the Zaan this pattern does not
exist. The Amsterdam-Zaanstad connection by
train and road (A10) is mainly provided through
the rural network. There is a local ferryboat connection
at Hemweg, yet it does not offer a fully
fledged continuous urban connection. In case
of ongoing transformation of Port-City better
accessibility between Zaanstad and Amsterdam
would mean realising more interlocal connections.
Port-City and accessibility
Improving accessibility concerns the question
as to what connections in the Port-City area are
necessary to strengthen regional accessibility
to play a role in the future development of the
metropolis. The basic principle is to have a regional
public transport network. Regional travellers
must be able to travel across the metropolis
fast and without having to change too often.
The basis for this is the structure of existing and
planned regional connections with metro lines,
slow train lines and fast ferries; together they
should operate as one network with a proper
mutual junction, perfect change options and
connections with the more finely woven urban
public transport network. To achieve this, the
missing regional links will have to be realised.
The public transport vision of Amsterdam
outlines how the metropolitan ambition in the
field of accessibility could lead to better qua-

46 Port-City Haven-Stad
Metro express tram-existing network Expansion of the metro-express tram current insight Expansion of the metro-express tram new insight
Kopenhagen metro Tram
South Tangent (Zuidtangent)

lity public transport. This is not only about new
infrastructure, but also about improving public
transport thus increasing accessibility and reliability.
Quality improvement and expansion of
capacity make up the two pillars of the public
transport vision. During expansion the focus will
be on metropolitan (railway) connections. The
public transport vision suggests the following
major expansion of the public transport:
1 extending the North South line to
Amstelveen;
2 a new, direct metro connection between
Amsterdam’s city centre and Schiphol
(second terminal);
3 closing the small ring along the southern or
northern IJ bank;
4 a new high-quality bus connection between
Westpoort, western suburbs and Schiphol
(West Tangent);
5 a new high-quality bus connection between
Amsterdam-North and Zaanstad (North
Tangent).
In case of further transformation of Port-City, the
current plans for regional accessibility are probably
not optimal. Supplements to suggested
route choices and a clear preference for closing
the Ring under the IJ are under discussion.
Port-City and sustainability
In terms of sustainability the aspect of water is
particularly important. The question is which
role Port-City can have in the regional water
storage challenge and what this will mean
for the metropolis. Water storage is related
to guaranteeing safety and having sufficient
water surface area. This involves consequences
with regard to any fill-ins in the Port-City area.
From the water storage point of view this is
not desired, or it will at least need to be compensated
for elsewhere. Use of energy and air
quality are also important. The way in which
transformation takes place will determine the
degree to which a contribution is made to
this objective. Sustainability is another central
theme within spatial design. The ambition is
to create a compact city where space is used
efficiently. Constructing as many buildings
as possible within the city boundary means
that distances can be increasingly covered by
bicycle, on foot or by means of quieter and
cleaner public transport. This will limit the
energy consumption and the emission of polluting
substances. A compact city will create
the possibility of making better use of existing
facilities.
Olympic ambition
Port-City
47
A major impulse for the development of a metropolis
is the organising of significant international
events. The spectrum includes economic, cultural
and sports events. Sports in particular is a
major factor, the ambition being the organising
of the Athletics World Championship, Football
Championship and as a climax the Olympic
Games. These should take place in 2028, one
hundred years after the Olympic Games of
Amsterdam back in 1928.
In an Olympic study several locations in
Amsterdam were studied for accommodating
the Olympics or parts of it. The Port-City area
naturally offers numerous opportunities. The
area is easy to access by public transport, offers
plenty of space for Olympic events (after departure
of the port activity) and, after the Games,
will be redeveloped into a metropolitan livingworking
area. The Olympic Games could be
a major initiator and catalyst of the Port-City
transformation.
One complicating factor, however, is the
Houthavens and NDSM site covenant. The
planning of procedures and realisations do
not correspond with the agreements in the
covenant. Nevertheless, the covenant does not
prevent reflecting on the future. In this study
the Olympic Games are considered a separate
project. Scale, phasing and cost/benefit are of
a special nature and therefore do not fit in the
three scenarios.

48 Port-City Haven-Stad
Hafen-City

Intermezzo:
Foreign examples
In many port cities processes of change are
taking place that interfere with the location and
the character of the port and with it the relationship
between city and port. Transformation areas
and new transition zones come into existence. In
this intermezzo special attention is paid to the
largest ports in the Hamburg – Le Havre range.
Back in the 1990s Antwerp started transforming
its old port areas in the area called ‘t Eilandje
(the Island), around the Napoleonic docks dating
from the early 19th century. A mixed urban programme
was realised including 1,700 houses and
600,000 square metres of facilities. Follow-up
steps were prepared for released sites around
the new Oosterweel connection. The Eilandje
is already undergoing further transformation.
The Kaaien too, in the city centre along the river
Schelde, acquired a new role in the city offering
hotels, restaurants and museums. At the IPZ site
south of the city and the Canal Zone along the
Albert Canal the transformation process is yet
to start. These areas can be considered evolving
port-related areas.
In Hamburg back in the 1990s investments were
made into transforming ‘HafenCity’, right against
the city centre. This is a sizeable area (155 ha)
that will have an urban programme, including
a new cruise terminal, cultural facilities, offices
and about 5,500 houses. The house construction
location is partly determined on the basis
of (the development) of the sound level of the
adjacent port complex. HafenCity is expected
to be completed before 2020.
Under the motto “Metropole Hamburg
– Wachsende Stadt” the next step is being prepared;
‘Die Sprung über die Elbe’. Large parts of
Wilhelmsburg, on the port and industrial islands
between the two branches of the Elbe, will in
the long term develop into combined living/
working/recreational areas. During development
existing port activities will be taken into
consideration.
In Le Havre the transition zone between city and
port covers over 800 hectares. This urban area is
characterised by outdated sheds and warehouses
and 19th century buildings in several suburbs. In
the 1990s Le Havre started transforming several
old harbour basins into ‘commercial’ area. Les
Docks Océane, Docks Café and Cité de la Mer
are part of the 19th century Docks Vauban, with
especially industrial space and offices in addition
to a casino and a maritime museum. The next
step is currently being taken with extra space for
social activity and tourism. House construction
plans exist around the suburb St-Nicolas. About
900 new housing units are planned, partly new
and partly in rebuilt warehouses.
Rotterdam, with the plans for Kop van Zuid
from the early 1990s, is gaining momentum for
redevelopment. Kop van Zuid is an area in the
centre with urban facilities (e.g. court, theatre)
and a sizeable office and house construction
Port-City
49
programme (about 5000 houses), scheduled to
be ready around 2010. The Erasmus bridge is
the icon of the project and the new connection
between the inner city and South. The transition
process will be continued in the ‘Stadhavens’
(city ports) project. Stadhavens is an umbrella
name for many ports on both sides of the New
Maas covering approximately 1,600 hectares.
The purpose of the Stadhavens project is dual:
reinforcing the economic structure of Rotterdam
mainport and upgrading the living climate of the
Rotterdam region.
transforming a port area in Rotterdam

50 Port-City Haven-Stad

Part 2:
Scenarios
The use of scenarios is an effective means by
which to map a wide range of potential future
possibilities. That is why scenarios are applied
to give a clear idea of the desirability and feasibility
of combined living and working along the
western IJ banks in the long term. This chapter
describes three scenarios that have been drawn
up for Port-City.
The nature and significance of the scenarios is
first described. This is followed by a brief description
of the scenarios. The method which
has been applied in drawing up the scenarios is
subsequently described, like the use of (urban)
environmental profiles and the design principles
applied regarding space, traffic and transport
and environment. The method via which the
contributions by experts and stakeholders are
handled is also explained.
Scenario thinking
The scenarios provide a final picture of the
Port-City area’s spatial structure as a result of
the different starting points per scenario. These
final pictures show a feasible story (“this is what
it could look like”), and thereby represents a
study rather than forecast or spatial plan. This
means that the final choice of a scenario is
based on a certain strategy or development
focus which needs to be further worked out in
the next phases. The scenarios try to anticipate
the visions and challenges of the metropolis
region and Amsterdam as key city. This for
example concerns the Port-City’s contributions
to the residential challenge, but also the extent
to which the expected huge increase in transhipment
can be accommodated in the port.
This contribution differs per scenario.
In as far as this is possible the scenarios
anticipate the visions and challenges of the
metropolis region and Amsterdam as key city.
An important challenge for example concerns
house building developments, from 50,000 to
70,000 homes until 2040, but also the ability
to accommodate the port’s volume growth to
between 170 and 190 million tons in 2040. The
scenarios differ from each other to the extent
that Port-City can contribute to the different
visions and challenges and thereby to the
metropolitan region.
Port-City
51
All scenarios contribute towards the ambitions of
the metropolitan region via a transformation to a
combined living and working area, by improving
the accessibility and through conservation and
strengthening of the landscape and the landscape
values. Sustainable development forms a
key aspect here. The future value of Port-City
has been mapped for each of the three scenarios
whereby the current value has been compared
to the future value to carefully weigh the factors
concerning the desirability and feasibility of the
transformation. An overview of the costs and
benefits gives insight into which investments are
needed to make this future possible.
Three scenarios for Port-
City
The three scenarios have been drawn up to create
an accurate picture of the range of possibilities of
combined residential and work functions along
the river IJ’s western banks. The central element
in which the three scenarios differ from each
other is the position of the boundary between
port and city. This boundary is determined by the
55 dB(A) noise contour. A different positioning
of the noise contour allows for housing developments
but will put restrictions on port activities.
Next to the 55 dB(A) it has also been examined
what the possibilities and consequences are of
residential and port activities with a boundary
of the 60 dB(A) contour. This is based on the
idea that after 2020 the existing regulations may
be modified. Regarding the aforementioned it
should be noted that the boundary between
city and port is not just determined on the basis

