Many say that biking in Amsterdam is difficult, try walking on the sidewalk…

Arguably one of the most enjoyable pastimes available in Amsterdam is walking around and soaking in the culture that the city has to offer. Whether it be a stroll past the famous Museumplein, through the Vondelpark, or along the picturesque streets of De 9 Straatjes, there is always something new to see and discover. What is even more exciting is finding a way through the sidewalks…

De Pijp is a neighbourhood in Amsterdam that is perfect for gentrification enthusiasts, one characteristic of the neighbourhood that I particularly enjoy is the crowdedness of the sidewalks. As you walk through the picturesque streets, you’ll find it hard to walk in a straight line. There’s everything you could ever imagine: bikes, tables, benches, children’s toys, and so much more to ensure that your leisurely walk requires strategy! This has become a recurring pattern in many gentrified areas, where the middle-class residents have began to take over large parts of the sidewalks and streets and to use them in their favour. The ‘colonisation’, so to say, of the sidewalks by middle-class residents is a practice which has become more prevalent in recent years and has become a staple to a new middle-class lifestyle, as Karsten (2008) has argued in her article. This has translated into a cozy atmosphere in the streets, where the home is extended outward, leading to a proper 'middle-class' space. The outward expansion of the home is seen as a reaction to decades of norms that saw working-class families more on the street, Karsten (2008) argues. Above you can see some examples of this, where a table is set for dinner in the middle of the sidewalk and a man casually enjoys a beverage outside in the sun. Both of these photos were taken on the same street, not even 20m away from each other, on the peaceful and stylish Gerard Doustraat.

For further reading on the topic of sidewalk colonisation, refer to this article:

Karsten, L. (2008). The Upgrading of the Sidewalk: from Traditional Working-Class Colonisation to the Squatting Practices of Urban Middle-Class Families. URBAN DESIGN International, 13(2), pp.61–66. doi:10.1057/udi.2008.14.