This looks more like a "bedroom community" than a new city model. How many of the residents commute? Is the median income of these residents comparable to those of nearby cities?
Thank you for this excellent video about the excellent little town! Personally, I lived both in modern buildings and in the old classical ones. The latter have their special charm. Already approaching the house, you freeze in anticipation, seeing all the interesting details of the external walls, columns and arches. Walking up the stairs, looking on the nice decorations on the banister & the walls, feels like a pleasant little adventure. Sitting on the sofa at home, you can spend hours looking at the original curlicues of plaster stucco on the ceiling. Even going to the bathroom to wash your hands is a pleasant experience because you open the door with the elegant doorknob and use the quaint antique faucets to let the water flow. And on top of that, these beautiful old houses are not only a delight to look at, they are also very practical. They are made of brick rather than concrete, so they are warm in winter and cool in summer. Brick breathes much better than concrete, so the air quality in brick houses is higher.
I am Dutch and have wondered all my life why we can't build like we used to do... Tourists never visit modern housing areas, but are always drawn to the traditional 'typically Dutch' buildings and towns. In the Noordoostpolder where I live inhabitants were asked some 15 years ago to come up with 'innovative' ideas as to what our area could look like in the future. As the Noordoostpolder is only 80 years old - it used to be sea - roads are straight, architecture is boring, but there is stll lots of space here, which is rare in the Netherlands. So I suggested traditional small towns with winding roads, small shops, even harbours ad perhaps traditional windmills, etcetera. I also considered a layout like a 16th century Dutch fortress or bastion. Needless to say, I never got a reaction. Praise to this beautiful nice project. I hope and pray many will follow. God bless!
Amen! It's so clear what people prefer and what people don't like, so I really don't see why people keep choosing for failed concepts. The Noordoostpolder, but also the Flevopolder, desperately need beautiful, humane places. There is a reason why people make so many jokes about Lelystad and Almere. Yet, policymakers haven't had the clue yet. Anyway, thank you for watching! 🙏
haha I am Dutch. Yes the winner was perhaps some megalomane big project ;) I can give another example from teh Netherlands. In the town where I live there was a very nice school but it was not running on heating and electricity efficiently . Therefore they tore the whole building down and build a new building (with new materials) stating it was more environmentally friendly. Huge glass walls it has which is expensive to replace. Perhaps after 50y again they will replace and so on. That is not enviromentally friendly. The old buildings whihc last 300y and are still pretty after all those years use up less resources from the environment!
I believe that we Americans and Canadians should start building more walkable, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, and aesthetically-pleasing villages, towns, and cities with adequate public transportation and places to hang out such as easy-to-access parks, cafes, and community centers, instead of bland and soulless corporate strip malls, detached drive-thrus, power centers, shopping malls, and car-centric suburbia.
Car corps control america, they're the reason they don't even use trains over there and have to get a plane to travel to another state further away. If the corps say no, then it's a no
Been saying this for 50 years, suburbia with no small grocers, cafes, bike shop, an ice cream parlor or parks.... creates the death of 'community'! I think that's the reason that north America has such ridiculous societal divisions, because we never meet our neighbors to realize that you are all fundamentally good and have more in common than differences.
One can only dream... Too bad that many people in the U.S. and Canada been convinced by decades of right-wing propaganda to view all of those things as economically infeasible manifestations of "communism" (never mind that it doesn't make sense) or part of some nefarious global conspiracy so "they" can destroy your way of life and so on.
I studied architecture and it saddens me that we were never taught how to design in non-contemporary styles. My city has beautiful viceregal architecture, but most people graduate from university designing concrete and glass blocks and think that's acceptable just because they have a concept to justify it. On my own, I am learning more about traditional design and how to apply it in my works to maintain the identity of my country's architecture.
the thing is, that there are examples of new, fresh neighborhoods with only modern architecture. No, modern is not just glass/concrete squares. They can have plenty of character and still use normal brick walls.
@@Astke Of course, there is also very good modern architecture that can be complemented in these neighborhoods, but it is often difficult to find. I just think that we should not limit ourselves to only build with a modern style, but also continue to design with traditional architectural features.
First thing to forget as a newly minted architect is: form follows function. That may be true in its essence, but ask yourself: what is the function of a home? It’s more than just holding the roof up… traditionally, the function of buildings very much included the function of providing a sense of timelessness, of impressing people, of instilling a sense of permanence… Form follow function failed because it eliminated emotion from function, while that is very much a part of it.
That's really cool that more and more people start to understand that the classic architecture is much better than the new "fancy-looking" one. The classic one has a soul, a character. Hope to see more towns and building will be built in beloved old style.
I think some modern style developments are good looking. There is a place for both. You do not need to shun either. Some of the more futuristic modern looking neighborhoods are quite nice to be in, still very livable and nice to look at.
People dressed in a much more stylish and classic manner in the 18th century compared to contemporary fashion. Yet, I don't see anyone advocating for the return of Victorian crinolines in skirts.
Still a very boring European crappy design. As multiracial multilingual born Indonesian living around the world all alone since childhood I also lived in The Netherlands and surrounding countries around 7-8 years till end 2010.
Est ce que ces habitation « copie collées » du style XIX ont aussi des pièces aussi spacieuses? J’ai vu beaucoup de nouveaux bâtiments construits avec plus de »goût » ayant des espaces de cages »à lapins » C’est surtout ça le problème ; et j’ai vu en photo aériennes nombres de parkings! ! Effectivement le style Wald Disney est peut être une mauvaise réponse à une bonne question😮
King Charles did this successfully decades ago, he pioneered it while preserving historical British buildings, which was quite unpopular at the time and he needed real backbone to preserve his vision. (He also included social housing etc)
I think the idea just needs reworking, rather than being given up on. This 2003 district in Ciudad Cayala in Guatemala City is highly praised/awarded. Who wouldn't want to live in beautiful classical housing with all the modern features and walkable safe neighborhoods?
As someone from Germany the most fascinating thing about the Netherland for me is that you just have to see a Dutch building for a second and instantly know it's in the Netherlands. A pretty small country with unique architecture which doesn't even look something special and still easily recognizable.
As an Italian I'm so happy that some of our students got the opportunity to shape this beautiful town bringing their fresh ideas to the table! Thanks Dutch people for your courage in pioneering this urban planning revolution!
Being Dutch myself, and generally interested in architecture ... ashamed to admit I fully "missed" this development ... seems SO good (and with good Dutch "DNA" - re social housing). GREAT WORK on your channel!
In 20 years, let's compare Brandevoort and Poundbury to "modern" towns that are being developed. I bet these will look and function better. In fact, while the modern towns will grow old and dated, these towns will gain patina and history. They will look even better in 20 years than they do now. As a marketing and advertising executive, I advise they add more special events that will involve locals and draw more visitors. A unique Christmas pageant or Spring flower festival. Put together a concert series of famous musicians. The local businesses and restaurants need to thrive and an influx of visitors will help that.
I personally would love to live in a place like the one shown in the video. The architecture is not only quite nice looking, but there's also a soothing and calming quality to it. It just feels human rather than the glass-and-steel roboticism favoured by so many architects.
Agreed, however, keep those of us with mobility issues in mind. I can walk, but not distances. A car is an absolute necessity if I'm going more than a couple of blocks.
Netherlands is definitely doing something right that most other countries aren't. They understand how to build communities. Wish we could import their urban planning philosophy to the US.
@@mradventurer8104 It is not a one off, look at the houthavens in Amsterdam, There are also examples in Den Hague (forgot the name). Amstelveen build a new area with '50 style houses.
@@buddy1155 Do you mean the area in the Rivierenbuurt in The Hague? I don't know the official name for that project, but the Hillebrant Jacobsplein seems to be a part of it when I look in Google streetview.
I used to live in Maastricht and this new town looks so much like there. Just awesome. I wish we could bulldoze most all of our cities here in America and rebuild like this
I met an American who told me that he thought it was wonderful that the English city of Linclon was named after the US president of the same name. So you're up against some pretty backward thinking if you wish Americans to be progressive in their ideas.
As a Brabander who is very critical of modern architecture I absolutely adore this. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this town yet. Looks like a cool place to visit!
The fight should be about Beautiful vs Ugly instead of Traditional vs Modern. Traditional buildings and towns are beautiful not because of tradition, but because their builders used their sense of beauty to create places that are beautiful. To create places they could love.
@@kiminobigballs4167 What is "traditional" now was modern back when it was built. We can learn from the past but also not repeat their mistakes. As a leftist i love traditional architecture because it uses locally sourced materials and encourages walking- cheap and good for the environment and community building!
@lav1088 in addition to that traditional architecture is also the best-suited architecture for the environment. Notice how in Norway traditional houses have very steep roofs because they get a lot of rain and snow, in Spain the roofs are very heavy to insulate during the summer and there is only a slight incline as there is much less rain, and in the Sahara Desert much of the time there is not an incline to roofs at all because they rarely get rain. In the United States, houses (most of the time) are made of wood as they frequently get destroyed by natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes or earthquakes and if they were made of a more durable material they would be more expensive to replace (not to mention that if a material such as bricks fell on top of someone because their house collapsed they have a higher chance of dying, as well as the fact that wooden buildings are more flexible to earthquakes). Tradition exists because it worked in the past to keep people alive and happy, and helped them spend less time doing repairs on their homes in an architectural case.
I am Dutch and never heard of it, everything from the market to the trainstation looks so pleasant to be around. I hope there will be more traditional building like this in the decades to come.
I used to live in this suburb (because it is a suburb, not a town as the title might sugest), and it really is one of the most pleasant places I have lived or been around in. Congrats on making a great video about it!
Thanks for your comment! Interesting though - Someone else said, in the comments, that the place isn’t popular as people from Eindhoven only go live there out of dire need… is that true you think? Or different in your experience?
@@the_aesthetic_city the 'need' part comes from the fact many people living in Helmond (and thus Brandevoort) work in Eindhoven, but Eindhoven is way too expensive to live in these days. So people who want to live in Eindhoven move to Helmond or Brandevoort instead.