52 Port-City Haven-Stad
Existing situation

of sound. Factors such as odour, air quality and
external safety also play a role. At this point they
do not form a restrictive factor for the scenarios
but they will be examined in the further planning.
The scenarios further offer details based on
objectives concerning house development,
(port) activities, infrastructure, leisure, green
areas etc. based on the area’s specific qualities.
The scenarios are built up via a number of building
blocks, which are repeated in each scenario.
The building blocks are: utilising the qualities of
the Port-City area, improving the area’s accessibility,
and the transformation challenge resulting
from the impulse of the vision on the metropolis
region. The extent of the transformation differs
per scenario. General challenges such as transport
by water and the construction of a second
cruise terminal are handled in all scenarios. Each
scenario describes a specific key challenge arising
from the position of the Port-City boundary.
This key challenge contains both a port element
and an urban element. The key challenges are
outlined as follows:
Noise contours Westpoort, by scenario (indicative 55 dB(A) contour)
Scenario 1: present boundary
In this scenario the current noise contour serves
as a basis as a result of which new residential
locations will only be possible on a limited scale.
The main challenge is to make intensive use of the
area on both the city side and port side. Viewed
from the port the challenge is to intensify the
port function among others by offering existing
and new companies development potential, and
by incorporating more economic activities and
urban functions in the port. Another option is
to free up business activities in the city and to
move them to Port-City, and then build homes
on the vacant areas.
Port-City
Scenario 2:
North Sea Canal and
Mercuriushaven boundary
53
In this scenario the northern IJ banks, Stadhaven
Minerva and Sloterdijk are transformed. The
main challenge is further urbanisation along
the IJ banks while maintaining the port activities.
Viewed from the port the challenge lies in
restructuring, in order to keep using Coen and
Vlothaven as port area in the event that the
zoning sees an inward shift. Viewed from the
city the challenge lies in connecting the transformation
areas to the existing urban area.

54 Port-City Haven-Stad
Environmental profiles

Scenario 3: A10 boundary
This is the most far-reaching scenario in terms of
a change of function, whereby the Coenhaven
and Vlothaven areas are eligible for transformation.
The main challenge is to create a new
urban district for more than 30,000 inhabitants.
Viewed from the city, there is a large transformation
surface area with the same programme.
Coenhaven and Vlothaven manifest themselves
as a hub of connections (development axes) from
North, East and South. Viewed from the port,
the challenge, in addition to the mass relocation
of port activities, is to create a transitional zone
along the A10 motorway.
The time horizon of the scenarios is 2040, which
corresponds with the structural concept’s time
horizon. In view of the agreements that were
laid down in the Port Vision and the Houthaven-
NDSM shipyard covenant this will mean major
transformations will not occur until the period
2030-2040. The scenarios will examine which
transformations (in accordance with the
Covenant and the Port Vision) could be implemented
before 2030. Creating a development
strategy per scenario will be an essential part
of this.
Methodology
Environmental profiles
To build up the scenarios the method of environmental
profiles has been applied. Each of the 16
subareas has been designated an environmental
profile to illustrate what the (transformation)
challenge per subarea is. The environmental
profiles as applied in the scenarios are primarily
based on existing environmental profiles in the
city. The description as used in the Amsterdam
Structure Plan: Opting for Urbanisation of 2003
has served as a guiding principle. Nine environmental
profiles apply which are geared to the
characteristics of the subareas in Port-City. The
environmental profiles comprise a number of
features such as indication of primary function,
extent of blending, building density, environmental
categories of the business functions and
accessibility characteristics.
The environmental profiles of the subareas
Overhoeks, Buiksloterham, NDSM and
Houthavens are based on the programme
details of the investment and/or strategy decisions
that have been made for these areas. No
new insights are shown for them.
Programme
Port-City
55
To calculate the programme and the costs and
income, each environmental profile has been
worked into one or more stamps. Each stamp
indicates per unit area (hectare) which programme
matches which type of construction.
Each subarea is filled with stamps, depending
on the number of hectares of the intensification
and transformation challenges. The programme
in a subarea (and/or a scenario) is the sum of the
stamps in that subarea. Based on this method
the total programme for Port-City is the result of
the design process and not a forecast.
In drawing up the stamps for the different scenarios
in Port-City, the programme in recently
newly built (centre) locations in Amsterdam
has been studied. The aim has been to create
combined living and working areas based on the
idea of creating liveable urban environments.
Functional blending is not always possible as
environmental factors may inter alia play a role.
The aim to achieve functional blending has
meant that a large share of metres of (office)
activities and facilities are included in the
stamps. As a result, each scenario includes a
large number of office and office-type metres in
the programme. This is not in line with Plabeka’s
current policy. This large share of works has been
held onto based on the idea that it is important
to combine living and working. Various trends
indicate that there will be an increase in working
in residential areas. The trend towards working

56 Port-City Haven-Stad
References of different densities and environmental profiles

from home is expected to continue. As a result
the old concept of offices is no longer relevant
and working will be ‘hidden’ in the residential
function. On top of that, over the past 20 years
planning has focused on preventing monofunctional
office locations. A third trend that has
been observed is the increasing need for smallscale
office properties or units. This is due to
the fact that companies are generally becoming
smaller. A forth observed trend is the focus on
creating a sustainable city. Based on the idea
of responsible (economic) energy management
and maximum accessibility, whereby motor traffic
is limited as much as possible, it is essential to
combine functions wherever possible.
Costs and income
The Amsterdam Development Company (OGA)
has drawn up a financial study for the three
scenarios which is based on several assumptions
and insights. To obtain a more accurate picture
of both costs and income requires it to be further
worked out.
The study is based on the assumption that the
municipality acquires the land and buildings that
are required per scenario for the transformation,
conducts the site preparation work and allocates
the land. Other strategies are also possible
but these are not included in the study. The
study assumes a very active role by the local
authorities to acquire all the square metres
(both site area and surface area) necessary on
behalf of realising the programme. This is an
expensive method of acquiring land. However,
on the other hand all revenue that is generated
will go to the municipality. The study excludes a
number of cost aspects because it was not possible
to make good estimates for these costs. All
amounts mentioned are excluding BTW (Dutch
VAT) and based on the price level on 1 January
2009.
The Port of Amsterdam has explored the costs of
moving the port activities. On behalf of the cost
calculation a sketch design has been created
for the layout of the port-based companies at a
new location. The design and associated costs
are based on a study from 2002 for the former
Structure Plan. Back then the issue of transforming
by moving the port-related activities was
also relevant. In 2002 Afrikahaven was available
as location, but due to the establishment of a
coal and oil terminal, this location is no longer
available. That is why the study has examined
the Houtrak as possible location. This is located
outside the municipal borders and no planning
or decisions have been made with regard to this
site.
Port-City
57

58 Port-City Haven-Stad
Hamburg handled legislation pragmatically and creatively, allowing city and port to come closer together.

