The Netherlands is well served by a sturdy new mobility concept to reduce travel distances between major economic regions such as Randstad Holland and the Ruhr Valley in Germany. There is no need to scale down roads to achieve that aim. Indeed, it is much more interesting to increase the stratified state by adding a new layer on top. This can be done by singling out a system of key infrastructural works and thereby creating a new layer. Key features of this new layer, called Flyways, are the very high speed and the small number of slip roads. Five existing infrastructural works are eligible for the Flyway category in the Netherlands: the Northern Axis (A6/A7), Northeastern Axis (A1), Eastern Axis, (A12), Southern Axis (A2) and Southwestern Axis (A4). These axes will act as a motor to achieve acceleration in the hinterland of the Randstad, elevating cities like Almere, Groningen, Eindhoven and Arnhem to a higher economic and social plane. Since the intervening areas will not be feeding directly into the Flyway, they will have to take up a more independent position in terms of both landscape and economy. Thus, interventions in travel times will give rise to a new Netherlands in spatial terms.

Tackling the national infrastructure network provides opportunities for structuring the adjoining cities and regions. By capitalizing on the potentials of shorter travel times, a city like Almere would be able to physically redefine itself. It should then focus in particular on the possibilities of the zone round the A6 as this is where that city is exposed to the Flyway. By drawing on such concepts as 'landscape-way' (Landschapsweg), 'canopy-way' (Luifelweg), 'air-way' (Luchtweg), 'border-way' (Grensweg), 'urbiduct' (Stadsduct) and 'hidden-way' (Verborgenweg), a strongly varied landscape ensues with all the potentials for redesigning the city. In seizing such opportunities Almere can quickly burgeon into a fully-fledged, mature city with a place for existing qualities such as greenspace and oases of peace and quiet.

This project is one of the few Dutch examples in which the design of city and landscape steps off from infrastructure and mobility. In this respect, it not only builds upon the ideas of Paul Morand who in 1994 wrote: 'The car has given us back the countryside, the roads, inns and adventure', but is at the same time a Dutch translation into today's zeitgeist of the game played between spatial planning and infrastructure in Arturo Soria (La Ciudad Lineal, 1882) and Le Corbusier (Plan Obus for Algiers, 1930).

Place of education: Wageningen University
Specialization: landscape architecture
Tutors: Peter Vrijlandt, Frank de Josselin de Jong