"you might expect the municipality to be smart right" As a Helmonder that made me laugh. This neighbourhood was practicaly build in my backyard so I am very familiar with it. The location was chosen as it already had good access with the A270 highway and a busy railline already there. From Brandevoort you can be in the city center of Eindhoven in 8 minutes. That is also the people who got drawn to the Neighbourhood, people that work in the city center of Helmond and Eindhoven. That is not something bad but it did couse de Veste to be very quiet, kinda of too quiet. Every time I have been there it felt like a ghost town as i was one of the only people outside as all the residents are working somewhere else. Not a bad thing in a subburban neighbourhood but it does feel weird if a place is supposed to feel like a busy productive town. Further on I don't see how the road layout makes the place less accessable. In fact we often shop in Brandevoort as it is easier to park the car there. I think the road layout is perfect as it diverts busy car traffic around the urban fabric but it doesn't cut the neighbourhoof of from the rural landscape. Another note: The northern part of the original plan was axed due to the 2008 crisis. That is also the main reason on why it stil isn't completed ad the neighbourhood has had alot of problems, like most neighbourhoods. The new plans for the Brainport smart district is very interresting and i think that there are alot of good interesting ideas but its far far from perfect, it especially sucks as the original plans were really nice. It is the case that the municipality has learned alot from this neighbourhood as it heavily influenced the design of Suytkade and Oranjekade in Center of Helmond, alough these both also have a more industrial vibe as both are build on former industry along the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal, which couses both of these neighbourhoods to be more special and thus more recognizable.
The whole Noord-Brabant region is so fascinating to me as an American - several "medium" cities of 100,000 - 200,000 people, no single center, and very effective train transportation between cities. I have a friend who lives near Eindhoven who I often visit and I love Eindhoven, Tilburg, and Den Bosch. Most other parts of the world have one large central city per region, with everything going into or out of that city. I love the non-centralized feeling of the region, where everything is close but also its own place.
@@asherstuhlman2424 The "Randstad" agglomeration isn't that much different. Dordrecht, Rotterdam, Delft, Rijswijk, Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem, all very close. And from Dordrecht you're almost in Breda 🙂.
@@ronald3836 It is different in the sense that Dord, Rotterdam, Delft, Rijswijk, Den Haag, Leiden form almost one big giant city. There is hardly any space inbetween. Between Tilburg and Eindhoven is a huge forested area. Same with Tilburg and Den Bosch.
As a Helmonder myself I stopped the video 2 minutes in..... Brandevoort is a success to anyone not living there. The people living there hate it. The poster is also saying that the houses are affordable but that only goes for those who have been living there from day 1. Wanna buy a house there? Bring a *HUGE* lot of money. The kind of money that will buy a house twice the size with 10 times the yard space outside of Brandevoort. The video is nice for those who want to visit interesting places but it's full of falsehoods. Brandevoort was a prestige project and that is what remains: A silly expensive, kind of pretty looking but totally impractical neighborhood.
I'm so happy to see social housing so beautifully designed and actually affordable, it's usually (at least where I live) just concrete blocks and no one wants to do more than the bare minimum, it's quite upsetting
If I was a billionaire, I’d sponsor so many real estate companies to design neighborhoods they were already going to be building to use more classic architectural styles.
@@tann_man build them better. we can combine our current-day knowledge with past-day architecture. building them better visually is almost an impossible feat though. it's just too costly now.
Some equate "15 minute cities" with "smart cities". I know people who are sure that Big Brother will control every single person who walks through a 15 minute city! They completely freak out if you mention 15 minute cities. The concepts have been warped in certain conspiracy theory spheres.
There are however disabled people, big families that need to drive and neurodivergent people that have social anxiety regarding grocery shopping/restaurants that need a car however. I don’t think we need to make our cities less accesible than what they already are.
@@quackywhackityphillyb.3005 Of course its not perfect. But I am honestly shocked by you claiming cities forcing people to walk or neurodivergent people to isolate themselves is more accesible than cities made for cars. You can’t say that.
@@Fluxwux mobility scooters exist and why not just have both options avaliable instead of forcing 99% of the population to living in an isolating car centric enviornment.
I loved it when I first saw it fro mthe train. Had no idea it was built like a fortified town. Best houses that have been built in The Netherlands post ww2.
I am Dutch and hadn't even heard of it. I think this is great. Having lived in Eindhoven, I recognise the 'Brabant' atmosphere. My mother came from Betondorp, an 1940s 'village-style' part of Amsterdam built with concrete, critised very much at the time, and now well-loved.
That's funny i live there! (Brinkstraat). It's close to Diemen though on the eastern part of town. Thank god not visited by tourists a lot. Apart from the visits from foreign architects.
You make a video on Charleston, South Carolina. The city has implemented an architectural review board, so the city has preserved its old architecture and is building its new buildings in that style. As a result, it has become one of America's most desirable and fastest growing cities. However, it unfortunately isn't affordable due to places like Charleston being very rare to find here in America today. I think it would be nice to highlight a success story that isn't in Europe for once.
@@baronvonjo1929 The reason why Charleston is so expensive is because cities of its kind are a rarity in the US. Compared to most other states, South Carolina is one of the most affordable, so there's no reason why the same shouldn't also apply to Charleston if most other American cities were built like it.
To be fair Charleston is not a similiar examples to those covered on the channel. These are in the main brand new developments built in a traditional style. Charleston for an American city is historic and as been a settlement for a number of centuries and although what being done is admirable it is infilling with similiar venacular architecture in an already fairly historical setting. That said in the UK even in our historical cities you would unbelievably have to battle the architectural establishment to infill like they are doing in Charleston. As they would call it pastiche, even though it is what people approve of and want, they would be dismissed by this elite as not really understanding architecture.
Carmel is also a very wealthy area, but that is not proof that they aren't doing some things right. It seems like no one gets to have nice architecture and city planning unless the wealthy and powerful are leading the charge. I wouldn't want to live in Carmel personally. I don't want to be surrounded by only wealthy people. That feels very artificial to me. But I also wouldn't want to throw out what they have done there, because it conveys an embodied vision of what other places can strive for.
I recently moved to a newbuilt in Noordwijk - a coastal town about 30 miles from Amsterdam and 20 miles from The Hague to the other side. Its a whole new neighborhood called "Offem" - next to an estate with a small forest which shares the same name. The concept was similar- consider the architecture of the old centre of the town, and especially the main street (Voorstraat) and design homes which fit well with the older homes from the 17th/18th/19th century, but with all the comfort of modern building techniques. It is great, looks beautiful, the homes are spacious, there is plenty of parking, but also on the back of the houses, so the streets are free of cars and quite walkable, theres lots of waterways, trees and greenery everywhere. Its quiet and peaceful and safe. I would certainly recommend to anyone
This new... "old" development excites me. It has character. It has soul. It has a story to tell... unlike so many new, staid neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. Pedestrian and cycle oriented, it is free, for the most part, of cars and car parks. This type of approach reminds me of the aims of the New Urbanists in the US. Bravo! Keep up the good work. ("Gelukkig, woon ik in het schitterende Middelburg.")
Only been there once to pick up something. It was an absolute maze to navigate through😆. That said, I live about 10 minutes from there and I’ve seen Brandevoort grow. I absolutely love the bringing back of the old designs. You don’t find that anywhere here on such a scale. And it should be done way more! I like how this video taught me new info on something that seems so “normal” to me.
You said businesses / stores have a hard time because traffic avoids the city center. But as far as I know is that pedestrians and cyclists are the ones who buy stuff, not car drivers. Car drivers would mostly just drive through the city and not stop to buy something. There's an American street where they took away the parking space to create a bike line. The owners of the stores thought they would lose their customers but instead they got more. This is the case everywhere where they reduce car traffic to increase bike and pedestrian space. Unfortunately I forget the name of the city and street of the example that I just gave you. But I remember another example. In the city "victoria gasteiz" (located in Spain) they did not only do that to one street but to the whole city plus made more green spaces, green rooftops, you know all those great things. Long story short walkable cities increase the economy. Not the other way around. In fact, car centered cities a build indebts that they pay with new debts that they never can afford because the maintaince of streets for cars is just too high while they also make space for parking spots and streets by destroying houses and stores. It's in every way not friendly for the economy. I think "not just bikes" made a video about it cakled "strong towns" That said, I really agree with everything else I learned in this video. I also don't think something is progressive only because it's new or modern It's progressive if it's an improvement but let's face it modern arquitectura is ugly as it can be.
I guess the point is it is not a real town, like a regional business center. It is a nice-looking suburb with the residents working in, hm, Eindhoven, I suppose. So you can't expect to do much business there. What amenities does a suburb need? A pub and a café maybe, and a convenience store for people to buy stuff they forgot to bring from the supermarket on their way home.
@@th60of Some people like to buy their bread from a bakery and so on. They don't live 100% from the supermarket. The supermarket is nice for prepackaged stuff like soap, shampoo, salt and sweets, etc. Which you can order online and get delivered scheduled. Buying fresh vegetables of the season is a thing some people do buy at stores close by that specializes in them. And a bike repair shop. ;) Need one at walking distance.
@@th60of Supermarkets in the Netherlands don't work like that. Most people live within a short distance of a small supermarket; that's where we do just about all of our groceries. We don't drive the car to a huge megamarket outside the city, as is common in some places in the world. We don't really have convenience stores anymore. We don't need them as we all have a "buurt super" that can supply all.
well it's also the case that if it's not easy to access for non residents, the businesses there will only cater to people who live there (imagine how often you go to another town/city to have a meal, purchase a service, conduct business for work, ect). That means you're basically looking at a limited number of stores and services. Probably not the worst thing, but as someone commented here about going there, it's a bit dead during working hours cause everyone is working somewhere else. It's hard to have a restaurant that doesn't have business until evenings and weekends, for cafes thats basically impossible. Also also, some commuters will simply buy things/get services where they work cause it will be more convienent (I used to work for a large retailer, my office was in the same building, so i'd go shopping there after work, even though I had a shopping mall 1 block away, about the same distance as the bus stop from work to my flat)
Jouw video's geven mij altijd weer energie dat niet alles verloren is. Ik raak zelf aardig gedeprimeerd hoe wij Nederland volbouwen, en prefereer dan nog altijd de ouwe weilanden die er ooit lagen dan de distopische woonwijken die we tegenwoordig creeeren (zelf woonachtig met uitzicht op Leidschenveen/Ypenburg). Kortom, ik hoop dat je nog even doorgaat met mooie voorbeelden en positieve verhalen van hoe het ook kan.
Nice video and very nice town! The only thing which disturbs me a little is the amount of space which is exlusively used for car parking in the backyards. But apart from that it looks like new urban developments should look like! Greetings from Germany!