Contributions by experts
and parties’ involved
The workshop in which the Port and Spatial
Planning Department worked together mainly
served as a platform for experts and stakeholders
to exchange ideas on Port-City. Talks
have also been held with urban districts, services,
neighbouring municipalities and outside
experts. Contacts have also been established
with other cities and visits have been made to
Rotterdam and Hamburg. Hamburg served as
a prime example of how the city and port can
be developed. Both aldermen have been there.
Talks have also been held with Stadshavens
Rotterdam, environmental experts (including
the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and
the Environment) and with prominent designers
(Pi de Bruijn, Felix Claus, Rudy Uitenhaak and
Kees Christiaanse). And talks have also been
held with companies established in the area.
Below are a number of findings from the discussions
with experts and parties involved:
Hamburg has taught us to work from a position
of strong ambition, to adopt a pragmatic
approach, and to closely study the specific technical
features regarding the environment and to
find creative solutions within existing legislation.
As a result they have been able to create a high
quality living environment for the new urban
areas at a noise-exposed location. Both Port
and City will continue their close consultations.
Stadhavens Rotterdam has taught us that the
environmental component is a difficult one.
Stadhavens applies the ‘shrink and expand
method’, which means offering room to the
city and the port through pragmatic solutions
such as drawing up a noise allowance plan. The
only way to make progress here is to involve all
parties concerned in the area’s development;
Stadshaven Rotterdam views the City and
Environmental Approach as a good method to
collectively reach acceptable solutions.
The environmental experts advised not to be
too rigid in the handling of noise standards
during the planning process but to place more
emphasis on how noise is experienced in practice.
Expectations are that the current standards
will no longer apply at the time of realisation.
An area-oriented approach to the noise-related
issues in Port-City, whereby the emphasis is not
placed on standards but on perceptions will
result in an optimal quality of living environment
of the urban area. The statutory basis for doing
this is the City and Environment Interim Act. This
can also include other aspects like air quality
and odour nuisance.
The designers argued strongly for functional
blending. A second IJburg area or Eastern
port area with a high proportion of residential
buildings is considered to be too lean. They
also argued on behalf of private commissioning
(the city being the resultant of the initiator) and
emphasised using quality of water as sustainable
concept.
Port-City
59
Zaanstad took the initiative to contact Amsterdam
and feels that we should collectively pick up the
Zaan and IJ banks project and views the study
of Port-City as an important step in this process.
They are currently also exploring the possibilities
with regard to the Zaan banks, including
the Hembrug site (by the Ministry of Housing,
Spatial Planning and the Environment).
The companies Cargill, Amfert, IGMA, Eggerding
emphasised that the municipality must be clear
with regard to its intentions. For these companies
having a location in the plan area is not a
necessity, and a possible transformation of the
plan area should occur in line with realistic relocation
opportunities for them.
The Chamber of Commerce, ORAM and association
of companies in North emphasise that the
companies in the plan area play an important
role regarding employment in the city. This not
only concerns port-based companies, but also a
large number of small and medium-sized businesses.
The possible relocation of companies
requires alternative locations to be determined
in advance. These locations are currently not yet
available.
The Urban Region (traffic and transport) has indicated
that it will invest heavily in establishing the
North Tangent as high-grade public transport
connection. And furthermore that Port-City can
provide an important contribution to increasing
the transport value for the potential extension
of Ring line 51 below the IJ through to North.

60 Port-City Haven-Stad
The input of the experts and parties concerned
are taken into consideration in formulating the
basic principles for the creation of the scenarios.
For example, based on sessions with the noise
experts the choice has been made in the scenarios
to bring port activities and living closer
together than is currently possible according to
the law, based on the general expectation that
the regulations will be eased in twenty years’
Houtveemloods
The Houtveem warehouse on the Hempoint site could be used for cultural activities
time. As a result of the meetings, the study will
also pay more attention to the required space
and locations in the event of relocations.
Design principles
Spatial structure
Port-City has areas that are heavily wateroriented.
These are the water-bound locations
bordering on the north and south sides of the
river IJ. On top of that are the areas that are
geared more towards or that are part of the current
city. These are the land-bound locations.
The border between the water and land-bound
locations lies at the Nieuwe Hemweg. In principle
both types of locations have their own
identity. The starting point in the scenarios is to
strengthen the identity of water and land. For
the water-bound locations the focus lies on the
use and perception of the water. For land-bound
locations such as Alfa-triangle and Sloterdijk 1
the focus lies on connecting to green areas.
In the scenarios, the relationship between city
and the river IJ is further improved by expanding
the Westerpark and creating a new promenade
for pedestrians (and cyclists) here. In northsouth
direction the promenade connects the
Staatsliedenbuurt to the Hempoint site, which
is located on the IJ. On the Hempoint site, the
Houtveemloods is a potential designation for
cultural activities and (maritime) events, with
an atmosphere that is similar to the one at the
NDSM site.

Traffic and transport
Port-City can play an important role in the
necessary improvement of the accessibility of
the metropolis region. The scenarios indicate
the desired connections between the Port-City
area and the other areas within the metropolis
region. Port-City must also offer good connections
to and from the city.
To provide better access to the regional network
the scenarios with a high level transformation
include the following additions:
1 an extension of the Ring line which runs
from Isolatorweg via the Port-City area
below the IJ to North and connects to the
North/South line at the Van Hasseltweg.
2 a connection to Zaanstad via the Hemweg
route, which can be considered an extension
of express tram 26 coming from IJburg.
The area development differs per scenario. As a
result, each scenario indicates a different route
for the metro and express tram. To further optimise
urban public transport, in the scenarios the
existing tram routes are extended to the Port-
City area.
To connect to the local public transport network,
several tram routes have been extended such as
tramlines 3, 10 or line 5. Tram line 5 is particularly
interesting in this respect. In the South Axis
Vision 2008, the plan is to connect this ‘urban
route’, which stops at nearly all the important
meeting points in Amsterdam, via Southern Axis
(Zuidas) with the Amsterdam forest. This route
will be even more important if extended to the
Port-City area and further onto Sloterdijk Station
via Central Station.
The (local) roads and slow traffic connections
are the same in almost every scenario. Bos and
Lommerweg is extended to Contactweg via the
Sloterdijkermeer allotment garden complex.
This directly connects the city with Sloterdijk 1,
the Alfa-triangle and the IJ (Mercuriushaven).
This forms a perfect opportunity in these areas
to initiate the transformation to a combined
living and working area. In the Brediusbad area
a new city entrance has been created in all
scenarios, by replacing the current T-junction
Spaarndammerdijk, Transformatorweg and
Nieuwe Hemweg by a roundabout. On the
eastside of Westerpark, at the urban district
council building, the city can be connected
via the Spaarndammer district (Zaanstraat) to
Stadhaven-Minerva via a breakthrough in the
Zaanstraat yard. In all the scenarios this has
been transformed into a combined living and
working area. At supralocal level the realisation
of a through road in the direction of Zaanstad via
Hemweg, offers a logical choice to replace the
current ferry connection, but may be unwise in
view of attracting possible excess traffic across
a new bridge or tunnel.
All the scenarios assume a stronger intermunicipal
connection between Zaanstad and
Amsterdam, to better unlock the (centre) development
of Zaanstad, including the Hembrug
Line 26, the IJ tram
Port-City
61
site, to Amsterdam’s developments. The choice
has been made to focus the connection with
Zaanstad on the eastside of the Zaan, in view of
the somewhat poor public transport connection
on this side in Zaanstad. Zaanstad West which
has Zaanstad Station offers good connections
to the regional and national railway network.
To stimulate the use of bicycles the cycle network
and bicycle facilities are to be improved
and expanded. Transformation leads to more
intensive use of cycle and pedestrian traffic. The
three scenarios include extra ferry connections
across the IJ and the North Sea Canal. A fixed
shore connection for cyclists with Zaanstad is
desirable and could tempt commuters to make
more intensive use of it. The actual cycling
distance is easily manageable. The slow traffic

62 Port-City Haven-Stad
connections from Port-City to the surrounding
areas is improved by better marking of cycle
paths towards the Bretten zone on the Northern
IJ waters.
In the scenarios the North Sea Canal and the river
IJ remain an important artery for goods transport
by water. In all scenarios, the same applies
to rail transport in the fact that the existing
railway connections form important hinterland
connections. If a Westrand rail in combination
with a connection to the Betuweroute offers a
feasible and good alternative, then an option
could be to handle railway goods transport via
the western side. With regard to road transport
it is assumed that the A10 and Westrandweg
offer sufficient capacity.
Environmental aspects
The environment forms an important part of
the Port-City project. City and port will come
closer to each other. To what extent this is
possible and desirable, is largely determined
by the statutory environmental contours surrounding
the companies and the vulnerability/
sensitivity of the urban functions. It has been
assessed what the environmental aspects will
mean for the developments in the Port-City
area. This shows that for the ‘noise’ environmental
aspect alone, hard limits will have to
apply to developments within Port-City. The
other environmental factors - external safety,
air quality, soil and odour will be examined in
further planning, but at this point these do
not pose a restrictive factor for the scenarios.
With regard to industrial noise, the limit up to
which house development is statutorily permitted
(Noise Abatement Act) is the 55 dB(A)
noise contour around a zoned industrial site.
The three scenarios are based on the current
and two imaginary 55 dB(A) noise contours.
A preliminary acoustic survey shows that a
large part of the sources of noise (port-based
companies) need to be removed/relocated
in order to make housing development in
scenarios 2 and 3 possible in accordance
with the prevailing standard of 55 dB(A). The
consequences of a wider standard of 60 dB(A)
are less rigorous and more acceptable. It is
therefore important to have the possibilities
to apply wider noise standards.
In Haven-Stad zal in de drie scenario’s de woon-
bebouwing op een aantal plekken in de directe
invloedssfeer van de geluidhinder blijven liggen. Om
de geluidhinder tegen te gaan is een dove gevel of
een afschermende bebouwing nodig. Goede voorbeelden
hiervan zijn gerealiseerd op het Science
Park Watergraafsmeer en het Funen gebied.

