How can Amsterdam's Bullewijk get a livelier streetscape and better connect the adjacent neighborhoods of Bijlmer-Centrum and Amstel III? Commissioned by the O-team of the Ministry of the Interior, we investigated the development opportunities for the metro station. Bullewijk in Amsterdam Zuidoost and its immediate surroundings. The track on which Bullewijk Station is located forms the dividing line between two neighborhoods, Amstel III and the H-neighborhood, each with its own qualities and challenges. By adding a new, informal layer to the current infrastructure, and developing it into the centrality of new projects, the various neighborhoods in Southeast can grow into a connected Amstel City.
Amsterdam's Bullewijk is a closed neighborhood where infrastructure dominates urbanity, and accessibility is more important than livability. Bullewijk was designed according to a plan that prioritized automobile accessibility, resulting in poor infrastructure that overpowered urban development and is today perceived as lacking human scale. The district is characterized by segregated developments and monofunctional neighborhoods. The railroad tracks where Bullewijk Station is located form a barrier rather than a backbone for development potential.
To ensure that the area moves from closed to open, strong connections to nearby projects must be created. These will guarantee maximum flow, which will allow for more exchange and meeting between neighborhoods, making Bullewijk more lively and enjoyable. The neighborhood boundary no longer serves as an end point, but as a pit stop. New development faces the street instead of inward, and a diversifying program causes neighborhoods to transform from monofunctional to multifunctional. The railroad becomes a vibrant hub, transforming from obstacle to backbone for development of the area.
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