Yep. The designers still clung to the principle that every person has to have their own parking spot no more than 10 meters away from their apartment, as if this was some basic human need which has precedence over all others. You reserve a few parking spots for those who are movement-impaired, the rest can use other means of transport and potentially have a multi-story garage further away if they absolutely feel it's essential they have a car.
@@BcroG11 It makes sense since most people living there use cars to get to Eindhoven. There is a norm for the amount of parking spaces per house. Overall parking nearby is seen as a basic need because for many the car still is a basic need.
We have a similar community nearby here in Orlando, Florida called Baldwin Park, which was built on a large parcel of land that once belonged to the air force and was used for training new recruits. It features traditional architecture in a wide variety of styles, sizes and price points, streams, lakes and canals, all amenities are in the town center our on the streets bordering the village. Cars access the homes via alleys, eliminating front driveways, bicycle paths are pleniful, there's loads of trees, parks and green space. Disney's Celebration, 30 miles, is a similar model, but it has more of a "stepford wives" feel to it for a variety of reasons.
I think you're missing the point here. Brandevoort isn't a gated community, it's just a part of a normal city called Helmond. So no fences, private guards or companies ruling what you can/ can't do....We don't like to lock ourselves in. Now that's freedom!
Only if more places were buitl like this. A pleasant place to stay sane, have good mental health, people are closer, you feel cozy, it's friendly to your mind... Where I live things are so oppressive and awful it's basically impossible to stay sane or have good mental health. It's loud, unpleasant, unfriendly. It just drives people insane, and it only worsens by the day.
Remember: This is a suburb for the rich. Mostly people that work at ASML here. Most houses are so expensive they can't be bought by anyone else. Those people usually have double-income families that work from 9 to 9. Most of them are rarely home. So no, there is no "people are closer" since most of the people living here hardly ever see each other. I've lived in Helmond for 20 years and most people in Brandevoort don't like Brandevoort.
@@Crogathat's the problem with this and similar channels: they newer take affordability into account. And while places like this may become profitable in the long run, the upfront cost of building them makes them inaccessible for most people. IMHO, the smart question would be how to build cheap and pleasant cities. Where is that minimum margin, when the city becomes uncomfortable? What construction techniques are the most expensive and what you can replace them with? And how do you substitute them without getting an "it's fake" feeling? It's easy to build a pleasant city for the rich. It's also relatively easy to build ultra cheap living for the poor (that will eventually become a crime ridden slum). Try building a city where the living is both accessible for the lover middle class and hard working upper low class, AND desirable for the upper classes.
This gives me so much hope! I'm 62 years old and I've lived in New Jersey and New York for most of my life. The best places to live are the ones that grew up organically and have features like plenty of trees along the streets and well-made aesthetically pleasing buildings and a good sense of community where people can gather or just use the space in a way that feels right to them. There have been so many frustrating and disheartening examples of the same old money-obsessed developers and politicians that don't really seem to care and the government of the towns and cities often don't assert what's in everyone's best interest. Keep up your excellent work and thank you for showing us Brandevoort!
I live in the Funenpark in Amsterdam and I think this park is proof that modern-minimalist architecture can be a great success. The place doesn't look boring and there's lots of green. However, near the park you can also find plenty of neoclassical architecture which also looks beautiful. Yes, it absolutely works and I think it's great for preserving the aesthetic of Amsterdam, but at the same time we should still embrace modern architecture, but maybe be more critical about what is good architecture. The Funenpark works because despite some of the residential buildings are repeated, you never see two of the same buildings at once. The architecture manages to be playful despite its minimalism. It also mixes social housing with more luxury apartments at the same location, yet there's quite a community vibe.
I also went to Brandevoort by train a few months ago. Here I conducted research into urban planning for a school project. Really, what a great neighborhood.
Thank you for this excellent video about the excellent little town! Personally, I lived both in modern buildings and in the old classical ones. The latter have their special charm. Already approaching the house, you freeze in anticipation, seeing all the interesting details of the external walls, columns and arches. Walking up the stairs, looking on the nice decorations on the banister & the walls, feels like a pleasant little adventure. Sitting on the sofa at home, you can spend hours looking at the original curlicues of plaster stucco on the ceiling. Even going to the bathroom to wash your hands is a pleasant experience because you open the door with the elegant doorknob and use the quaint antique faucets to let the water flow. And on top of that, these beautiful old houses are not only a delight to look at, they are also very practical. They are made of brick rather than concrete, so they are warm in winter and cool in summer. Brick breathes much better than concrete, so the air quality in brick houses is higher.
If there wasn't such a housing shortage, developers would quickly realise most people just like this 'old fashioned' style and build in that style a lot more. 'jaren 30 huizen' are the most popular houses for the same reason, people love cozy houses with lots of details, not cement blocks and containers.
I wish ivory tower intellectuals that think some concrete and glass boxes leaning on each other is somehow 'wow so modern' would take note and build these in the future.
I wish we could make Ivory Tower Intellectuals live in their concrete and glasses boxes (they wet the bed, they should lie in it). Meanwhile, the world should get architects like those featured in the video to develop our cities.
You sound jealous of these imaginary "ivory tower intellectuals" that you are so angry about. You're just angry that THEY get to see THEIR vision put into action. If you don't like it, go build your own. But don't interfere with what THEY do.
You praise the myriad innovations you are privileged to enjoy, such as the ability to compose this message using the internet on your smartphone-an embodiment of human ingenuity-yet paradoxically, you wish for architecture to remain stagnant.
@@halapunjete A giant metal and glass box in the middle of the desert isn't progress, its regression. It gives the middle finger to nature, physics, art and common sense. It's a monument to mans hubris not an embodiment of ingenuity.
Good job in highlighting this gem of urban planning. It brings to my another effort by architect couple from one of the Central American countries, who built a new residential area with traditional architecture and much of principles incorporated in Brandevoort. I stumbled upon their work in UA-cam too but I can't remember their names or the country they are from.
Just a few critical comments: I don’t see why the architects could not come up with a more futuristic plan for eliminating cars from the area completely. Either by incorporating tunnels and underground parking lots or by designating areas outside for parking anc providing a simple system for delivering good and materials to the front door. In this sense, the plan does not seem revolutionary at all. Secondly, I did not actually see any shops or workplaces that would naturally have been part of such a city or district at the time, when this type of architecture first appeared. It seems to me that the problem originates in the idea of planning itself. Most cities are planned today, but in the past they grow organically and they Naturally incorporated the professions and businesses that people needed. That’s eliminating the need to travel all the way to some urban centre for your work or to do shopping. And I suppose that I have no evidence for it, that zoning laws would prohibit the transformation of housing into shops or business premises now. Thus, while this video seems encouraging, I think it is what the Dutch call a ‘wassen neus’. In other words, it’s a facade and does not really solve the problems that before modern architecture and city planning. And I am highly sceptical of the claim that house prices are affordable since house prices everywhere have gone up and it is simply inconceivable that the people producing this kind of architecture and city planning Would be able to produce this type of habitation any cheaper than the standard price for housing anywhere else in the Netherlands, which is extremely or ridiculously overpriced.
So what? It's still better than comparable 'modern' developments. If you watched the video and paid attention, you would have noticed that this isn't about solving the housing crises, it was only mention that 22% is allocated as social housing. That's the affordable aspect of this project. There was no mention of how this project claims to single-handedly change the dynamic of the housing market. That's you projecting your own frustrations. The focus is mainly on aesthetics and therefore quality of living. And the only relevant question is: if all other things are equal, would you rather live in Brandevoort or in Ypenburg/Leidscherijn?
I'm Dutch. I didn't know about this. This is totally awesome! What an absolute masterpiece this new town is becoming. So modern build with beautifull traditional architecture is possible AND succesfull.
I love it. Although the cars could go underground for every block. That way, the interior space could be used for something better than parking and the cars would be protected from the weather.
I was thinking the same thing. It seems like German cities only build more bland and soulless buildings. The country of Bach, Kant and Gründerzeit and hey... look, another shoebox with an orange roof. Traurig.
@@christijanrobert1627 I have to agree. Everything that is now built in Germany seems the same, both from the outside and the inside, including details like door handles.
@@ronald3836 Another thing, more and more of these buildings resemble prisons. Imagine spending your money on living in what looks like a grey and white penitentiary.
This is more of a top down view. I would have liked if you had presented some surveys or something from the people on the ground, shop owners and stuff like that. I don't really like the parked cars around back in a square like that, wouldn't back alleys have been more natural? I don't particularly care that it doesn't "look" authentic, it isn't and it never will be, but it should look good and be a pleasant environment to be in.
I lived in the first street that was completed in 2000. I saw the project growing over the years, in the beginning it was missing it's soul, but that also grew.
That is nice to hear! Thank you for sharing 😁 Interesting how a newly built traditional place can still get a soul - it’s a very good sign for other places
What a fascinating topic... And the way you present the ideas and explain the criticism and problems is a master class in urban planning. I went to school for Historic Preservation and even though most of us would say this is historicism and imitation, I think it's better to imitate something we know works very well, is designed around people, and is quite beautiful. I would love to visit next time I'm in Europe... Thank you for sharing!
Thanks!! And yes I agree. Let's do things that work - we have enormous problems already with wars, poverty, pollution, so why waste money on unproven 'pie in the sky' ideas, instead of fully focusing on pragmatic solutions? And to introduce beauty as well - as it's so important to basically everyone
I'd wish this would be more extended. Here in Spain modernist ugly and non-walker friendly developments are on the rise, I once passed by one of the new developments and asked my friend "Aren't those very ugly?" And he said "Yeah but they are 'modern'", sadly many people believe because they are "modern" they are good even if they are ugly and discourage walking and mixed use. Worse is, it's becoming more common to enclose beautiful old buildings with a boring grey facade, I've even seen some old buildings with modern ugly extensions from the roof. Or to see what they did to the Museum of Arts of Oviedo, demolishing half of the 300 year old beautiful facade to replace it with a horrible grey block and it looks terrible there in the middle of the medieval old town. Also because of the very wet climate here these buildings decay quickly and in 5 years they already have moss.
A small criticism is that there don't seem to be any front gardens, the buildings go up to the street/pavement and there would be no privacy/sound insulation for people using their front rooms so that's a big no for me. When you have a front room that overlooks the pavement, you actually feel overlooked and unsafe, you hear every passer-by, car, etc. With a front garden and a hedge, you don't even need curtains and I don't have any curtains in my house, I just let the light in and the views of the front and back garden are like an impressionist painting come to life. There is never enough greenery/space, please remember this architects and designers, try living in one of the houses you design and any cons will become obvious
This is why neighborhood where people cannot see or hear what happens on the street are so dangerous. They also feel dead, and are very boring to walk in.