In cooperation with the Environmental Health
and Building Control Department a workshop
has been organised whereby different noise
experts have reflected on how to deal with the
noise standards. The experts expect it to be unlikely
that the current standards will still apply at
the time of realisation. Experts have advised not
adhering too rigidly to the standards during the
planning process but to put greater emphasis
on noise perception. An area-oriented approach
to the noise-related issues in Port-City, whereby
the focus is not on the standards but on how it
is perceived or experienced, will result in a good
quality noise experience which will increase the
quality of the living environment in the urban
area. The statutory requirements will be of less
importance. The statutory basis for doing this is
the City and Environment Interim Act.
The City and Environment Interim Act offers
more possibilities to realise residential buildings
and small-scale business activities at a location
where environmental standards (initially) form an
obstruction. By working according to a phased
approach to city and environment, the initial
aim is to seek solutions within the law. If this is
not possible, the possibility to deviate from the
environmental standards does exist unless this
is prohibited by European regulations. The interim
act is aimed at economic and efficient use of
space, and optimal quality of the living environment
in an urban and rural area. The possibility
to deviate from environmental standards will
only be sought as a last option.
The other two process steps are followed: In
step 1 all stakeholders will be seated at the
table to try to collectively solve environmental
bottlenecks as far as possible as source measures.
This is done with innovative techniques or
by relocating companies. If source measures do
not offer a solution, then possibilities which the
current act offers should be used as described
in step 2 whereby creative and tailored solutions
are sought. If the rules (continue to) hinder an
area’s development and steps 1 and 2 do not
offer a solution, then subject to certain conditions,
in step 3 it is possible to deviate from the
environmental standards.
According to expectations the interim acts
which ends in 2011, will continue in its present
or altered form. The project has also looked at
experiences elsewhere. For example, the city
and environmental process in The Hague is one
of the few projects which has led to the application
of higher noise standards. This was a hard
and lengthy open planning process. Stadhavens
Rotterdam also seeks a solution for industrial
noise in the city and an environmental approach.
In terms of environmental problems the situation
in Stadshavens Rotterdam is similar to that
of Port-City. Tailored solutions as a transitional
policy whereby higher standards are permitted
during the transformation, or the specific sea
port standard, are handled in step 2. Creative
solutions in design, and legislation and regulations
according to the example of Hamburg
can be included in the city and environmental
Port-City
63
approach. Hamburg has taught us that with
creative solutions in design and legislation, it is
possible to create a high quality living environment
at a noise-exposed location.

64 Port-City Haven-Stad
Scenario 1

Scenario 1 ‘The Port in the
City’
In Scenario 1 the current boundary of the noise
contour is essentially maintained. Only at the
site of the NDSM subarea, the contour has been
placed back in accordance with the applicable
agreements. This scenario is based on the idea
that the housing development with sufficiently
protected buildings are realised in the subarea.
The main challenge lies in intensifying activities
within the boundary, both on the city and port
side. By maintaining the environmental nuisance
contour, there are only few subareas where a
combined living and working environment is
possible.
This scenario is based on the strengthening of
the work functions through the intensified use
of the existing port and industrial sites with a
transformation from four (small) locations to a
combined living and working area. These locations
link up to the existing residential and/or
green areas.
In this scenario the port will continue to exist
in its current form. Companies like Cargill, ICL/
Amfert and Shipdock will be given the room to
intensify on the existing sites. The other port
sites are intensified by making better use of
quays and sites, among others. By relocating dry
activities a new (mixed cargo) terminal is created
at Harbour basin C. In other subareas, better use
is also made of the water, by designating areas
bordering on the IJ/North Sea Canal for (quay
bound) harbour basins. This concerns parts of the
Cornelis Douwes site and Noorder IJplas used
on behalf of the inland terminals, moorings for
inland shipping and other functions. The water
area in Stadhaven Minerva and Houthaven will
maintain its maritime functions. A second cruise
terminal was built at the Westerhoofd, which
is intended for ships commencing or ending a
cruise trip in Amsterdam; these are so-called
turn-around ships.
Transformation with urban living and working
is present in areas that lie on the border of the
noise environmental contour. This concerns
View of Stadhaven-Minerva
Port-City
65
the Melkweg location north, Zaanstraat yard,
Sloterdijk 1 south side and the southern part
of Teleport Sloterdijk. This concerns relatively
small locations which are ‘stuck’ against the
existing urban area as it were. In total, based on
the allocated environmental profile, over 4,000
homes can be built at this location.
The office-type activities in Stadhaven-Minerva
also apply to the southern part of the Hempoint
site. The northern part of Hempoint, which is
located on the water, and Houtveemloods are

66 Port-City Haven-Stad
Public transport-proposed future situation according to scenario 1

Impression of future buildings in Houthavens
designated for cultural and creative activities
and recreational maritime functions. By connecting
this part of Hempoint with a promenade
to Westerpark, this subarea is closely connected
to the city; this is also referred to as a ‘greenblue’
oriented clustering of culture.
The Port-City intensification challenge offers
the possibility to move the activities from the
current urban industrial sites, like Schinkel and/
or Cruquius, to Port-City. Houses could be developed
on the vacant areas, meaning Port-City
will indirectly lead to the construction of more
homes.
Programme
In this scenario the emphasis remains on port
activities and urban working. This environmental
profile is the most prevalent. Under this scenario,
a total of over 3 million m2 in gross floor area in
new functions is realised, of which 2 million m2
is the result of the (scenario independent) developments
at Overhoeks, NDSM and Houthaven.
The scenario results in around 1 million m2 gross
floor area. Half of this is intended on behalf of
the working function (offices and businesses),
the other half for the residential function. The
scenario generates over 10.000 jobs. The main
share consists of (44%, 4,400) office-type activities.
This function primarily occurs in urban
working environments. Offices account for a
31% share (3,200) of the total. Companies, port
activities and facilities supplement this up to
100%.
Traffic and transport
The transport value along this route will only
increase through consolidation of Stadhaven
Minerva and Hempoint, and the transformation
of Sloterdijk 1 and Zaanstraat yard. At the same
time, extending the Ring line will provide better
access to the Westerpark. Under this scenario,
Ring line 51 does not need to be extended to
Central Station. In North, based on the existing
regional agreements, the North Tangent (HOV
bus) is included as an important transport connection
with Zaanstad. At city level tram line 3 is
extended via Spaarndammerstraat in the direc-
Port-City
Office-type activity in Stadhaven-Minerva
67
tion of Stadhaven Minerva to unlock the new
culture and recreational cluster in Hempoint and
the intensified work area.
Environmental aspects
In this scenario the transformation areas with
urban living and working lie on the border of the
current 55 dB(A) noise contour. On top of that
companies in the port will be given the room to
intensify their activities on the current sites. The
current storage and transhipment companies
create a great deal of industrial noise, odours
and dust. By applying a phased approach to city
and environment, solutions for the environmental
standards can be sought with all stakeholders
the goal being to achieve an optimal quality of
the living environment for the urban area.