Not all but most houses in the Netherlands have no curtains. You can look straight into their home and it doesn't worry them. My family lived like that in the inner city of Rotterdam and I remember that it was very safe for us kids to play out in the street. It had a great community feel to it. Sadly that has all changed now but it seems like Brandevoort is created the way it was 50+ years ago. It's thumbs up for me.
0:44 looks like they have some drainage problems in that town. Maybe they can learn from the Romans and put some stepping stones on the road so people can cross without getting their feet wet.
I really hope this is the future everywhere. I also hope that we learn how to bring back the beautiful ornamental artisan flourishes that gives old architecture that special magic missing today. If I had one note: more trees! Without it it looks a bit like a fake movie set.
The project shown here is amazing. And yes, having squares which are natural places for people to meet really does encourage people to come outside. I would love to see more if this kind of thing in Canada. I do have a reservation though. As much as suburbia is maligned, I have on concern regarding economic impact. You see, having a North American style suburban home with a garage and basement, it provides something that mamy other urban spaces do not provide - space to tinker. There are countless stories of businesses starting in "ones garage" and I think the impact of that available space should not be underestimated. Certainly the Dutch are entrepreneurial and inventive, but I wonder about the econimic dynamism that can he lost if there isnt space to tinker. In North America, theres is huge churn in new businesses starting all the time. In Europe, while certainly one can register a business anytime, this denser fabric of people, while certainly gives you more of a market, I cant help but feel it also restricts the things tou can do in your space at home. North American homes can he surprisingly busy with projects, hobbies, tinkering, and part time businesses in basements and garages. Switching to a 5 floor apartment with traditional architecture can be beautiful and comfortable, but I just dont see how this arrangement encourages people to experiment and tinker. Is there a traditional solution to this? Village workshops? Backstreet sheds/shacks?
Only way I can think of improving it would be to reduce some of the parking islands, adding infill, and a wider variety of building heights (up to 6 or 7 stories). That would help increase the density, without impacting the function of the town/district, and make it more self-sustaining (less reliant on outsiders for business).
Ruben! Thanks for this video. I'd never heard of the place, but after watching I think it's a winner. It's pretty, human-scaled, safe for pedestrians AND cars. It's got problems just like all planned places. No one seems to be able to plan for ALL the needs: that only comes from places that just grow with only minimal planning. People will build everything they need if given enough time and little interference... but this sure is a good alternative. Thanks again!
I went to school right outside of Brandevoort, and I can confirm it's a lovely town! It's amazing how it looks compared to other cities and villages nearby, it's very unique. I also had a school project about Brandevoort in which I learnt a lot about its history, so seeing this video really surprised me!
Indeed, the city looks beautiful! Not only on this video, but also in reality after few years of building. Just took a short walk there with google street view :). I would add more shops, bars, restraints and coffee corners to make the place a bit more vibrant. Hope it just a matter of time.
They were really on to something with this. I can only echo your conclusions from my own perspective. I moved from the city to an old town center nearby a few years ago and still feel blessed every day. Overlooking an in-use waterway instead of a busy road, weekly shops are at a walking distance and the surroundings are much more varied . It's just much more peaceful to live in a place with a layout that has actually been optimized around human beings (and the odd boat) rather than cars. Simply from an evolutionary stand-point it makes so much more sense and you physically experience the difference every day.
This is so inspiring like always. When the next minicipal elections come up I'm definitely making a campaignvideo in this place as proof that we could absolutely bring at least some of the old glory of the dutch town of Zandvoort back! Thank you for your amazing video's once again.
Paris is brave, is changing for good. It is a model for other cities to know that they can be transformed. For so long cars didn't have any limitations or restrictions. It's time for people outside cars to remodel their cities and live in them.
I get goosebumps whenever I watch one of your videos. Classical architecture works for one simple reason: human subconscious. It predicts what environment we respond to, the connections we have with other people and the romantic partner that we choose. To expand: The environment we respond to is simple: This kind of town has two major aspects: every house is special because it's different and it makes you feel like you have ownership but it blends into the town's personality and you feel connected to the neighbours. The brutalist towns on the other hand make you feel like you don't own anything, everything is for the people but none is for you. You can barely point out the apartment in a big block of flats where you live, everything is far away from you or seems disconnected from you. The human subconscious sends you signals about this but you don't understand what is happening. So many kids start to "make themselves special" with tattoos or piercings because they want to feel special and the habitat doesn't help them feel like that. It's an epidemic of "I'm special" in the body but not the mind. The connections we have to other people: Stores integrated in the buildings, small businesses make people feel connected. Corporations that have the big buildings built outside of towns are disconnected from the buyer, they make you go further (probably with a car) and make you feel small and not important. Squares are very important for people's wellbeing. It's a place dedicated to the people with the purpose to feel connected to the city. You don't even need to call the other person when you meet them because it's so easy to set up a date there. "see you in...square at...hours", not like the today's back and forth calling or opening the app to lead you to the meeting spot. The romantic partner that we choose: These towns were made by men for the community around. Today people got disconnected from the people building these skyscraper cities. They just pop up, and we get anticultural movies like Barbie where the protagonist "just lives" in a house that exists only because she desired it, not because men poured their blood and sweat to create them. This makes woman not wanting a romantic partner (like in the movie) because they think men are no good, this produces no future generations. Men start acting up for not having a romantic partner and the downward spiral goes down with this leftist thinking that makes ugly cities and the family and home obsolete. These classic towns remind us of what real beauty is: living according to our subconscious not against it in the name of "evolution". If people would understand why society is failing right now they would also understand why we still need classic towns and orientation to the family. Just a reminder: Men built society...but they built it for women. (we all have our place, it's different but it's equal of importance)
The traditional city is awesome! All you arguments of "negatives" are thoughtful. I would say the traditional design will win because it is beautiful and make you want to live there. This content was great well done good sir.
You made a great point about how technology must be part of the urban fabric and NOT the afterthought it currently is. Most smart cities are glaring monstrosities that usually don’t even deliver the promise of “smart”. Instead of making technology (or cars, or security or whatever the latest buzzword is) the centerpiece of an urban design, i like how you pulled it back to basics in this video 🎉👌🏻👍🏻
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What the cost every house m². And how much does it cost to maintain for the city. Considering that we will face population collapse in this century.
This looks more like a "bedroom community" than a new city model. How many of the residents commute? Is the median income of these residents comparable to those of nearby cities?
Think leaving the interior block space for cars looks sad. What if the cars were underneath the block's interior greenspace??
Thank you for this excellent video about the excellent little town! Personally, I lived both in modern buildings and in the old classical ones. The latter have their special charm. Already approaching the house, you freeze in anticipation, seeing all the interesting details of the external walls, columns and arches. Walking up the stairs, looking on the nice decorations on the banister & the walls, feels like a pleasant little adventure. Sitting on the sofa at home, you can spend hours looking at the original curlicues of plaster stucco on the ceiling. Even going to the bathroom to wash your hands is a pleasant experience because you open the door with the elegant doorknob and use the quaint antique faucets to let the water flow. And on top of that, these beautiful old houses are not only a delight to look at, they are also very practical. They are made of brick rather than concrete, so they are warm in winter and cool in summer. Brick breathes much better than concrete, so the air quality in brick houses is higher.
Make a video about the cool castle looking city part called Haverleij in the city of 's-Hertogenbosch... looks very amazing
"Tradition is about preserving the fire, not about worshipping the ashes"
Great quote!
I just read your comment while it was told in sync during the video!
when someone burns your land to ashes, they pay when they lose.
unless they have stronger friends than you....
@@Potent_Techmology Not the smartest in your village, ey?
Reminds me of the song Ashes by the Longest Johns
Gustav Mahler.
I am Dutch and have wondered all my life why we can't build like we used to do... Tourists never visit modern housing areas, but are always drawn to the traditional 'typically Dutch' buildings and towns. In the Noordoostpolder where I live inhabitants were asked some 15 years ago to come up with 'innovative' ideas as to what our area could look like in the future. As the Noordoostpolder is only 80 years old - it used to be sea - roads are straight, architecture is boring, but there is stll lots of space here, which is rare in the Netherlands. So I suggested traditional small towns with winding roads, small shops, even harbours ad perhaps traditional windmills, etcetera. I also considered a layout like a 16th century Dutch fortress or bastion. Needless to say, I never got a reaction.
Praise to this beautiful nice project. I hope and pray many will follow. God bless!
Amen! It's so clear what people prefer and what people don't like, so I really don't see why people keep choosing for failed concepts.
The Noordoostpolder, but also the Flevopolder, desperately need beautiful, humane places. There is a reason why people make so many jokes about Lelystad and Almere.
Yet, policymakers haven't had the clue yet.
Anyway, thank you for watching! 🙏
haha I am Dutch. Yes the winner was perhaps some megalomane big project ;) I can give another example from teh Netherlands. In the town where I live there was a very nice school but it was not running on heating and electricity efficiently . Therefore they tore the whole building down and build a new building (with new materials) stating it was more environmentally friendly. Huge glass walls it has which is expensive to replace. Perhaps after 50y again they will replace and so on. That is not enviromentally friendly. The old buildings whihc last 300y and are still pretty after all those years use up less resources from the environment!
I was 1st time in NL in Abcoude and for me this is no1 town to live it
True and I’m from the Noordoostpolder as well. The only nice buildings are the first ones they built in the 40’s and 50’s.
Exactly! Praise to classically beautiful buildings over new fad buildings...
I believe that we Americans and Canadians should start building more walkable, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, and aesthetically-pleasing villages, towns, and cities with adequate public transportation and places to hang out such as easy-to-access parks, cafes, and community centers, instead of bland and soulless corporate strip malls, detached drive-thrus, power centers, shopping malls, and car-centric suburbia.
One community is.
ua-cam.com/video/JOQdsgRYqnY/v-deo.html
Car corps control america, they're the reason they don't even use trains over there and have to get a plane to travel to another state further away. If the corps say no, then it's a no
Been saying this for 50 years, suburbia with no small grocers, cafes, bike shop, an ice cream parlor or parks.... creates the death of 'community'! I think that's the reason that north America has such ridiculous societal divisions, because we never meet our neighbors to realize that you are all fundamentally good and have more in common than differences.
They have massive legal immigration in Canada and almost all go to the bigger cities. Canada has so much land so it is a good idea to built new
One can only dream... Too bad that many people in the U.S. and Canada been convinced by decades of right-wing propaganda to view all of those things as economically infeasible manifestations of "communism" (never mind that it doesn't make sense) or part of some nefarious global conspiracy so "they" can destroy your way of life and so on.
I studied architecture and it saddens me that we were never taught how to design in non-contemporary styles. My city has beautiful viceregal architecture, but most people graduate from university designing concrete and glass blocks and think that's acceptable just because they have a concept to justify it. On my own, I am learning more about traditional design and how to apply it in my works to maintain the identity of my country's architecture.
And the worst is the shit they design is their intelectual property, so you are not allowed to alter it.
@@MChagall I remember reading about an architect who sued a family for painting their house a different color, since his work could not be altered.
the thing is, that there are examples of new, fresh neighborhoods with only modern architecture. No, modern is not just glass/concrete squares. They can have plenty of character and still use normal brick walls.
@@Astke Of course, there is also very good modern architecture that can be complemented in these neighborhoods, but it is often difficult to find. I just think that we should not limit ourselves to only build with a modern style, but also continue to design with traditional architectural features.
First thing to forget as a newly minted architect is: form follows function. That may be true in its essence, but ask yourself: what is the function of a home? It’s more than just holding the roof up… traditionally, the function of buildings very much included the function of providing a sense of timelessness, of impressing people, of instilling a sense of permanence… Form follow function failed because it eliminated emotion from function, while that is very much a part of it.
That's really cool that more and more people start to understand that the classic architecture is much better than the new "fancy-looking" one. The classic one has a soul, a character. Hope to see more towns and building will be built in beloved old style.
I hope not to see such in the future.
I think some modern style developments are good looking. There is a place for both. You do not need to shun either. Some of the more futuristic modern looking neighborhoods are quite nice to be in, still very livable and nice to look at.
People dressed in a much more stylish and classic manner in the 18th century compared to contemporary fashion. Yet, I don't see anyone advocating for the return of Victorian crinolines in skirts.
Still a very boring European crappy design.
As multiracial multilingual born Indonesian living around the world all alone since childhood I also lived in The Netherlands and surrounding countries around 7-8 years till end 2010.
Est ce que ces habitation « copie collées » du style XIX ont aussi des pièces aussi spacieuses? J’ai vu beaucoup de nouveaux bâtiments construits avec plus de »goût » ayant des espaces de cages »à lapins »
C’est surtout ça le problème ; et j’ai vu en photo aériennes nombres de parkings! ! Effectivement le style Wald Disney est peut être une mauvaise réponse à une bonne question😮
I live near Brandevoort and it is a beautiful neighborhood. The way every house is different, has a natural feel to the place.
I love it!
This should be the standard thinking for all new builds here in the UK. Create beautiful, safe, enjoyable spaces = desirable.
Funny enough there are quite a few hopeful developments in the UK. Looking forward to make some videos about these
I really hope so Ruben, what ones do you have on mind in relation to the UK?
King Charles did this successfully decades ago, he pioneered it while preserving historical British buildings, which was quite unpopular at the time and he needed real backbone to preserve his vision. (He also included social housing etc)
I think the idea just needs reworking, rather than being given up on. This 2003 district in Ciudad Cayala in Guatemala City is highly praised/awarded. Who wouldn't want to live in beautiful classical housing with all the modern features and walkable safe neighborhoods?
As someone from Germany the most fascinating thing about the Netherland for me is that you just have to see a Dutch building for a second and instantly know it's in the Netherlands. A pretty small country with unique architecture which doesn't even look something special and still easily recognizable.
When I saw the thumbnail, I instantly thought of classic Dutch architecture.
As an Italian I'm so happy that some of our students got the opportunity to shape this beautiful town bringing their fresh ideas to the table! Thanks Dutch people for your courage in pioneering this urban planning revolution!
Grazie mille Italian student for their designs.
Wait until illegal immigrants flood into this city
It was an Italian Professor in an American University… where are the Italian students?
Being Dutch myself, and generally interested in architecture ... ashamed to admit I fully "missed" this development ... seems SO good (and with good Dutch "DNA" - re social housing).
GREAT WORK on your channel!
If your DNA (blood and spirit) is truly Dutch then you should be very proud of your blood and heritage. I, for one, hope you are.
Same here. I don't think it got much media attention because I follow the news but also missed this project or perhaps read about it briefly.
In 20 years, let's compare Brandevoort and Poundbury to "modern" towns that are being developed. I bet these will look and function better. In fact, while the modern towns will grow old and dated, these towns will gain patina and history. They will look even better in 20 years than they do now.
As a marketing and advertising executive, I advise they add more special events that will involve locals and draw more visitors. A unique Christmas pageant or Spring flower festival. Put together a concert series of famous musicians. The local businesses and restaurants need to thrive and an influx of visitors will help that.
That was exactly what I was thinking about. Where is the place something like a summer fair can find its place. A market hall isn't the place for it.
Don't forget to add concrete barriers in Christmas markets for the Abdul and the boys.
The best design is one where it encourages people to walk and the buildings are pleasing to the eye as well.
Absolutely!
I personally would love to live in a place like the one shown in the video. The architecture is not only quite nice looking, but there's also a soothing and calming quality to it. It just feels human rather than the glass-and-steel roboticism favoured by so many architects.
Agreed, however, keep those of us with mobility issues in mind. I can walk, but not distances. A car is an absolute necessity if I'm going more than a couple of blocks.
Netherlands is definitely doing something right that most other countries aren't. They understand how to build communities. Wish we could import their urban planning philosophy to the US.
No this is just a one off place. I am Dutch and never heard about this before. But yes it looks great and hope they will use this method more often.
in the US we made building like this illegal.
@@mradventurer8104 It is not a one off, look at the houthavens in Amsterdam, There are also examples in Den Hague (forgot the name). Amstelveen build a new area with '50 style houses.
The Dutch aren't different from anyone else.
But we have a different election system.
@@buddy1155 Do you mean the area in the Rivierenbuurt in The Hague? I don't know the official name for that project, but the Hillebrant Jacobsplein seems to be a part of it when I look in Google streetview.
I used to live in Maastricht and this new town looks so much like there. Just awesome. I wish we could bulldoze most all of our cities here in America and rebuild like this
it kinda does indeed. Maastricht is one of a kind tho
Sadly America did bulldoze it's towns and cities which used to look like this.
America already bulldozed places like this to build suburbs
I met an American who told me that he thought it was wonderful that the English city of Linclon was named after the US president of the same name. So you're up against some pretty backward thinking if you wish Americans to be progressive in their ideas.
As a Brabander who is very critical of modern architecture I absolutely adore this. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this town yet. Looks like a cool place to visit!
The fight should be about Beautiful vs Ugly instead of Traditional vs Modern.
Traditional buildings and towns are beautiful not because of tradition, but because their builders used their sense of beauty to create places that are beautiful. To create places they could love.
That itself comes from tradition. You can't separate the two. Even my bleeding heart liberal self can see that
@@kiminobigballs4167 What is "traditional" now was modern back when it was built. We can learn from the past but also not repeat their mistakes. As a leftist i love traditional architecture because it uses locally sourced materials and encourages walking- cheap and good for the environment and community building!
@lav1088 in addition to that traditional architecture is also the best-suited architecture for the environment. Notice how in Norway traditional houses have very steep roofs because they get a lot of rain and snow, in Spain the roofs are very heavy to insulate during the summer and there is only a slight incline as there is much less rain, and in the Sahara Desert much of the time there is not an incline to roofs at all because they rarely get rain. In the United States, houses (most of the time) are made of wood as they frequently get destroyed by natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes or earthquakes and if they were made of a more durable material they would be more expensive to replace (not to mention that if a material such as bricks fell on top of someone because their house collapsed they have a higher chance of dying, as well as the fact that wooden buildings are more flexible to earthquakes). Tradition exists because it worked in the past to keep people alive and happy, and helped them spend less time doing repairs on their homes in an architectural case.
It looks absolutely amazing. I'd pick that place over a lot of seemingly 'fancier' locations.
I am Dutch and never heard of it, everything from the market to the trainstation looks so pleasant to be around. I hope there will be more traditional building like this in the decades to come.
I used to live in this suburb (because it is a suburb, not a town as the title might sugest), and it really is one of the most pleasant places I have lived or been around in. Congrats on making a great video about it!
Thanks for your comment! Interesting though - Someone else said, in the comments, that the place isn’t popular as people from Eindhoven only go live there out of dire need… is that true you think? Or different in your experience?
@@the_aesthetic_city the 'need' part comes from the fact many people living in Helmond (and thus Brandevoort) work in Eindhoven, but Eindhoven is way too expensive to live in these days. So people who want to live in Eindhoven move to Helmond or Brandevoort instead.
@CarthagoMike they are just as expensive as Eindhoven.
@@the_aesthetic_city I still live in Brandevoort. House prices around here are high so you wouldn't move here out of dire need. Houses sell rapidly
I really don`t undertsand how anyhow can be surprised that this is a mega success.
Traditional design is just beautiful full stop. It makes people happier.
Mooi werk. We hebben dringend meer schoonheid nodig in deze wereld. Ga zo door.
"you might expect the municipality to be smart right" As a Helmonder that made me laugh. This neighbourhood was practicaly build in my backyard so I am very familiar with it. The location was chosen as it already had good access with the A270 highway and a busy railline already there. From Brandevoort you can be in the city center of Eindhoven in 8 minutes. That is also the people who got drawn to the Neighbourhood, people that work in the city center of Helmond and Eindhoven. That is not something bad but it did couse de Veste to be very quiet, kinda of too quiet. Every time I have been there it felt like a ghost town as i was one of the only people outside as all the residents are working somewhere else. Not a bad thing in a subburban neighbourhood but it does feel weird if a place is supposed to feel like a busy productive town.
Further on I don't see how the road layout makes the place less accessable. In fact we often shop in Brandevoort as it is easier to park the car there. I think the road layout is perfect as it diverts busy car traffic around the urban fabric but it doesn't cut the neighbourhoof of from the rural landscape.