68 Port-City Haven-Stad

It is important to focus on source measures in the
companies for noise, odour and air quality based
on innovative techniques. Relocating companies
is not relevant in this scenario. Based on tailored
solutions room can be created for a revision of
the city and port developments. This scenario
will increasingly have an impact on air quality
because of increases in the number of traffic
movements. For the areas with urban living and
working soil testing will be needed to determine
the need for a soil clean-up. Due to the increase
in the number of people in the area, the group
risk will be higher. The question is whether the
external safety risks for the second cruise terminal
at Westerhoofd are acceptable; this in view of
the fact that tourists are only self-reliant up to a
certain point. In this scenario the transformation
areas with urban living and working lie at a short
distance from the existing port-based companies
that will be intensified. In this scenario the
quality of the living environment as a result of
environmental noise, odour and air quality will
come under pressure. To increase the quality of
the living environment, compensation measures
in for example public and green areas will be
sought.
Costs and income
The total estimated costs of scenario 1 amount
to almost 1,160 million euro, whereby the
acquired land and buildings make up the largest
cost item. The other costs include demolition
costs, soil clean-up, ground works, sewerage,
site preparation and additional costs. The costs
for the infrastructure amount to approximately
40 million. This concerns both infrastructure
for vehicles and public transport exclusively
intended for Port-City. This does not include the
closure of the small ring road. The above-men-
Port-City
69
tioned amount excludes the costs concerning
the intensification of the port area, among which
the construction of a new terminal.
The income for the to-be-realised square metres
for living, working and facilities in this scenario
amount to over 500 million euro, as a result of
which there is a deficit balance of 700 million
euro.

70 Port-City Haven-Stad
Scenario 2

Scenario 2 ‘The Port and
the City’
In scenario 2 the boundary of the noise contour
lies on the North Sea Canal and Mercuriushaven.
In this scenario the Northern IJ banks, Stadhaven
Minerva and Sloterdijk are transformed. The
main challenge is further urbanisation along
the IJ banks and preservation of port activities.
Viewed from the port the challenge lies in
restructuring in order to keep using Coen and
Vlothaven as port areas if the zoning is shifted
inwards.
The restructuring of the port site from ‘heavy’ to
‘light’ and the transformation from large areas
to combined urban living and working area
will mean a drastic change to the character of
this part of the city within the A10 ring. In this
scenario port and city are in balance. Also, the
urban morphology will have the opportunity of
showing the link between subareas lying adjacent
to each other. This means that at the water
bound locations bordering to the north and
south of the IJ the characteristics of the water
front environment will be visible. The character
of the environment is variable. In North there is
evidence of a typical bank development related
to the shipbuilding history. Stadhaven Minerva/
Hempoint is typical of this central city structure
with high density and compact building. To the
south of the Nieuwe Hemweg, the ‘Sloterdijken’
industrial areas are closely connected to green
areas.
Port-City
71
Restructuring of Coen and Vlothaven means
that ‘heavy’ port functions are replaced by
‘light’ port functions which are combinable
with housing developments nearby. As a result
of the restructuring effort the noise and odour
emissions will be reduced. In the scenario this
can be achieved by the present companies, and
by means of relocating the existing companies
and integrating ‘cleaner’ companies. Examples
include quiet container or vehicle terminals or
the establishment of (covered) terminals for
sand and gravel. The restructuring will coincide
with the filling in of Harbour Basin C whereby
extra space will become available for developing
new terminal activities. The restructuring effort
aimed at creating a quieter and cleaner port
requires measures that currently do not exist or
are not cost-effective. The restructuring effort
will demand a high level of innovation from
port-based businesses. Additionally, substan-

72 Port-City Haven-Stad
Public transport scenario 2

tial investments will be required, which cannot
be covered from income. In this scenario the
second cruise terminal is located in North, next
to the old Shipdock site.
For the possible relocation of the companies in
Coen and Vlothaven, the Houtrakpolder would
be given consideration. The necessary space
(60-80 hectare) would be made available at
the expense of the port’s autonomous growth.
No alternative location has been found for the
necessary relocation of Shipdock.
The Shipdock site, Stadhaven Minerva,
Hempoint, Sloterdijk 1 and Melkweg will be
transformed into combined living and working
areas, whereby parts of the water will retain
their maritime function. Areas that lie within
the metro stations’ range of influence (circa 300
metres) will retain strong metropolitan accents.
The number of housing units to be built amounts
to over 13,150. The Alfa-triangle has office-type
activities, and will partly remain in Stadhaven-
Minerva. The northern side of the Cornelis
Douwe site is an urban industrial site, along
with parts of Coen and Vlothaven. This scenario
includes the option of moving the current urban
industrial site, like the Schinkel and/or Cruquius,
to Port-City so that homes can be developed at
freed-up up locations.
Programme
In this scenario the emphasis lies on combined
living and working, but with a strong intensification
and restructuring of the port and industrial
sites. The total surface area in this scenario
amounts to almost 4.5 million m2, of which
almost 3 million m2 will become available within
this scenario. Some 15% is designated for intensification,
and 85% is accounted for through
restructuring and transformation of the current
functions. Some 60% of the surface area will be
allocated to residential functions, the other 40%
to working functions and facilities.
In this scenario almost 18,000 extra jobs are created.
Just as in scenario 1 office-type activities
make up the largest share (41%, 7,300) with offices
following with 29% (5,200). The share of port
activities (9%, 1,700) and companies (9%, 1,600)
remain unchanged. In absolute terms there is a
strong rise in employment in the port. The new
locations will be created primarily by means of
the restructuring of Coen and Vlothaven. As a
result of many more homes being added in this
scenario, the number of facilities will also rise
(12%, 2,200).
Traffic and transport
Port-City
73
In scenario 2 the ring line under the IJ links with
the North/South line in North (Van Hasseltweg).
The route is extended parallel to the southern
side of Mercuriushaven so that Westerpark,
Hempoint, Stadhaven-Minerva, Shipdock and
NDSM areas will be optimally served. This route
choice requires an urban and regional evaluation.
As a result of the extensive restructuring
and transformation in this scenario, a metro
route through Port-City is imaginable.
Beyond this the local tram network will require
to be reinforced. Just as in scenario 1 tram line
3 will be extended to Stadhaven Minerva. Tram
line 5 will be extended from Central Station (via
the existing route along the Haarlemmerhout
gardens) via the Spaarndammer district and
Sloterdijk 1 to Sloterdijk Station. To improve

74 Port-City Haven-Stad

accessibility to Westerpark, tram line 10 will
receive a turning circle in the park close to the
local municipality office. Westerpark will thus be
linked to Leidseplein and Vondelpark. A link is
also imaginable between the route of tram line
14 via the Bos and Lommerweg towards the
Contactweg. This would create a direct connection
between Geuzenveld/Slotermeer (Plein
40-45), Bos and Lommer and the Port-City area.
In this scenario the North Tangent could be
linked to a new metro stop in the Shipdock area.
The North Tangent (HOV bus) could also be
connected to the metro stop at Van Hasseltweg
and/or the Buikslotermeerplein bus station.
Environmental aspects
In this scenario the area along the IJ banks is
further urbanised and Coen and Vlothaven will
maintain their port function. This requires an
inward shift of the zoning whereby the 55 dB(A)
noise contour is placed at Mercuriushaven. The
noise sources in Coen and Vlothaven and at
Cornelis-Douwes 3-4 will have to be eliminated.
By working with a phased-plan approach to the
city and environment, solutions can be sought
with all stakeholders for the environmental
standards with the aim of realising a high quality
living environment for the urban area. This scenario
relies heavily on taking source measures
by restructuring Coen and Vlothaven. This is
achieved by applying innovative techniques to
the existing companies to strongly reduce the
current emissions of noise, odour and dust, or
by relocating existing companies and replacing
them with cleaner activities. The ‘lighter’ port
functions created will be more easily combined
with housing.
This scenario will increasingly impact air quality
because the number of traffic movements will
increase, but due to the redevelopment of the
area, sources of fine particles such as storage
and transhipment operations will be removed.
For areas with combined urban living and working,
and ‘transition areas’ further soil testing
will be necessary to determine whether soil
decontamination will be necessary. The increase
in number of people in the area will mean a
higher group risk.
‘Light’ port functions can easily be combined
with housing. For new residential locations there
will be no burden in terms of noise, odour and
dust. This will result in a good quality living environment
in the new urban residential and work
areas.
Costs and income
The total estimated costs of scenario 2 are just
over 2,160 million euro, of which 2,030 million
euro will be required for acquiring sites and 130
million for creating (local) infrastructure. The
cost of moving port-based companies is estimated
to be 743 million euro. This excludes the
costs of restructuring Coen and Vlothaven.
Port-City
75
In scenario 2, income from areas designated on
behalf of living, working and facilities collectively
amount to 1,235 million euro. Nearly two-thirds
of which are accounted for by ‘living’. This is
logical in view of the fact that in this scenario
the surface area also dominates this function.
The negative balance of costs and income
amounts to 1,670 million euro.