Another note:
The northern part of the original plan was axed due to the 2008 crisis. That is also the main reason on why it stil isn't completed ad the neighbourhood has had alot of problems, like most neighbourhoods. The new plans for the Brainport smart district is very interresting and i think that there are alot of good interesting ideas but its far far from perfect, it especially sucks as the original plans were really nice. It is the case that the municipality has learned alot from this neighbourhood as it heavily influenced the design of Suytkade and Oranjekade in Center of Helmond, alough these both also have a more industrial vibe as both are build on former industry along the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal, which couses both of these neighbourhoods to be more special and thus more recognizable.
The whole Noord-Brabant region is so fascinating to me as an American - several "medium" cities of 100,000 - 200,000 people, no single center, and very effective train transportation between cities. I have a friend who lives near Eindhoven who I often visit and I love Eindhoven, Tilburg, and Den Bosch. Most other parts of the world have one large central city per region, with everything going into or out of that city. I love the non-centralized feeling of the region, where everything is close but also its own place.
@@asherstuhlman2424 You forgot the most beautifal city of Noord Brabant called the pearl of the south Breda ;p
@@asherstuhlman2424 The "Randstad" agglomeration isn't that much different. Dordrecht, Rotterdam, Delft, Rijswijk, Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem, all very close. And from Dordrecht you're almost in Breda 🙂.
@@ronald3836 It is different in the sense that Dord, Rotterdam, Delft, Rijswijk, Den Haag, Leiden form almost one big giant city. There is hardly any space inbetween. Between Tilburg and Eindhoven is a huge forested area. Same with Tilburg and Den Bosch.
As a Helmonder myself I stopped the video 2 minutes in.....
Brandevoort is a success to anyone not living there. The people living there hate it.
The poster is also saying that the houses are affordable but that only goes for those who have been living there from day 1. Wanna buy a house there? Bring a *HUGE* lot of money. The kind of money that will buy a house twice the size with 10 times the yard space outside of Brandevoort.
The video is nice for those who want to visit interesting places but it's full of falsehoods. Brandevoort was a prestige project and that is what remains: A silly expensive, kind of pretty looking but totally impractical neighborhood.
I'm so happy to see social housing so beautifully designed and actually affordable, it's usually (at least where I live) just concrete blocks and no one wants to do more than the bare minimum, it's quite upsetting
If I was a billionaire, I’d sponsor so many real estate companies to design neighborhoods they were already going to be building to use more classic architectural styles.
most of the beautiful buildings of past are illegal to build nowadays.
@@tann_man build them better. we can combine our current-day knowledge with past-day architecture. building them better visually is almost an impossible feat though. it's just too costly now.
This is fantastic! I wish we had this in the USA 🇺🇸
It’s so strange how many people hate “15 minute city’s” they are fantastic!
Some equate "15 minute cities" with "smart cities". I know people who are sure that Big Brother will control every single person who walks through a 15 minute city! They completely freak out if you mention 15 minute cities. The concepts have been warped in certain conspiracy theory spheres.
There are however disabled people, big families that need to drive and neurodivergent people that have social anxiety regarding grocery shopping/restaurants that need a car however. I don’t think we need to make our cities less accesible than what they already are.
@@Fluxwux alot of cities are not accesible because they are designed for cars, with 1 meter wide sidewalks with huge cracks, and 4 lane intersections.
@@quackywhackityphillyb.3005 Of course its not perfect. But I am honestly shocked by you claiming cities forcing people to walk or neurodivergent people to isolate themselves is more accesible than cities made for cars. You can’t say that.
@@Fluxwux mobility scooters exist and why not just have both options avaliable instead of forcing 99% of the population to living in an isolating car centric enviornment.
This video is much needed. You won me over when you said that the tradition is to preserve the fire and not to worship the ashes
I loved it when I first saw it fro mthe train. Had no idea it was built like a fortified town. Best houses that have been built in The Netherlands post ww2.
I am Dutch and hadn't even heard of it. I think this is great. Having lived in Eindhoven, I recognise the 'Brabant' atmosphere. My mother came from Betondorp, an 1940s 'village-style' part of Amsterdam built with concrete, critised very much at the time, and now well-loved.
That's funny i live there! (Brinkstraat). It's close to Diemen though on the eastern part of town. Thank god not visited by tourists a lot. Apart from the visits from foreign architects.
Brabant is the best. Bredanaar hier
You make a video on Charleston, South Carolina. The city has implemented an architectural review board, so the city has preserved its old architecture and is building its new buildings in that style. As a result, it has become one of America's most desirable and fastest growing cities. However, it unfortunately isn't affordable due to places like Charleston being very rare to find here in America today. I think it would be nice to highlight a success story that isn't in Europe for once.
Charleston and Carmel, Indiana both. Liveable-looking cities and not box-scapes in a sea of rectangles.
Places like Charleston are domains of the wealthy and will always be.
@@baronvonjo1929 The reason why Charleston is so expensive is because cities of its kind are a rarity in the US. Compared to most other states, South Carolina is one of the most affordable, so there's no reason why the same shouldn't also apply to Charleston if most other American cities were built like it.
To be fair Charleston is not a similiar examples to those covered on the channel. These are in the main brand new developments built in a traditional style. Charleston for an American city is historic and as been a settlement for a number of centuries and although what being done is admirable it is infilling with similiar venacular architecture in an already fairly historical setting. That said in the UK even in our historical cities you would unbelievably have to battle the architectural establishment to infill like they are doing in Charleston. As they would call it pastiche, even though it is what people approve of and want, they would be dismissed by this elite as not really understanding architecture.
Carmel is also a very wealthy area, but that is not proof that they aren't doing some things right. It seems like no one gets to have nice architecture and city planning unless the wealthy and powerful are leading the charge.
I wouldn't want to live in Carmel personally. I don't want to be surrounded by only wealthy people. That feels very artificial to me. But I also wouldn't want to throw out what they have done there, because it conveys an embodied vision of what other places can strive for.
I recently moved to a newbuilt in Noordwijk - a coastal town about 30 miles from Amsterdam and 20 miles from The Hague to the other side. Its a whole new neighborhood called "Offem" - next to an estate with a small forest which shares the same name. The concept was similar- consider the architecture of the old centre of the town, and especially the main street (Voorstraat) and design homes which fit well with the older homes from the 17th/18th/19th century, but with all the comfort of modern building techniques. It is great, looks beautiful, the homes are spacious, there is plenty of parking, but also on the back of the houses, so the streets are free of cars and quite walkable, theres lots of waterways, trees and greenery everywhere. Its quiet and peaceful and safe. I would certainly recommend to anyone
This is one of the most beautiful and special suburbs that I've ever seen! Wow it looks really cool and amazing! Gonna visit soon!
This new... "old" development excites me. It has character. It has soul. It has a story to tell... unlike so many new, staid neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. Pedestrian and cycle oriented, it is free, for the most part, of cars and car parks. This type of approach reminds me of the aims of the New Urbanists in the US. Bravo! Keep up the good work. ("Gelukkig, woon ik in het schitterende Middelburg.")
Only been there once to pick up something. It was an absolute maze to navigate through😆. That said, I live about 10 minutes from there and I’ve seen Brandevoort grow. I absolutely love the bringing back of the old designs. You don’t find that anywhere here on such a scale. And it should be done way more! I like how this video taught me new info on something that seems so “normal” to me.
You said businesses / stores have a hard time because traffic avoids the city center.
But as far as I know is that pedestrians and cyclists are the ones who buy stuff, not car drivers. Car drivers would mostly just drive through the city and not stop to buy something.
There's an American street where they took away the parking space to create a bike line. The owners of the stores thought they would lose their customers but instead they got more. This is the case everywhere where they reduce car traffic to increase bike and pedestrian space. Unfortunately I forget the name of the city and street of the example that I just gave you. But I remember another example. In the city "victoria gasteiz" (located in Spain) they did not only do that to one street but to the whole city plus made more green spaces, green rooftops, you know all those great things.
Long story short walkable cities increase the economy. Not the other way around. In fact, car centered cities a build indebts that they pay with new debts that they never can afford because the maintaince of streets for cars is just too high while they also make space for parking spots and streets by destroying houses and stores. It's in every way not friendly for the economy. I think "not just bikes" made a video about it cakled "strong towns"
That said, I really agree with everything else I learned in this video.
I also don't think something is progressive only because it's new or modern
It's progressive if it's an improvement but let's face it modern arquitectura is ugly as it can be.
I guess the point is it is not a real town, like a regional business center. It is a nice-looking suburb with the residents working in, hm, Eindhoven, I suppose. So you can't expect to do much business there. What amenities does a suburb need? A pub and a café maybe, and a convenience store for people to buy stuff they forgot to bring from the supermarket on their way home.
@@th60of Some people like to buy their bread from a bakery and so on. They don't live 100% from the supermarket. The supermarket is nice for prepackaged stuff like soap, shampoo, salt and sweets, etc. Which you can order online and get delivered scheduled. Buying fresh vegetables of the season is a thing some people do buy at stores close by that specializes in them.
And a bike repair shop. ;) Need one at walking distance.
@@th60of Supermarkets in the Netherlands don't work like that. Most people live within a short distance of a small supermarket; that's where we do just about all of our groceries. We don't drive the car to a huge megamarket outside the city, as is common in some places in the world. We don't really have convenience stores anymore. We don't need them as we all have a "buurt super" that can supply all.
Vitoria-Gasteiz
well it's also the case that if it's not easy to access for non residents, the businesses there will only cater to people who live there (imagine how often you go to another town/city to have a meal, purchase a service, conduct business for work, ect). That means you're basically looking at a limited number of stores and services. Probably not the worst thing, but as someone commented here about going there, it's a bit dead during working hours cause everyone is working somewhere else. It's hard to have a restaurant that doesn't have business until evenings and weekends, for cafes thats basically impossible. Also also, some commuters will simply buy things/get services where they work cause it will be more convienent (I used to work for a large retailer, my office was in the same building, so i'd go shopping there after work, even though I had a shopping mall 1 block away, about the same distance as the bus stop from work to my flat)
Jouw video's geven mij altijd weer energie dat niet alles verloren is. Ik raak zelf aardig gedeprimeerd hoe wij Nederland volbouwen, en prefereer dan nog altijd de ouwe weilanden die er ooit lagen dan de distopische woonwijken die we tegenwoordig creeeren (zelf woonachtig met uitzicht op Leidschenveen/Ypenburg).
Kortom, ik hoop dat je nog even doorgaat met mooie voorbeelden en positieve verhalen van hoe het ook kan.
Nice video and very nice town! The only thing which disturbs me a little is the amount of space which is exlusively used for car parking in the backyards. But apart from that it looks like new urban developments should look like!
Greetings from Germany!
I thought the same thing. They looked like big carparks between the buildings. Would be much better to have more greenspace back there
Yep. The designers still clung to the principle that every person has to have their own parking spot no more than 10 meters away from their apartment, as if this was some basic human need which has precedence over all others. You reserve a few parking spots for those who are movement-impaired, the rest can use other means of transport and potentially have a multi-story garage further away if they absolutely feel it's essential they have a car.
@@BcroG11 It makes sense since most people living there use cars to get to Eindhoven. There is a norm for the amount of parking spaces per house. Overall parking nearby is seen as a basic need because for many the car still is a basic need.
@@kassy6373 It's literally quicker to get the train there.
We have a similar community nearby here in Orlando, Florida called Baldwin Park, which was built on a large parcel of land that once belonged to the air force and was used for training new recruits. It features traditional architecture in a wide variety of styles, sizes and price points, streams, lakes and canals, all amenities are in the town center our on the streets bordering the village. Cars access the homes via alleys, eliminating front driveways, bicycle paths are pleniful, there's loads of trees, parks and green space. Disney's Celebration, 30 miles, is a similar model, but it has more of a "stepford wives" feel to it for a variety of reasons.
I think you're missing the point here. Brandevoort isn't a gated community, it's just a part of a normal city called Helmond. So no fences, private guards or companies ruling what you can/ can't do....We don't like to lock ourselves in. Now that's freedom!
Only if more places were buitl like this. A pleasant place to stay sane, have good mental health, people are closer, you feel cozy, it's friendly to your mind... Where I live things are so oppressive and awful it's basically impossible to stay sane or have good mental health. It's loud, unpleasant, unfriendly. It just drives people insane, and it only worsens by the day.
Remember: This is a suburb for the rich. Mostly people that work at ASML here. Most houses are so expensive they can't be bought by anyone else.
Those people usually have double-income families that work from 9 to 9. Most of them are rarely home.
So no, there is no "people are closer" since most of the people living here hardly ever see each other.
I've lived in Helmond for 20 years and most people in Brandevoort don't like Brandevoort.
@@Crogathat's because Helmond is run by hooligans no brains from those people.
@@Crogathat's the problem with this and similar channels: they newer take affordability into account. And while places like this may become profitable in the long run, the upfront cost of building them makes them inaccessible for most people.
IMHO, the smart question would be how to build cheap and pleasant cities.
Where is that minimum margin, when the city becomes uncomfortable? What construction techniques are the most expensive and what you can replace them with?
And how do you substitute them without getting an "it's fake" feeling?
It's easy to build a pleasant city for the rich.
It's also relatively easy to build ultra cheap living for the poor (that will eventually become a crime ridden slum).
Try building a city where the living is both accessible for the lover middle class and hard working upper low class, AND desirable for the upper classes.
This gives me so much hope! I'm 62 years old and I've lived in New Jersey and New York for most of my life. The best places to live are the ones that grew up organically and have features like plenty of trees along the streets and well-made aesthetically pleasing buildings and a good sense of community where people can gather or just use the space in a way that feels right to them.
There have been so many frustrating and disheartening examples of the same old money-obsessed developers and politicians that don't really seem to care and the government of the towns and cities often don't assert what's in everyone's best interest. Keep up your excellent work and thank you for showing us Brandevoort!
Absolutely love these videos, but they sure do make walking around my own city a pretty disheartening experience sometimes.
I live in the Funenpark in Amsterdam and I think this park is proof that modern-minimalist architecture can be a great success. The place doesn't look boring and there's lots of green. However, near the park you can also find plenty of neoclassical architecture which also looks beautiful. Yes, it absolutely works and I think it's great for preserving the aesthetic of Amsterdam, but at the same time we should still embrace modern architecture, but maybe be more critical about what is good architecture. The Funenpark works because despite some of the residential buildings are repeated, you never see two of the same buildings at once. The architecture manages to be playful despite its minimalism. It also mixes social housing with more luxury apartments at the same location, yet there's quite a community vibe.
Check out Val'Quirico in Mexico. It's a great example of a community built as an old town in North America.
I also went to Brandevoort by train a few months ago. Here I conducted research into urban planning for a school project. Really, what a great neighborhood.
I wish more builds were built like this. I hate all the new modern, flat design, lifeless buildings
very bigoted anti-semitic comment here
Thank you for this excellent video about the excellent little town! Personally, I lived both in modern buildings and in the old classical ones. The latter have their special charm. Already approaching the house, you freeze in anticipation, seeing all the interesting details of the external walls, columns and arches. Walking up the stairs, looking on the nice decorations on the banister & the walls, feels like a pleasant little adventure. Sitting on the sofa at home, you can spend hours looking at the original curlicues of plaster stucco on the ceiling. Even going to the bathroom to wash your hands is a pleasant experience because you open the door with the elegant doorknob and use the quaint antique faucets to let the water flow. And on top of that, these beautiful old houses are not only a delight to look at, they are also very practical. They are made of brick rather than concrete, so they are warm in winter and cool in summer. Brick breathes much better than concrete, so the air quality in brick houses is higher.
If there wasn't such a housing shortage, developers would quickly realise most people just like this 'old fashioned' style and build in that style a lot more. 'jaren 30 huizen' are the most popular houses for the same reason, people love cozy houses with lots of details, not cement blocks and containers.
I wish ivory tower intellectuals that think some concrete and glass boxes leaning on each other is somehow 'wow so modern' would take note and build these in the future.
I wish we could make Ivory Tower Intellectuals live in their concrete and glasses boxes (they wet the bed, they should lie in it). Meanwhile, the world should get architects like those featured in the video to develop our cities.
You sound jealous of these imaginary "ivory tower intellectuals" that you are so angry about.
You're just angry that THEY get to see THEIR vision put into action.
If you don't like it, go build your own. But don't interfere with what THEY do.
You praise the myriad innovations you are privileged to enjoy, such as the ability to compose this message using the internet on your smartphone-an embodiment of human ingenuity-yet paradoxically, you wish for architecture to remain stagnant.
@@halapunjete we have been using the "modern" concrete style "artictercure" since the 1900's, maybe its time to move on.
@@halapunjete A giant metal and glass box in the middle of the desert isn't progress, its regression. It gives the middle finger to nature, physics, art and common sense. It's a monument to mans hubris not an embodiment of ingenuity.
Good job in highlighting this gem of urban planning. It brings to my another effort by architect couple from one of the Central American countries, who built a new residential area with traditional architecture and much of principles incorporated in Brandevoort. I stumbled upon their work in UA-cam too but I can't remember their names or the country they are from.
I love dutch cities like Utrecht, Haarlem, Groningen, Alkmaar , Amersfoort, Amsterdam Center and Arnhem. Great timeless architecture !!!
Just a few critical comments: I don’t see why the architects could not come up with a more futuristic plan for eliminating cars from the area completely. Either by incorporating tunnels and underground parking lots or by designating areas outside for parking anc providing a simple system for delivering good and materials to the front door. In this sense, the plan does not seem revolutionary at all.
Secondly, I did not actually see any shops or workplaces that would naturally have been part of such a city or district at the time, when this type of architecture first appeared. It seems to me that the problem originates in the idea of planning itself. Most cities are planned today, but in the past they grow organically and they Naturally incorporated the professions and businesses that people needed. That’s eliminating the need to travel all the way to some urban centre for your work or to do shopping. And I suppose that I have no evidence for it, that zoning laws would prohibit the transformation of housing into shops or business premises now.
Thus, while this video seems encouraging, I think it is what the Dutch call a ‘wassen neus’. In other words, it’s a facade and does not really solve the problems that before modern architecture and city planning. And I am highly sceptical of the claim that house prices are affordable since house prices everywhere have gone up and it is simply inconceivable that the people producing this kind of architecture and city planning Would be able to produce this type of habitation any cheaper than the standard price for housing anywhere else in the Netherlands, which is extremely or ridiculously overpriced.
Does " wassen neus " mean empty nut ?
@@lioneldemun6033 Literally translated it means "A wax nose". In other words: it's phoney or fake
So what? It's still better than comparable 'modern' developments. If you watched the video and paid attention, you would have noticed that this isn't about solving the housing crises, it was only mention that 22% is allocated as social housing. That's the affordable aspect of this project. There was no mention of how this project claims to single-handedly change the dynamic of the housing market. That's you projecting your own frustrations.
The focus is mainly on aesthetics and therefore quality of living. And the only relevant question is: if all other things are equal, would you rather live in Brandevoort or in Ypenburg/Leidscherijn?
I moved to Brandevoort when I startd my studies. It is one of the nicest places I've ever been to, recommend for anyone to visit.
Undrgrounf parking lot and Greenspaces within the blocks would have been cool
12:24 This is the most beautiful overpass that I have seen ...wow
If we built something like this in the USA no one would be able to afford it.
King Charles built a new town in the UK but didn't bother to put cycle paths in
@@amigabang6157 I remember hearing about something like that years ago, he was really proud of it.
I'm Dutch. I didn't know about this. This is totally awesome! What an absolute masterpiece this new town is becoming. So modern build with beautifull traditional architecture is possible AND succesfull.
We need more of this!!!
I love it.
Although the cars could go underground for every block. That way, the interior space could be used for something better than parking and the cars would be protected from the weather.
With numerous Germans involved, I hope my country can also do this.
I was thinking the same thing. It seems like German cities only build more bland and soulless buildings. The country of Bach, Kant and Gründerzeit and hey... look, another shoebox with an orange roof. Traurig.
German retro houses with those wood beams would be even crazier! build around a hill with a large castle on top.
@@christijanrobert1627 I have to agree. Everything that is now built in Germany seems the same, both from the outside and the inside, including details like door handles.
@@buddy1155 Where is Ludwig II when we need him!
@@ronald3836 Another thing, more and more of these buildings resemble prisons. Imagine spending your money on living in what looks like a grey and white penitentiary.
"The future is yesterday" is so unbelievably well put. Great video!
This is more of a top down view. I would have liked if you had presented some surveys or something from the people on the ground, shop owners and stuff like that. I don't really like the parked cars around back in a square like that, wouldn't back alleys have been more natural? I don't particularly care that it doesn't "look" authentic, it isn't and it never will be, but it should look good and be a pleasant environment to be in.
True - didn’t have a lot of time here unfortunately to go on the streets but that is a fun idea for short videos perhaps. In any case, noted!