76 Port-City Haven-Stad
Scenario3

Scenario 3 ‘The City in the
Port’
In scenario 3 the boundary of the noise contour
lies on the A10 motorway. This is the most
far-reaching scenario in terms of a change of
function, as the Coen and Vlothaven area is also
eligible for transformation. The port activities
to the west of the A10 will be maintained. To
facilitate this, the current noise regulations must
be eased and a 30-metre high screen must be
constructed along the A10 to protect against
noise produced in the port area.
In this scenario the focus lies on the transformation
of an existing port and business area
to a combined urban living and working area.
The emphasis lies on the residential function,
but plenty of room has been created for ‘clean’
work functions which can occur in line with
housing development. In this scenario Port-City
has become part of the combined urban area
extending to the A10 ring road. In this scenario
the waterfront environment is enriched with
an archipelago of Coen and Vlothaven’s island
structure, and the Alfa-triangle to the south of
the Nieuwe Hemweg will include green-related
developments.
The transformation of the port sites to the north
and south of the IJ banks (excluding Cornelis
Douwes 0-1) yields an urban area on which over
19,350 homes can be built. Looking at the number
of housing units this is comparable to IJburg 1st
and 2nd phase, but in terms of urbanisation this
is as much a metropolitan and combined area,
similar to Hafencity in Hamburg. This concerns
a completely new Amsterdam (metropolitan)
urban district.
This large-scale transformation will occur at
the expense of the existing port functions. All
activities in Coen and Vlothaven, and Shipdock
need to be relocated. The Houtrakpolder could
be used for the relocation. The required space
(70-90 hectares) will be made available at the
cost of the space required for the autonomous
growth of the port. In this scenario no alternative
location has been found for the required
relocation of Shipdock.
Programme
In this scenario the emphasis lies completely
on a combined living and working area. This
is the prevailing environmental profile. In total
this scenario amounts to over 5 million m2
gross floor area in new functions, of which
as a consequence of the scenario, 3.7 million
m2 gross floor area is added, virtually entirely
as a consequence of transformation. Of the
total surface provided by the scenario 67% is
designated on behalf of living, 23% on behalf
of working, and 10% for facilities.
In this scenario just fewer than 21,000 jobs
are realised. Office-type activities (41%) and
offices (30%) make up the largest share. As a
result of what is almost a full transformation
of the subareas in the Port-City plan area, the
Port-City
77
percentage of facilities amounts to 18% and the
share of port activities is reduced to 2%. The
business function is the constant factor, remaining
at 9% in this scenario.

78 Port-City Haven-Stad

Traffic and transport
In this scenario the ring line below the IJ is
linked to the North/South line in North (Van
Hasseltweg). The route is planned in the centre
of the Coen and Vlothaven area, thereby
connecting Westerpark, Hempoint, Stadhaven-
Minerva, Shipdock and NDSM with the
transformed harbour basins. This route choice
will require an urban and regional evaluation.
The large degree of transformation makes a
second metro or express tram route through
Port-City in the east west direction conceivable.
An extension of express tram route 26
from IJburg via CS to Port-City and beyond via
the Hemweg route would link Amsterdam to
Zaanstad. This could operate as an important
metropolitan link. Tram line 3 would be extended
via Coen and Vlothaven to the A10 to the
planned second Passenger Terminal Amsterdam
(PTA). This would require a bridge over
Mercuriushaven. In parallel to scenario 2 tram
line 5 would be extended from Central Station
to Sloterdijk Station. This scenario also makes a
link between the route of tram line 14 via the
Bos and Lommerweg towards Contactweg
possible. This would create a direct connection
between Geuzenveld/Slotermeer (Plein 40-45),
Bos and Lommer and the Port-City area. In this
scenario the North Tangent could be linked with
a new metro stop in the Keerkringpark. The
North Tangent (HOV bus) could also connect
to the metro stop at Van Hasseltweg and/or
Buikslotermeerplein bus station.
Environmental aspects
Port-City
79
In this scenario the large-scale combined urban
living and working area would be extended to
the A10 ring road. Port activities to the west of
the A10 would be maintained. The large-scale
combined urban living and working area is close
to the A10 and port companies to the west of the
A10. By applying a phased approach to the city
and environment all solutions could be found for
all environmental standards with the objective
of an optimal quality of living environment for
the urban area. This scenario involves the input
of source measures for port companies on the
basis of innovative technologies; relocating
companies to the west of the A10 is not relevant
here. This in combination with urban development
measures like a 30 metre high screen along
the A10 will still prove insufficient. Possibilities to
be able to apply wider noise standards should
be sought, such that the liveability of the urban
area will become acceptable. Step 3 of the City
and Environment offers a legal framework for
this. Odour nuisance from the oil storage companies
will be limited through applied measures
at source.
This scenario will increasingly impact air quality
because of the strong increase in traffic. In the
residential area the air quality will be strongly
affected by the proximity of the A10. Road
transport currently forms the primary cause of
air pollution. Expectations are that in the future
this will improve as a result of cleaner cars. For
areas with urban living and working, further soil

80 Port-City Haven-Stad
Public transport scenario 3

testing will be required to determine whether
soil remediation will be necessary. In this scenario
large-scale residential developments lie
close to higher risk companies like Eurotank.
This means a large increase in group risk, and
the question remains as to whether this is still
acceptable.
Environmental aspects regarding noise, air
quality, soil and risks, put heavy pressure on the
quality of the living environment of the largescale
combined urban living and working area.
The residential area must clearly offer something
extra in order to bring the quality of the living
environment to an acceptable level.
Costs and income
The total estimated costs of scenario 3 amount
to over 3,360 million euro, of which 3,100 million
will be required for acquiring the sites and 260
million for the local infrastructure. This makes
scenario 3 the most expensive of the three scenarios.
The costs of relocating the port-based
companies are estimated at 850 million euro.
In scenario 3, income from areas designated for
living, working and facilities amounts to almost
2,000 million euro. Two-thirds of income will be
accounted for by the residential function. This is
logical in view of the fact that in this scenario the
surface area is also dominant for this function.
The negative balance of costs and income
amounts to 2,210 million euro.
Port-City
81

82 Port-City Haven-Stad
Part 3 Comparing scenarios
The desirability and feasibility of combined
living and working along the western IJ banks
can be evaluated based on a large number of
factors. A distinction can be made between
qualitative factors with an emphasis on desirability,
and qualitative factors with an emphasis on
feasibility. Both are discussed in this chapter. In
terms of quality this concerns how the scenarios
can contribute to achieving the ambitions of the
metropolitan region and the scenarios’ contribution
to the further development of the industrial
complex. In terms of quantity, the programme
focuses on generating housing developments
and economic activities, and the relocation issue
that is coupled to the scenarios and the costs
and income from the scenarios.
Metropolitan region
Depending on the extent to which and the way
in which the transformation and intensification
processes occur, the scenarios result in a different
contribution to the development of the
metropolitan region of Amsterdam. Two aspects
play an important role in this: diversity and
sustainability. Diversity in both urban, landscape
and functional senses; sustainability in the fields
of energy, climate and air quality. The main strategy
for the metropolis is to continue to focus
on the urban planning principle of bundling
urbanisation and intensification of urban land
use. Four impulses have been formulated: urban
transformation/intensification, metropolitan
accessibility, metropolitan landscape/diversity
and sustainability. For the port there is another
aspect in which the scenarios differ; the extent
to which they contribute to maintaining and
strengthening the maritime function.
Transformation and intensification
The possibilities for transformation increase to
the extent that more port activities (with corresponding
noise contours) are moved. In scenario
1 the transformation possibilities are limited
while in scenario 3 a large area is available for
transformation. Scenario 2 occupies a provisional
position. The extent to which the scenarios
contribute to the urban housing challenge is
closely related to this. In scenario 1 the environmental
contour is maintained, as a result of
which there are only limited possibilities for housing.
Scenario 2 and 3 can provide an important
contribution to the urban housing challenge,
whereby it is clear that scenario 3 scores best.
The intensification of urban land use is linked to
the extent to which transformation is possible.
Intensification is possible in all three scenarios.
In scenario 1 this is achieved by concentrating
companies that produce noise and/or odour
within the existing environmental contours of
the Port-City area. This means that maximum
use is made of the space within the port’s environmental
contours. Scenario 3 however shows
more opportunities for intensification. Largescale
transformation occurs, as a result of which
a huge programme of residential and work func-
tions can be realised in an area. On the other
hand the room needs to be found for port basins
and port sites which need to be relocated.
Metropolitan accessibility
Scenario 3 offers by far the most opportunities to
improve regional accessibility via a larger transport
value, but not only this: for an extensive
transformation and intensification the Port-City
area can serve as a ‘spider in the web’ in the
regional traffic system. In principle, this applies
to all modalities.
Metropolitan landscape and diversity
The urban intensification will lessen pressures
on the landscape with regard to the large-scale
transformation in scenario 3, but at the same
time increase pressures on the port. Scenario
3 offers the most room for house building and
work functions that contribute towards a higher
level of facilities, as a result of which the vitality
of the city and metropolis will increase.
Sustainability
The contribution to sustainability is highly
dependent on the way in which transformation
will occur. For example, the preservation of the
large volume of water is an important aspect
with regard to the water storage challenge. This
will likely mean that the current water basins will
have to be maintained. Creating floating communities
on them could be an option.

Port-industrial complex
From the port’s standpoint, the assessment of
the scenarios turns out differently. In this viewpoint,
scenario 1 contributes the most to the
strengthening of the port-industrial complex,
scenario 3 the least.
The basic principle in all scenarios is that the port
activities in the plan area are maintained in the
metropolitan region. Only the location of these
activities will differ. In scenario 3 and probably
also in scenario 2 the port companies must be
moved to another location, potentially Houtrak.
Relocations involve high costs but also lead to
more efficient use of the available sites, and are
potentially also opportunities for growth. The
required space for relocation does occur at the
expense of space for the autonomous growth of
port activities. Based on the current prognoses,
which assume that the port activities will increase
to 170 million tons in 2040, the need for new wet
sites will be such that together with the space
requirement following relocation, it will be very
hard to achieve this in the Houtrak and/or other
locations in the North Sea Canal area.
Scenario 2 includes a restructuring of the port in
the Coen and Vlothaven area in a way that port
activities can be better combined with housing
development. In concrete terms, this concerns
quieter and cleaner port activities. It is unsure
if in a period of 20 years such clean and quiet
port activities can be achieved. It is certain the
necessary investments for restructuring will
be high and that the volume of transhipments
will be lower than currently is the case in bulk
transhipment in the area. A lower transhipment
volume will also mean lower income for the Port
Authority, on the other hand new port activities
could result in higher added value and more
employment. From the standpoint of the desirability
of combined urban living and working
this could be an attractive scenario; from the
viewpoint of feasibility there are still plenty of
bottlenecks to be overcome.
In addition to terminal activities, other maritime
aspects play a role in the scenarios. This
for example concerns moorings for inland vessels,
moorings for push-barges and space for
maritime suppliers. All scenarios have factored
in space to locate these activities, whereby it
should be taken into account that in scenario 1
these activities occur in a port area and scenario
3 in a residential area.
Port-City
83

84 Port-City Haven-Stad
ha. bvo wonen woningen bvo werken
arbeids-
plaatsen
bvo voorzienin-
IJburg 418 2.152.800 19.000 242.500 8.000 232.100
Oostelijk
Havengebied 81 875.717 7.100 176.575 7.063 131.348
Zuidas 270 1.129.800 9.000 1.183.600 47.320 376.600
Haven-Stad 497 scen. 1 508.500 4.180 397.400 8.584 75.900
scen. 2 1.765.100 13.150 648.000 13.997 224.000
scen. 3 2.536.700 19.350 763.900 16.500 370.100
Tabel 1: Programma Haven-Stad in vergelijking met IJburg, Oostelijk Havengebied en Zuidas
gen
Programme
The following table shows the total programme
of Port-City compared with IJburg, Eastern Port
Area and Southern Axis (Zuidas). In terms of
surface area Port-City is comparable to IJburg.
In scenario 3 Port-City can accommodate roughly
as many homes as IJburg. The number of
jobs in this scenario amounts to double that of
IJburg. In scenario 2, in which the actual transformation
area amounts to 263 hectares, there are
also huge additions to the urban programme. In
terms of homes and jobs this scenario is based
on double the numbers in the Eastern Port Area.
Only scenario 3 shows lower numbers than the
comparison projects. This scenario is not based
on an integrated transformation challenge either,
but rather several individual developments along
the existing urban area. (See table 1)

The huge volume of homes and jobs in scenarios
2 and 3 require special attention for the throughput
time and spatial phases. Such challenges
will often require a period of 10 to 20 years to
be executed. On top of this for Port-City the
new programme is nearly completed achieved
via transformation, i.e. existing functions will
be replaced by new functions. This demands a
careful phasing strategy, due to the relocations
and costs involved.
Relocations
In addition to the port-related activities the
necessary relocations also concern a wide range
of urban-based activities. In the scenarios part
of the green areas (sports fields) and a railway
yard need to be relocated. In view of the nature
of the activities, only a part of them will return
to the Port-City. The table shows the number of
hectares involved.
The calculation of the space claim for port activities
is based on a study in 2002 on behalf of
the then Structural Plan. Transformation was
also a relevant issue back then. While in 2002
Afrikahaven was still available for relocation,
this is no longer the case. Such relocation would
have to occur to a newly developed site. To get
an idea of the challenge, both regarding land
and water, a sketch has been created for the
Houtrak. This reveals a space requirement of
60-80 hectares in scenario 2 and 70-90 hectares
in scenario 3. The difference concerns the
companies USA Minerals and Eggerding, that
do not need to be relocated in scenario 2 and
are relocated in scenario 3. It is assumed new
space will be found for USA Minerals in the new
port area in the event of relocation.
For urban-based activities, the space for relocation
respectively amounts to 52, 88 and 98
hectares for the three scenarios. These surface
areas are based on the acquired gross surface
area and surface from the cost calculation. The
conversion of gross floor areas to the ground is
based on a floor space index of 1. As a result the
required space is less than the currently occupied
space. The ultimate space requirement will be
lower. It is plausible that part of the port-based
activities can remain at their current location or
will return to the Port-City area in some form or
another.
scenario 1 scenario 2 scenario 3
Havenbedrijvigheid 0 ha 60 - 80 ha 70 - 90 ha
aantal bedrijven 0 4 6
aantal arbeidsplaatsen 0 1.100 1.300
Bedrijvigheid algemeen 52 ha 88 ha 89 ha
aantal bedrijven 200 450 550
aantal arbeidsplaatsen 8.100 10.800 12.200
Infrastructuur (emplacement) 11 ha 11 ha 11 ha
aantal bedrijven 1 1 1
aantal arbeidsplaatsen 226 226 226
Groen 6 ha 12 ha 12 ha
aantal sportvelden 6 12 12
Port-City
85
For the extra business space needed there is
still no space available either in Amsterdam or
the metropolitan region. More space will thus
have to be reserved and developed, possibly in
the West flank.
The rail infrastructure amounts to around 11
hectares. On moving to another location there
is a similar challenge of 11 hectares. The location
concerned is an emplacement next to existing
goods emplacement on the Westhavenweg.
With reference to the green facilities this concerns
relocation of sports fields on the Melkweg
site. Here there is a need for 1 hectare per sports
ground. (See table 2).
Tabel 2

86 Port-City Haven-Stad
Costs and income
Costs
The transformation costs of scenario 1 amount
to almost 1,200 million euro. In terms of costs,
scenario 3 is the most expensive at almost 3,100
million euro. Scenario 2 lies somewhere in between
(just over 2,000 million euro). In all three
scenarios the amounts associated with ground
purchase and structures make up the largest
cost item (between 66% and 75%). The acquisition
costs include 25% of unforeseen expenses.
Other cost items include demolition, soil remediation,
ground moving, sewerage, preparation
for construction and additional costs. If over the
coming years (based on a yet to be drawn up
development strategy) strategic acquisitions can
be made, and seeing that current developments
already anticipate the future scenario, purchase
costs could be considerably lower. (See table 3)
The above-mentioned costs do not include
costs of newly built (local) infrastructure. These
are estimated separately, with the comment
Tabel 3: Verwervingskosten (x 1 mln)
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
verwervingskosten 804 69% 1391 69% 2305 74%
overige kosten 358 31% 632 31% 793 26%
totaal 1162 100% 2023 100% 3098 100%
that in the case of a number of the infrastructural
measures there was too little information to
accurately evaluate the costs. The costs for the
regional infrastructure have not been included.
The cost estimates below thus give the minimum
infrastructure costs which must be taken into
account per scenario (See table 4).
The costs of moving the port companies are
based on an estimate of the costs of development
of new wet areas and harbour basins, the
required maritime infrastructure (quays and
moorings) and the construction of new buildings
and installations. These calculations exclude
the costs of disassembly and demolition work
at current locations (assumed in transformation
costs). The figures are based on the similar study
from 2002 on behalf of the then Structural Plan.
The basic principle has been adopted that in
scenario 1 port companies do not have to be
relocated and in scenarios 2 and 3 they do.
Scenario 2 offers the possibility that some com-
panies would like to remain where they are (but
would produce in a cleaner and quieter manner).
This possibility has not been financially investigated
(See table 5).
Income
Tabel 4: Kosten hoofdinfrastructuur (x 1 mln)
The income from the gross surface area to be
realised for living, working and facilities in scenario
1, amounts to over 500 million euro. For
scenario 2 and 3 this respectively amounts to €
1,235 million and almost € 2,000 million. Income
by function shows the following picture. (See
table 6)
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
water en bruggen 9 13 117
infrastructuur 30 115 145
totaal 39 128 262