This is such a cool concept! I wish it would be done here in Portugal. 😍 Love your videos! Keep up the good work! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Architects with turtle neck and glasses is hell of a nice touch! Hahaha!
Awesome video Ruben!
But those glasses must be red or made out of bamboo.
I really hope that more town and city planners see this as an example to take on from, we need more of this !
Lets share this!
I lived in the first street that was completed in 2000. I saw the project growing over the years, in the beginning it was missing it's soul, but that also grew.
That is nice to hear! Thank you for sharing 😁 Interesting how a newly built traditional place can still get a soul - it’s a very good sign for other places
Lol, the building at 11:28 in Gothenburg is the Gothenburg jail. Fun fact; They are infamous for being one of the worst jails in the country.
What a fascinating topic... And the way you present the ideas and explain the criticism and problems is a master class in urban planning. I went to school for Historic Preservation and even though most of us would say this is historicism and imitation, I think it's better to imitate something we know works very well, is designed around people, and is quite beautiful. I would love to visit next time I'm in Europe... Thank you for sharing!
Thanks!! And yes I agree. Let's do things that work - we have enormous problems already with wars, poverty, pollution, so why waste money on unproven 'pie in the sky' ideas, instead of fully focusing on pragmatic solutions? And to introduce beauty as well - as it's so important to basically everyone
The Dutch know how to surprise the world. A great work by a great people.
Well done. Much love from Germany
OMG we got to see your face, finally!
One cannot remain faceless forever I guess!
I wish New Zealand could adopt this
8:55 it's very funny, because the more dystopian, autocratic country the less traditional they build in terms of scale
I'd wish this would be more extended. Here in Spain modernist ugly and non-walker friendly developments are on the rise, I once passed by one of the new developments and asked my friend "Aren't those very ugly?" And he said "Yeah but they are 'modern'", sadly many people believe because they are "modern" they are good even if they are ugly and discourage walking and mixed use.
Worse is, it's becoming more common to enclose beautiful old buildings with a boring grey facade, I've even seen some old buildings with modern ugly extensions from the roof. Or to see what they did to the Museum of Arts of Oviedo, demolishing half of the 300 year old beautiful facade to replace it with a horrible grey block and it looks terrible there in the middle of the medieval old town. Also because of the very wet climate here these buildings decay quickly and in 5 years they already have moss.
A small criticism is that there don't seem to be any front gardens, the buildings go up to the street/pavement and there would be no privacy/sound insulation for people using their front rooms so that's a big no for me. When you have a front room that overlooks the pavement, you actually feel overlooked and unsafe, you hear every passer-by, car, etc. With a front garden and a hedge, you don't even need curtains and I don't have any curtains in my house, I just let the light in and the views of the front and back garden are like an impressionist painting come to life. There is never enough greenery/space, please remember this architects and designers, try living in one of the houses you design and any cons will become obvious
Better you go live in one of those houses and you'll see why they're made thay way. That's how old cities were made.
This is why neighborhood where people cannot see or hear what happens on the street are so dangerous. They also feel dead, and are very boring to walk in.
There aren't large back gardens either because most of the courtyards are surface parking lots...
Not all but most houses in the Netherlands have no curtains. You can look straight into their home and it doesn't worry them. My family lived like that in the inner city of Rotterdam and I remember that it was very safe for us kids to play out in the street. It had a great community feel to it. Sadly that has all changed now but it seems like Brandevoort is created the way it was 50+ years ago. It's thumbs up for me.
Each country should start building according to their own culture, traditions and wants. Thats what makes each country unique and more beautiful.
0:44 looks like they have some drainage problems in that town. Maybe they can learn from the Romans and put some stepping stones on the road so people can cross without getting their feet wet.
If you look closely you see that the sidewalk hasn't been built yet. It's a new city, give it time.
I really hope this is the future everywhere. I also hope that we learn how to bring back the beautiful ornamental artisan flourishes that gives old architecture that special magic missing today. If I had one note: more trees! Without it it looks a bit like a fake movie set.
Great video! Compare this to the often ugly, soulless so called "grand designs"that are selected for the UK/AU/NZ/SE TV series.
The project shown here is amazing. And yes, having squares which are natural places for people to meet really does encourage people to come outside. I would love to see more if this kind of thing in Canada. I do have a reservation though. As much as suburbia is maligned, I have on concern regarding economic impact. You see, having a North American style suburban home with a garage and basement, it provides something that mamy other urban spaces do not provide - space to tinker. There are countless stories of businesses starting in "ones garage" and I think the impact of that available space should not be underestimated. Certainly the Dutch are entrepreneurial and inventive, but I wonder about the econimic dynamism that can he lost if there isnt space to tinker. In North America, theres is huge churn in new businesses starting all the time. In Europe, while certainly one can register a business anytime, this denser fabric of people, while certainly gives you more of a market, I cant help but feel it also restricts the things tou can do in your space at home. North American homes can he surprisingly busy with projects, hobbies, tinkering, and part time businesses in basements and garages. Switching to a 5 floor apartment with traditional architecture can be beautiful and comfortable, but I just dont see how this arrangement encourages people to experiment and tinker. Is there a traditional solution to this? Village workshops? Backstreet sheds/shacks?
That's great if you can afford the big suburban house.
Only way I can think of improving it would be to reduce some of the parking islands, adding infill, and a wider variety of building heights (up to 6 or 7 stories). That would help increase the density, without impacting the function of the town/district, and make it more self-sustaining (less reliant on outsiders for business).
Your articulation of what progress is, is superb. Definitely stealing that.
I love it! I encourage stealing of good ideas 😁
From the US here - I would love to live in a town like Brandefoort!
Maybe we need to build new Brandevoorts. But bigger, with more shops and businesses
Ruben! Thanks for this video. I'd never heard of the place, but after watching I think it's a winner. It's pretty, human-scaled, safe for pedestrians AND cars. It's got problems just like all planned places. No one seems to be able to plan for ALL the needs: that only comes from places that just grow with only minimal planning. People will build everything they need if given enough time and little interference... but this sure is a good alternative. Thanks again!
I went to school right outside of Brandevoort, and I can confirm it's a lovely town! It's amazing how it looks compared to other cities and villages nearby, it's very unique. I also had a school project about Brandevoort in which I learnt a lot about its history, so seeing this video really surprised me!
Indeed, the city looks beautiful! Not only on this video, but also in reality after few years of building. Just took a short walk there with google street view :). I would add more shops, bars, restraints and coffee corners to make the place a bit more vibrant. Hope it just a matter of time.
Als Belg maakt het mij zo enorm jaloers te weten dat dit zo enorm dicht bij mij is, en de ideeën toch niet overwaaien naar hier...
They were really on to something with this. I can only echo your conclusions from my own perspective. I moved from the city to an old town center nearby a few years ago and still feel blessed every day. Overlooking an in-use waterway instead of a busy road, weekly shops are at a walking distance and the surroundings are much more varied . It's just much more peaceful to live in a place with a layout that has actually been optimized around human beings (and the odd boat) rather than cars. Simply from an evolutionary stand-point it makes so much more sense and you physically experience the difference every day.
I actually prefer suburbs to dense building for living. Dense is good for city centers
This is so inspiring like always. When the next minicipal elections come up I'm definitely making a campaignvideo in this place as proof that we could absolutely bring at least some of the old glory of the dutch town of Zandvoort back! Thank you for your amazing video's once again.
Harmony and rhythm in the macro space reflects within the people creating all round cohesion.
Paris is brave, is changing for good. It is a model for other cities to know that they can be transformed. For so long cars didn't have any limitations or restrictions. It's time for people outside cars to remodel their cities and live in them.
I get goosebumps whenever I watch one of your videos. Classical architecture works for one simple reason: human subconscious. It predicts what environment we respond to, the connections we have with other people and the romantic partner that we choose. To expand:
The environment we respond to is simple: This kind of town has two major aspects: every house is special because it's different and it makes you feel like you have ownership but it blends into the town's personality and you feel connected to the neighbours. The brutalist towns on the other hand make you feel like you don't own anything, everything is for the people but none is for you. You can barely point out the apartment in a big block of flats where you live, everything is far away from you or seems disconnected from you. The human subconscious sends you signals about this but you don't understand what is happening. So many kids start to "make themselves special" with tattoos or piercings because they want to feel special and the habitat doesn't help them feel like that. It's an epidemic of "I'm special" in the body but not the mind.
The connections we have to other people: Stores integrated in the buildings, small businesses make people feel connected. Corporations that have the big buildings built outside of towns are disconnected from the buyer, they make you go further (probably with a car) and make you feel small and not important.
Squares are very important for people's wellbeing. It's a place dedicated to the people with the purpose to feel connected to the city. You don't even need to call the other person when you meet them because it's so easy to set up a date there. "see you in...square at...hours", not like the today's back and forth calling or opening the app to lead you to the meeting spot.
The romantic partner that we choose: These towns were made by men for the community around. Today people got disconnected from the people building these skyscraper cities. They just pop up, and we get anticultural movies like Barbie where the protagonist "just lives" in a house that exists only because she desired it, not because men poured their blood and sweat to create them. This makes woman not wanting a romantic partner (like in the movie) because they think men are no good, this produces no future generations. Men start acting up for not having a romantic partner and the downward spiral goes down with this leftist thinking that makes ugly cities and the family and home obsolete.
These classic towns remind us of what real beauty is: living according to our subconscious not against it in the name of "evolution". If people would understand why society is failing right now they would also understand why we still need classic towns and orientation to the family.
Just a reminder:
Men built society...but they built it for women. (we all have our place, it's different but it's equal of importance)
This is beautiful! A place where people can live and not only exist.
The traditional city is awesome! All you arguments of "negatives" are thoughtful. I would say the traditional design will win because it is beautiful and make you want to live there. This content was great well done good sir.
I wasn’t aware about this town in my country, it looks very pleasant to live in. Now send these architects to Almere please
Let us never stop hoping for a better and more humane world.
This video blew up pretty fast.
Thank you for making it.
You made a great point about how technology must be part of the urban fabric and NOT the afterthought it currently is. Most smart cities are glaring monstrosities that usually don’t even deliver the promise of “smart”. Instead of making technology (or cars, or security or whatever the latest buzzword is) the centerpiece of an urban design, i like how you pulled it back to basics in this video 🎉👌🏻👍🏻
I remember when they where still building the place...good to see it now :)
i'd live in brandevoort, looks gezellig, and very knus.