Tabel 5: Kosten verplaatsing havenbedrijven (x 1 mln)
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
ontwikkeling terrein 61 74
terminalinrichting 43 60
nautische inrichting 93 101
gebouwen en installaties 546 615
totaal 743 850
Tabel 6: Opbrengsten (x 1 mln)
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
wonen 211 40% 756 61% 1358 68%
werken 275 53% 360 29% 446 22%
voorzieningen 36 7% 119 10% 185 9%
totaal 522 100% 1235 100% 1989 100%
In scenario 1 slightly over 50% of income will be
accounted for by working facilities. This is logical
given the fact that in this scenario the surface
area is also dominant for this function (nearly
50% of the total). The income in scenario 2 (over
50%) and 3 (slightly more than 66%) is generated
from the homes. This is also proportionate
to the volume of the residential surface area to
be realised. The average income per function
shows the following picture (See table 7).
Costs and income balance
In addition to the costs mentioned for the scenario
(acquisition costs and other costs) and for
the infrastructure, there are also costs involved
in terminating current ground leases. These are
not included in the calculation for both the port
company areas and the OGA areas. In all 3 scenarios
there is a deficit balance. (See table 8)
Tabel 7: Gemiddelde opbrengst per functie (€ per m2))
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
wonen € 415 € 428 € 438
werken € 482 € 367 € 740
voorzieningen € 474 € 531 € 408
totaal gemiddeld € 452 € 416 € 503
Tabel 8: Kosten, opbrengsten en saldo(x €1 mln)
Port-City
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
kosten transformatie 1.162 2.033 3.098
kosten infrastructuur 39 128 262
kosten verplaatsing havenbedrijven 743 850
opbrengsten transformatie 522 1.235 1.989
saldo -679 -1.669 -2.221
87

88 Port-City Haven-Stad

Conclusions and recommendations
The results of the scenarios are input for the
Amsterdam Structural Concept currently in production.
The structural concept will outline the
way in which the city could further develop. The
structural concept stands thus in the context of
the development of the Amsterdam Metropolis
in which the city of Amsterdam is the core.
This core will primarily differentiate itself by
its diversity and sustainability by which further
intensification and transformation of urban
areas with proper attention for sufficient supply
of business premises will be a leading principle.
The other leading principles will include better
accessibility as a result of one coherent public
transport network, the development of the
metropolitan landscape and making it a sustainable
and climate-resistant city.
Consideration must be given to which scenario
or scenarios best respond to these principles.
From the viewpoint of desirability this is the scenario
that ideally serves both port and city. In this
scenario the growth potential and possibilities
for transformation and intensification of both
city and port are optimally in balance whereby
an impulse is also given to better accessibility.
From the viewpoint of feasibility the conclusion
may be different. In the final decision or expres-
sion of preference influences may play a role that
have not been considered in the study, such as
the number of housing units required by 2040.
The current scenarios lead to a large number of
insights and corresponding questions, several
of which are essential in order to further work
out and concretise the three scenarios. These
insights are presented as conclusions. Each conclusion
is followed by a recommendation.
Conclusion 1
In all scenarios the enabling of a transformation
of areas from Port-City to urban living and working
means an approach and/or adaptation to
the rules and regulations in view of applicable
noise standards for industrial activities. The
Interim City and Environment Act offers possibilities
for realising projects where environmental
Port-City
89
standards (in first instance) form an obstruction.
Under certain conditions it is possible to deviate
from applicable environmental standards regarding
noise, air, soil, and odour. By working in a
collective process according to a phased-plan
approach to city and environment the initial aim
is to seek solutions within existing legislation. In
step 1 with measures at source by companies
and in step 2 by means of creative solutions
and customised approaches within the confines
of current legislation and regulations. If this is
unsuccessful then step 3 offers the possibility to
deviate from the environmental standards unless
prohibited by European regulation. A condition
for this is that it contributes towards economic
and efficient use of space, and an optimal quality
of the living environment in the project area.
According to expectations the interim act which
ends in 2011, will continue in either its present
or similar form.
Recommendation 1
Continuing the study into expanding the statutory
possibilities with regard to noise nuisance,
among others through establishing contacts
with other ports, cities and governments that
also deal with this phenomenon.
Conclusion 2
The initial financial studies show that costs
involved in developing the scenarios are high.
This is because in almost every subarea there
is transformation (buy-out) of existing functions
and that in total the subareas indeed cover a large
area. Large-scale transformation will require at

90 Port-City Haven-Stad
least a period of 20 years. At this point, there are
no realistic estimates regarding the number of
square metres of gross floor area/sites that need
to be acquired. Here the necessary assumption
has been made of expensive options that could
possibly be implemented by the city in a more
economic manner than envisaged.
Recommendation 2
Create robust development strategies to form a
clearer picture of the transformation and transformation
costs irrespective of the scenario.
By anticipating future developments early and
making strategic purchases, acquisition costs
will end up lower.
Conclusion 3
The calculated numbers of square metres of
surface area, based on the applied environmental
profiles, result in a huge office floor area
(and office-type activities). Viewed at an urban/
regional level, the question remains whether
this large area is desirable considering the current
expectations of supply and demand on the
office market.
Recommendation 3
Instead of applying environmental profiles per
subarea, in the next phase, based on future
regional and urban demand, insight is needed
in the extent of work functions.

Conclusion 4
Scenarios 2 and 3 assume that the port activities
need to be relocated. The space claim of these
relocations conflicts with the space claim from
autonomous growth. Assuming further port
growth, this will put pressure on its autonomous
development. Port development to the west of
the port area after 2020 will take place even if
based only on autonomous growth.
Recommendation 4
For the relocation of port activities, in addition
to expansion in a new area, the restructuring
of the current area should also be taken into
consideration. In scenario 2, where there is a
restructuring in Coen and Vlothaven, further
research must be undertaken into which port
activities make local area residential housing
possible. This recommendation is closely associated
with the first recommendation.
Conclusion 5
Expansion of the metro and tram network will
make Port-City better accessible, but a larger
transport value as a result of the developments
in Port-City justify not only this expansion. For
the linking of Port-City to the city expansion of
tram lines appears in first instance sufficient.
Recommendation 5
At the metropolitan level completion of the
large ring road (below the IJ) should be given
consideration. The Port-City programme in scenarios
2 and 3 provide a substantial contribution
to the transport value by programme upgrading
and route choice but does not in itself justify
construction.
Conclusion 6
Port-City as place in the metropolis region offers
opportunities to involve the Zaan lobe more closely
with Amsterdam. The question here is how
Port-City will obtain a place on the Zaan-IJ bank
waterfront.
Recommendation 6
Develop the Zaan-IJ bank along the North
Tangent (HOV bus) which is yet to be constructed.
Whether the connection between Zaanstad
to North is sufficient for the intended attachment
of the Zaan lobe should be further explored.
Conclusion 7
Port-City, in the east west direction, suffers
many barriers obstructing contact with the city.
In addition to the river IJ, the railways are mainly
located to the south of the Nieuwe Hemweg.
The question is whether these barriers will
strengthen the identity of the subareas or
whether development of the subareas can only
be achieved by removing the barriers.
Recommendation 7
Research how the barriers affect development
opportunities in Port-City.
Port-City
91
Conclusion 8
The Olympic Games can be considered as
a catalyst in the transformation process and
could unlock extra national funds. The Olympic
year 2028 takes something of a confrontational
stance with the Covenant that has been agreed
with some companies in Port-City. In addition
to this, the current environment has no natural
attachment to the world of sport.
Recommendation 8
Consider the Olympic Games as a separate project.
Scale, phasing and cost/benefit analysis are
of a specific order and do not fit in the recommended
development strategy.